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Noah hung back, shaking his head but still wearing that cocky grin. “I forgot how much fun it is to mess with the school ghosts.” He took off after Shelton.

Cassian laughed. “That’s such a Noah thing to do. There's a reason he and Lee were inseparable before.” He grimaced. “Guess they still are, but uh… What’s Noah doing here? I thought he got his enjoyment in the afterlife by haunting Lee’s ass? He's not deciding to haunt you, is he? If he thinks he's going to set fire to this place and get you banned too, I'm calling up this Catholic priest I know. I’ll ask him about exorcism.”

“No.” I enjoyed seeing this side of Cassian’s. “I think he missed the school ghosts. He went with them and I should go too.”

“Uh.” A weird expression went over Cassian’s face.

I paused, torn. “What?”

“Um.” He looked past me to where his friends were lingering. Jason Emcee was there. Claudia too, but she was on the outskirts huddled up with some of the other girls. Rebecca and Maya were on the opposite side of the group, laughing with the guys. All of them were casting us curious looks. “So. I don’t know how to play this?”

“This?” I turned to him.

He indicated between us. “Yeah. You and me. I want to hold you and have my hands all over you in totally inappropriate ways, but there’s something telling me that I’m not supposed to do that?”

“We talked about this.”

“Were you in the room when we had this conversation?”

“Yes. It was last night.”

“That’s why I don’t remember. When you’re present, this isn’t.” His head. “And this is.” His dick. “If you know what I mean.”

“Cassian.” I was aghast, but also a little aroused. The flutters were back to fluttering.

“Yeah?” He perked up with a dopey-looking smile.

I shook my head. I couldn’t even be mad at him. I did sigh and began backing away from him, toward the school. “We’re friends.”

Insta-scowl from him. “We are not. We’re more than friends.”

“Yeah, but.” Swooning here, even though I knew I shouldn’t. I pinched my forehead. “We’re keeping it secret for now. You know. So I don’t get labeled a slut.”

He drew in his breath, aghast and fierce at the same time and looking all sorts of cute and hot. “I’ll pound anyone who tries calling you that.”

“Wow. You really don’t listen. We covered all of this last night too.”

“Again.” He motioned to me and then to his groin. “You make me hella horny. What do you expect?”

I wanted to reach out and grab him, take his hands, take his shoulders. I wanted to hug him, press myself against him and Cassian would be all about that. I couldn’t hold back my grin. “Right now, we’re friends.”

He growled.

I indicated behind me. “Shelton made a world-ending comment. I’m pretty sure he was exaggerating, but just in case, I should check on them.”

Cassian sighed. “Okay. I’ll go and be a normal guy. But I make no promises if I pull you in a closet at some point today.”

I laughed. “Just as long as we’re alone.”

He had started for his friends, but paused, frowning. “Well, yeah. I wouldn’t pull you in—oh. Oooh.” He made a face. “I got the creeps for the first time knowing about the ghosts.” He shuddered before turning the rest of the way and sauntering to his friends.

I stepped in front of the school’s front entrance, but paused to watch him.

Pain sliced through my chest.

No matter how much Cassian liked me now, wanted me now, it wouldn’t last. I took the moment to drink him in. The cute hockey player, who was popular, who was nice, who was hot, who wanted me. My chest expanded and the flutters warmed me all over again.

When he’d no longer want me, I wanted to remember this day.