Chapter 77. Hands Only

I sat cross-legged on my bed, flipping through the last pages of my notes as the reading week finally drew to a close. Zack sprawled on the floor nearby, his textbook open in front of him but completely ignored while he scrolled through his phone. We had been studying together for hours—mostly me buried in my work while he grumbled about how dry the material was. He was just my course mate, the guy who sat two rows behind me in lectures, always whispering those quiet jokes that made me smile even when I tried to act like I hadn’t heard them.

The rain started without warning, a heavy patter against the window that quickly built into a relentless downpour. I glanced over and sighed. “Looks like it’s not letting up anytime soon.”

Zack pushed himself up, stretching his arms high above his head. His shirt lifted just enough to reveal a tempting strip of skin along his stomach. He stepped to the window and looked out. “Yeah, no chance I’m biking home in this mess. Mind if I ha