He sat up straighter. “You’re mad.”
“No,” I said instantly, because that was safer.
Jason raised his eyebrows. He didn’t believe me for a second.
“I’m not mad,” I tried again, more measured. “I’m…concerned. Because you’re playing with fire. And I’m the person who will have to sit in Professor Colby’s office and explain why my tutoring hours resulted in absolutely nothing.”
“There it is,” he said softly.
“What?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Just…you care. You care in your weird Bennet way.”
“I care about the objective,” I said.
He smiled again. This time, it held for longer. “Sure. The objective.”
I hated the warmth that rose in my face. I hated even more that he could make it happen with a single look.
Jason’s gaze drifted over me in that quick way again, like he wasn’t letting himself stare. His eyes caught on my mouth for a second, then snapped back up to my eyes.
My pulse kicked hard.
I had to fight the urge to lick my lips.
I cleared my throat. “So. Are you actually swamped? Or are you avoiding me?”
His whole body went still.
I would have paid money to rewind time and swallow those words before they left my mouth. They were too direct. Dangerous. I didn’t do dangerous questions. Dangerous questions got you answers you didn’t know what to do with.
Jason swallowed. “Both.”
My stomach dipped.
He hurried on. “Not like. Not because I don’t want you around. I mean. I do want you around. That’s not what I mean either.” He exhaled hard through his nose. “You make me stupid.”
I stared at him.
Jason shook his head fast, like he could shake the confession right back into his chest. “That sounded bad. Not stupid like you’re bad. Stupid like I can’t think straight. Which is funny because you’re the straightest guy I’ve ever met.”
“I’m not straight,” I said automatically.
He blinked, then let out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh. “Right. Not what I meant. You know what I meant.”
I did. I understood entirely, and it made my skin feel too tight.
I crossed my arms, needing distance in some form. “So you skipped the session because I make you stupid.”
Jason ran a hand through his hair. “I skipped because I didn’t know what to do.”
“Then do the logical thing,” I said. “Show up anyway.”
He looked at me like he wanted to. Like he was trying to align himself with logic and failing.
“My logic broke outside your house last night,” he said.
My chest tightened so suddenly I had to breathe in through my nose just to keep my face steady.