The Scumbag's Guide To Heroism novel Chapter 179

Chapter 179: 179 | I Said What I Said

"Different how?"

"I don’t know. More. Settled? Like you figured something out between then and now." She tilted her head, blonde hair cascading over one shoulder. "During the practical you were running on instinct and panic, which was valid, we were all running on instinct and panic because there was a giant robot trying to kill us. But now you’re like. Calm. In a way that feels intentional rather than forced."

"I’ve had time to process."

"That’s not what I mean." She took a step closer. Close enough that I could smell the vanilla and floral scent again. Close enough that my eyes had to work not to track the way her cropped hoodie outlined the curves beneath it. "You carry yourself differently. Like you know something the rest of us don’t. It’s. Intriguing?"

"Is that a question or a statement?"

"Both. Neither. I’m still deciding." Another step. Her blue eyes locked on mine with intensity that contradicted her bubbly presentation. "Sloane’s lucky. Whatever happened to you between the exam and now, she gets to watch it up close."

The moment hung there. Loaded with potential energy that the Oracle Feed registered as a two percent uptick in her gauge. Seven percent now. Still Neutral. Still early. But climbing.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and found a text from the specific person Felicity had just mentioned.

Sloane: WHERE ARE YOU

Sloane: I CAN SEE YOUR LITTLE DOT MOVING AROUND THE WEST TOWER

Sloane: WHY ARE YOU IN THE WEST TOWER

Sloane: THAT’S THE FEMALE FLOOR

Followed by three messages in rapid succession that consisted entirely of question marks and exclamation points in various combinations.

"Girlfriend radar?" Felicity asked, reading my expression.

"Location tracking."

"Same thing." She stepped back, the charged moment dissolving into something lighter. Her smile returned to its default incandescent setting. "You should go before she manifests in my doorway and starts interrogating me about my intentions."

"Your intentions?"

"I have many intentions, Lukas. Most of them are about snacks and fashion. Some of them are about making friends who don’t bore me to death. You qualify for the second category." She made a shooing motion with both hands. "Go. Text your explosion girlfriend. Tell her I was forcing you to carry heavy things and that I have no designs on her man, which is mostly true."

"Mostly."

"I said what I said." Her grin was sharp beneath the sweetness. "Now shoo. I have unpacking to do and you have relationship maintenance to perform. We can continue getting to know each other later. I’m here all semester."

I pushed off from the wall and headed for the door. My hand was on the handle when her voice stopped me.

"Lukas?"

I turned.

She stood in the middle of her half-unpacked room, blonde hair catching the morning light from the window, blue eyes bright, Mr. Whiskers standing guard on the bed behind her. The cropped hoodie and tiny shorts and platform sneakers combined into a visual that would have been distracting on anyone and was borderline weaponized on her.

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