Chapter 5

I froze, and so did Hugo. His gaze darkened, but he didn't push me away… or pull me closer.

I slowly withdrew my hand and rubbed my nose, feeling a little embarrassed.

Seriously, hand? Could you be any hornier? Have some self-respect!

I gave Hugo a sheepish smile. "Why didn't you dry your hair? You're gonna get a headache."

He didn't answer. He just went over to the kitchen island, poured himself a glass of water, and knocked it back in one go.

I stared at his Adam's apple for a long time. He was so hot and sexy…

The second I realized where my thoughts had gone, I honestly wanted to slap myself. I cleared my throat and said, "Uh, so… I, uh, wanted to talk to you."

I moved over to the couch, sat down, and patted the seat beside me, wanting him to sit.

Hugo glanced at me, then sat down on the rug by my feet instead.

"What about?" His voice sounded as low and rich as a cello.

"About why you've been icing me out."

He ignored that, picking up a game controller like I hadn't spoken.

I felt irritated. It looked like I had to bring out the big guns and force an answer out of him, one way or another. I asked, "Have you sent your puppy for its shots yet? Can I see it sometime?"

In my last life, after graduating college, Hugo had gotten a Samoyed just to get my attention—he knew I loved that breed. I'd practically lived at his place after that.

I tried to sound casual, but I watched him closely, desperate for any kind of reaction.

His fingers jerked on the controller. On the screen, his character promptly died.

"Elisa Sutherland! Don't project whatever happened between you and Zeke onto me. I'm not him. I'm not the man you like!"

Hugo flung the controller aside and turned to glare at me, the corners of his eyes faintly red—maybe from anger. I couldn't tell.

He'd actually yelled at me. I blinked, feeling stunned.

He thought I'd mixed Zeke's dog up with his? If that was how he saw it, then that meant he hadn't been reborn. Had I overthought this?

"Sorry, my bad. I remembered wrong. Don't be mad, okay?"

I decided to roll with it and reached out to tug at the hem of Hugo's shirt. The second I pulled, I caught a glimpse of a tattoo on his shoulder. "Hmm?"

He batted my hand away and yanked his shirt back into place.

I knew I was already in the wrong, so I didn't push it or ask. I hurriedly changed the subject. "Hey, what's your first choice for colleges? Joslin University?"

In my last life, he'd gotten into Joslin University as the top science student in the state. I already expected him to choose Joslin University in this life; I was really just making small talk to clear the air and kill the awkwardness.

"Yeah."

"Then we might end up as college mates! I just hope I get into Joslin University's literature department. Fingers crossed they don't bump me to something else."

Honestly, I was quite happy. Going to college with my childhood friend and being able to look out for each other sounded pretty perfect.

As I thought about that, Hugo suddenly grabbed my wrist. His eyes were bloodshot and almost terrifying. "What did you say? Say it again."

What the hell?

I tried to yank my hand back, but I failed.

"Ow." I whimpered pitifully.

It really did hurt. I had no idea what had gotten into him all of a sudden.

Hugo loosened his hold and stared at my wrist, which was already turning red. His fingertips brushed over the redness, but he still didn't fully release me. He just kept his hand loosely circled around my wrist.

"Sorry. But just now, you said you…" He trailed off mid-sentence, but his eyes were as bright as a puppy's.

"Huh? I said my first choice is Joslin University's literature department. I just don't know if I'll make the cut."

I pulled my wrist free, rubbed it, and got ready to head home.