“That makes sense, I guess.”
“But what about you?”
I blinked. “What about me?”
He glanced over at me as we stopped at a light. “I know we’ve talked around it a little. But what about after you graduate? You could come back. You know Marina would love to have you. And you speak to all those kids on a level I can’t.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”
“It’s time to start,” he said quietly. “Because it’ll be here before you know it. I know you have your heart set on social work, and it’s admirable. But this is a form of that too. The world needs voices like yours, Kori.”
I groaned. “Can we just… not, yet? School starts again in a couple of weeks, and I need to focus.”
“Okay,” he said easily. “Whatever you want.”
HE STOPPED in front of the house. I wanted to take his hand in mine, but that wasn’t something we did. Not yet. I told him I’d talk to him later and got out of the slut machine.
Then I paused.
Fucking Kai.
I whirled around.
He arched an eyebrow at me.
Goddammit. “Griffin is nice.”
“He is,” Jeremy agreed.
“And he’s into leather.”
“True.”
“And he’s successful. His suit said so.”
“Um, okay?”
“I’m not any of those things. I’m not nice or into your scene, and I’m broke all the time because the system is built in a way that ensures I’ll never be out of debt.”
He was frowning. “What the hell are you—”
“But I like you. A lot. And even though we’re not… we’re not doing anything about it right now, I just want you to know that. But if you don’t want… this, or if you think Griffin is someone who you—”
He laughed.
I glared at him. “It’s not funny, you dick! I’m trying to be—”
“Kori, shut up.”
“Fuck you. If you think I’m just going to—”
He pushed his sunglasses back on his forehead. “I told Griffin I wasn’t interested.”
“And furthermore, I’ll—wait. What.”
He grinned. “He asked me out again. I told him that I was flattered, but it wasn’t going to happen.”
“Oh.”