Page 421 of Ruthless Court

Kane sits beside me with his thigh pressed to mine beneath the table.

Noah gives a toast using a water glass.

“To Hannah.”

I look up.

“What?”

“For making waffles.”

“That was three weeks ago.”

“Still relevant.”

Eli raises his glass.

“To Bookworm Analytics.”

“No.”

“Study Group,” Jalen corrects.

“Better.”

Vale lifts his.

“To getting us to the Final Four.”

Kane looks at me.

His eyes hold mine.

“To Hannah,” he says.

No joke.

No nickname.

Something inside me warms.

Everyone clinks glasses.

I look around the table.

Stella arguing with Vale.

Noor laughing with Noah.

Lila stealing fries from Eli.

Kane’s hand finding mine beneath the table.

My family is in Chicago.

I miss them.

But sitting here in a cheap diner after nearly setting off the sprinkler system with people I didn’t know a few months ago⁠—