β¦ ππππππ ππππ β¦
My fingers touched my lower lip before I even opened my eyes.
I caught myself doing it and pulled my hand away, staring up at the ceiling. I was angry at myself. I had spent half the night replaying that exact second in the studyβthe feel of Xavier's thumb tracing my lip, the quiet sound of his voice over the rain.
*It was nothing,* I told myself, sitting up and rubbing my face. *It was just a touch.*
If it was nothing, then why couldn't I stop thinking about it?
Breakfast was a nightmare.
Richard, Elena, Xavier, and I all sat around the long dining table. Richard was reading the morning paper, while Elena poured orange juice, completely unaware of anything being wrong.
"The board was pleased with yesterday's presentation, Xavier," Richard said, not looking up from h
