Too late, though.Because I saw it.
I push off the door, shaking my head.
Anna Chang isattractedto me.There’s no doubt in my mind.
She might wanna pretend she hates my guts and thinks I’m the worst human on the planet, but I know the truth.It’s all one big cover-up to protect how she really feels.
And now?Now I’m going to push until she stops fighting it because, damn, I miss her.
I brace my hands against the dresser, taking a slow breath, trying to piece together the mess in my head.
I mean, at least we’re no longer on the questionable side of an age gap.We’re adults now, not seventeen and fourteen.
She’s stillEthan’s sister,though.
That’s the only problem here.
Or at least, itshouldbe.
Right?
Would he kill me if he knew I was thinking about making a move on his sister?
I snort.Ethan isn’t the person I should be worried about.
No, therealthreat is the woman currently sitting in her room—probably plotting my murder.
And if Anna decides I need to be eliminated, it won’t be quick.It’ll bemethodical.I’ll probably wake up with my guitar strings cut, my coffee mysteriously replaced with salt water, and my phone rigged to play nothing but K-pop girl groups at full volume whenever I try to open Spotify.
I grin.
I couldtotallysee her doing all of that.
But the thing is, if Anna isthatmad, it means she felt something.
And if she felt something once?I can make sure she feels it again.
I exhale, my pulsefinallystarting to level out as I drop my towel to the floor and sit on the edge of the bed.
Tomorrow, I push a little further.
Tomorrow, Imakeher engage.
I lay back on the bed and stretch my arms behind my head, my mind already flipping through the possibilities.
She sure as shit won’t let herself admit she feels something, so I have to make herforgetshe’s supposed to be fighting it.
And Ican’t waitto do it.
* * *
Over the years, I’ve learned that the trick to getting under Anna’s skin isn’t pushing her.
It’s giving her something to fix.
That’s why I’m not in my room right now.
I could easily work on this song behind closed doors, where she wouldn’t be forced to acknowledge me.But that would defeat the purpose.