Page 81 of Ignition

Without thinking too much about it, I lifted my phone and snapped a candid photo—Pri making faces, me sticking my tongue out, wine glasses in hand, blush high on cheekbones. Then, a proper one, all flattering smiles and good angles.

Though the goofy one remained my favourite, I sent the prettier one to Josh, and blamed the alcohol roiling in my stomach for the sheer cheek.

I tried to focus on the conversation, on Pri’s tales of Christmas. From the silly moments to them cooking together, to playing Pictionary with a fierceness my family would approve of, you wouldn’t say they were freakin’ billionaires. It wasn’t such a mystery anymore, why Pri felt like a breath of fresh air in every stilted room.

“I guess you’ll meet him soon enough,” she said, referring to Mark.

When I narrowed my eyes in confusion, she deadpanned, “The Valentine’s party.” My face remained blank. “Remember, I was telling you earlier? At breakfast?” Her tone turned sing-song.

“I… might have been a tad distracted.”

Heat rushed up my neck.

“Only a tad?” She chuckled and shook her head, eyes crinkling at the corners.

My phone buzzed, saving me—or plunging me further into the abyss, I didn’t know. Damp palms lunged for it, and Pri’s knowing laughter died down in my ears, overtaken by my own traitorous pulse.

J: That won’t do, Mia. You’re testing my self-control

What? What does that mean? Should I not have—

My phone vibrated in my hand, bringing my little spiral to a halt.

J: Too pretty. I might have to come get you…

My heart did a little somersault, then kicked up with a vengeance. Sputtering, thumbs brushing over the incriminating words, I froze, half-panicked he might actually show up, half exhilarated.

This is getting out of hand.

But despite the rumours trailing him around campus, despite the flicker of wariness clinging to every stupid, reckless decision I’d made since coming back from the holidays, despite the sneaking around—or god, maybe because of it—I didn’t want to yank myself out of it.

I wanted to sink deeper.

J: Before someone steals you away xx

A rush of heat flooded my body, from the tips of my ears to my toes. My teeth sank into my bottom lip, but the corners of my mouth twitched up regardless.

“You’re grinning like an idiot,” she teased, tilting her head and watching me. I looked away a little too fast.

“Sh-shut up,” I muttered, hiding my face in my hands, before I feigned concentration on the menu again—which, either I was too drunk to read, or it was in an entirely different language.

“Can I offer a suggestion?” Pri mused when my eyes weren’t moving on the small, but overwhelming list of dishes that might as well have been in Chinese.

“Try the seafood pasta. It’s to die for.”

Orders made, bottle of Prosecco nearly empty, a mouth-watering scent of garlic and seafood whispered near my nose, before the plates landed on the table and we dug in.

I’d thought “to die for” was one of Pri’s endearing little exaggerations, but no. My taste buds were enthralled and my stomach begged for seconds, though I was full.

We finished off dinner with a tiny serving of tiramisù that was pure decadent sin, and a coffee, at which point conversation lulled enough my fingers got itchy again.

M: Still watching the movie? Are you at the cinema… or?

J: Almost done. And of course. Big bucket of popcorn just for myself. Jealous? :)

An honest to god chuckle tore from me, pulling my eyes into a crinkle at the corners.

Damn you. You can’t make me laugh on top of everything else.