Chapter 47: The Reluctant Boyfriend (1)

Chapter 47: The Reluctant Boyfriend (1)

Its not like you like me or something. Right?

A simple question. And such a complicated one to answer. He could deflect. Change the subject. Feign ignorance. Lie.

Wrong.

She leaned back slightly and touched her throat. What?

I do like you.

Was he really the one saying this?

You do?

He swallowed hard. There was no going back now. Putting his hands flat on the table as if to hold himself up, he said, Yeah, I like you. Ive always liked you, from the moment I saw you. I wanted to say something but I was too nervous. Youre always around friends. Then the thing happened with the soup. And that was embarrassing. But you showed up in the class, so I thought something would happen, but it didnt. And then the incident at the dorm, and. Oh, the earring of course. Anyway. So yeah. I do like you. But if you dont feel that way its fine. He suddenly wished he could crawl under the table, but forced himself to keep talking. I can handle that. I mean, Im not going to go crying or something, everybodys entitled to feel the way

She reached out and put the tips of her fingers on top of his. He stopped talking.

I feel the same.

It was his turn to look at her in shock. Really?

After what happened with the earring. But then everything you did seemed sort of brash. And then there was the dorm incident. It made me hesitate.

That.

She pulled her fingers away, and he wanted to hold onto them, but didnt.

I saw you that night, she said. I was the one who opened the door. Then you ran. And the next day, your friends said they did it, but I knew they were lying. She hesitated. Why?

Why did they take the fall? he said.

Why did you let them?

Really? Xerxes whispered. Why no fingers?

I dont know, Katayoun said. But based on what happened in my family, Im pretty confident in saying that this is what they wear.

He offered to carry the packages, and before long, his arms were full. Eventually, they had dinner. Minutes after, hed already forgotten what theyd eaten. At a certain point a bit later, as he followed her around a corner, he noticed Jad, Enusat, Kashtiliash, and Teucer about fifty cubits away, coming out of a gambling hall.

Shit, he murmured. Kat, my friends.

Right. She slipped her hand around Xerxes arm and pulled him into a side aisle. The feeling of her hand on the inside of his elbow was electric.

A few intersections later, she stopped and turned to him. At what point do we tell them? she asked.

About?

About us!

Us? he thought. Everything had moved so quickly he wasnt sure what exactly us meant. Regardless of the specifics, he said, I think we should wait a few days. Enough time for rumors to start circulating, but not enough that Shabadras will swoop in and call the thing off because of us.

You dont think hed do that, would you?

Probably not, but Id rather play it safe than sorry.

Good thinking. In that case. she started pulling packages out of his arms and redistributing them. Ill take mine, you take yours. We go back separately and pretend theres nothing going on between us. Next weekend, we meet back at the coffee shop before going to the cult meeting.

Okay.

After she had her packages, she hugged them against herself and looked at him. Im glad it's all happening this way.

Me too.

See you back at the school. Ill go the southern way, you go west. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. Then, before he could react, she turned and walked away.

He stood there like a block of stone for a good minute or two.

I swear this is a dream, he murmured.