Cam had been quiet for a few moments, a very odd thing indeed. “My sister did dance since she was around five. Still does. I think she’d cut someone if they made her stop.”

Shoving the rest of the Skittles in my mouth, I nodded. “Dancing can be addictive if you like it.”

“Or are good at it,” Brit interjected.

Cam bumped me with his shoulder. “Why’d you stop?”

I’d loved to dance—loved every part of it. The training, the rehearsing, and especially the anticipation leading up to the moment you stepped out onto the stage. Nothing felt like that moment when you waited in the wings for your name to be called; the first breath you took as you stepped onto center stage and stood under the bright lights. The quiet moment when you closed your eyes while you waited for your music to begin, knowing that everyone was focused on you.

Shrugging my shoulders, I reached for what was left of the M&Ms. “I guess I got tired of it,” I said finally. The lie was a big one. I didn’t grow tired of dancing. I missed it more than anything, but I couldn’t stand for people to stare. “Does your sister do competitions?”

He nodded. “She’s traveled all over and spent the summer at the Joffrey School of Ballet on a scholarship.”

“Holy shit,” I gasped, my eyes widening. “She must be damn good.”

Cam smiled proudly. “She is.”

Envy grew like a cancer, deep and invasive. That could’ve been me dancing at one of the most well-known training centers in the world. It should’ve been me, but it wasn’t and I needed to just deal with that.

Conversation sort of just fell apart after that, at least for me. Cam chatted with Brit and Jacob while I was lost in my own thoughts until it was time to go to class. I made plans for another study session and then said my goodbyes.

Cam followed me out in the bright sunlight and the steady, cool breeze that warned that colder weather was well on its way. He didn’t say anything as we walked over to Knutti Hall. Sometimes he did that, and I never knew or could begin to speculate on what he could be thinking during those quiet moments.

It was in that moment, as we crossed the congested street and he waved at a group standing in front of the Byrd Center, that I realized how different he was than when I saw him with the two girls earlier. It bothered me and it didn’t know why I even cared.

“Are you okay?” he asked when we stopped by the benches in front of Knutti Hall.

I squinted up at him. “Yeah, I’m fine. Are you?”

He gave me a tight-lipped smile and nodded. “We still on for tomorrow night?”

“Tomorrow night? Oh! The astronomy assignment.” As part of our mid-term grade, Drage was making us partner up to use the Observation Center. We’d have to turn in our images the following Wednesday. “Yeah, it works for me.”

“Good.” Cam backed away. “See you then.”

I started to turn, but stopped as something occurred to me. “Cam?”

“Yeah?”

“What were you doing in the Den? Don’t you have normally have class, like right now?”

His lips curved up at the corner and that damn dimple appeared. When he smiled liked that, it felt like a balloon had suddenly inflated in my chest. “Yeah, I normally have class right now,” he said, eyes a startling azure in the sun. “But I wanted to see you.”

Words left me as I watched him pivot around and hit the road, heading in the opposite direction of my building. I stood there for a moment and then turned. There was no stopping the smile that split my lips and it remained.

Chapter 9

“Are you sure you know how to use this thing?” I asked, staring at the telescope.

Cam shot me a look over his shoulder. “What? You don’t?”

“Nope.”

“Weren’t you paying attention in class when Drage went over this and the imaging cameras?”

I crossed my arms. “You were drawing the cast of Duck Dynasty when he was going over that.”

He laughed as he turned back to the telescope and started adjusting the knobs and buttons and other things I couldn’t remember. “I was listening.”

“Uh-huh.” I inched closer, using his body as a shield against the cool wind whipping across the roof of the Byrd Center. “You’re actually a pretty good artist.”

“I know.”

I rolled my eyes, but he really was. The sketches were disturbingly life-like, right down to the beards.

He bent over, moving a lever. “I’ve used a telescope a time or two in my life.”

“That’s random.”

“Okay. I used it when I had the class previously,” he corrected, sending me a quick grin as he straightened. Tipping his head back, he checked out the dark sky. “Man, I don’t know if we’re going to be able to get anything before those clouds roll in.”

Following his gaze, I winced. Intense, tumultuous clouds were obscuring most of the night sky. There was a wet feel to the air, a smell of rain. “Well, you better hurry then.”

“Bossy,” he murmured.

I grinned.

“Come over here and I’ll show you how to use this.” He stepped back, and with a sigh, I took his place. “Are you going to pay attention?”

“Not really,” I admitted.

“At least you’re honest.” Cam leaned around me, putting his fingers on the telescope. His arm brushed mine, and I didn’t mind. He was really blocking the wind now. “This is a Philips ToUcam Pro II.” He pointed at a silver thing that reminded me of a webcam. “It hooks to the telescope. At these settings, you should be able to get a clear image of Saturn. Press this and it will capture an image.”

“Okay.” I brushed my hair back. “I don’t think we’re supposed to be getting an image of Saturn.”

“Huh.” He paused. “Hey.”

“Hey what?”

“Go out with me.”

“Shut up.” Grinning, I leaned forward, pressing my eye to the telescope. And all I saw was pitch black. Astronomy hated me. “I don’t see anything.”

“That’s because I haven’t taken the lens off.” Cam laughed.

I jerked my elbow back. It connected with his stomach, which was equivalent to hitting a wall. “Asshole.”

Still laughing, he reached for the lens. Cam could’ve moved, because I was so in the way, but he didn’t. His entire front pushed against my back, and I stilled, closing my eyes.

“What?” he asked.

“It would’ve been easier for you to just go to the side and do that,” I pointed out.

“True.” He lowered his head so his lips were beside my ear. “But what fun would that be.”

A shiver raced across my shoulders in spite of myself. “Go have fun by yourself.”

“Well, that’s really no fun,” he said. “Try it again,”

Taking a deep breath, I pressed my eye in again and holy crap, I saw it. The planet was a little blurry, but the faint brownish hue was visible, as were the rings. “Wow.”

“You see it?”

I pulled back. “Yeah, that’s pretty cool. I’ve never really seen a planet in real life. I mean, like taken the time to do so. It’s pretty cool.”

“I think so, too.” He looked away as he caught a few strands of my hair, pulling them off of my face. “What are we supposed to be looking at?”

“Sagittarius and then the Teapot asterism and its steam, whatever—”

A big, fat cold raindrop splattered off my forehead. I jumped back, smacking off of Cam. “Oh crap.”

Another fat glob of rain hit my nose and I squeaked. My eyes met Cam’s. He swore and then grabbed my hand. We started running across the roof, our shoes slipping on the wet surface. We’d almost made it to the door when the sky ripped open and chilly rain poured, soaking us within seconds.

He let out a loud laugh as I shrieked. “Oh my God,” I yelled. “It’s so freaking cold.”

Stopping abruptly, he turned and pulled me against him. My eyes widened as I was suddenly and most unexpectedly flush against his hard chest. My head jerked up and our gazes locked. Rain streamed down on us, but in that second, I didn’t feel a thing.

He smiled.