Chapter 22

Riley’s POV

I turned to face him—Noah—just in time to catch his amused smirk. No words, just eye contact electric enough to light up the whole kitchen. Behind me, the house was practically spotless; ahead of me was a mountain of missed schoolwork. And inside me… well, I still felt off.

I bit my lip, trying to look studious instead of distracted by the way his hair caught the light. “I’ve got to study,” I reminded both of us. The pile of textbooks on the counter might as well have been the Leaning Tower of Pisa. “Want to go to the gas station with me? I need an energy drink.”

My heart did one of those embarrassing stutters. If I tried to walk away, my wolf-self—the one no therapist would ever believe was real—would probably start growling, “Stay!” as if I were a stolen chew toy. I wasn’t sure if my feet could carry me out the door without his help.

He cocked an eyebrow at me. “Energy drinks? Those things are basically liquid who-knows-what.”

My in