"Do you think it''s possible for two adults in a rtionship to just date without ever sleeping together?"


    Keith looked genuinely surprised. "Come on, what kind of adult couple only dates without sleeping together? This isn''t the ''90s anymore."


    "These days, people don''t even need to be in amitted rtionship to end up in bed together," he continued. "So if they''re actually together, what''s the point of even asking?"


    Amara admitted to herself that Keith was probably right. When Finnian and Liliana were dating, they were already in college-in their twenties, at least. It was hard to believe they had only dated innocently. Thinking back now, she realized she


    shouldn''t have believed otherwise.


    "No reason, just curious," she replied, her tone noticeably downcast.


    The more she thought about Finnian and Liliana, the more certain she was that they''d been intimate. The thought only soured her mood further.


    Keith didn''t know what was going on, but he could easily tell Amara wasn''t herself.


    He pulled her gently into his arms and patted her on the back. "Hey, don''t get so upset. If something''s bothering you, talk to me—maybe I can help."


    The sudden hug made Amara ufortable.


    Truth be told, hugs between them had always been natural whenever one of them was feeling down.


    But after Keith had confessed his feelings to her, even small gestures like this started to feel awkward.


    She gave Keith a light punch on the shoulder. "Let me go. What are you doing, acting like this in broad daylight?"


    She said it half-jokingly, but her refusal was firm.


    In the past, she never would have turned down a hug from him. But things were different now, and Keith understood exactly why.


    He tousled her hair and said gently, "You can pretend for now that I never told you how I feel just see


    me as a friend. If you''re upset, you can always lean on me."


    Amara rolled her eyes dramatically. "You say forget, I forget? Sorry, I don''t have amnesia. Let me go already."


    Her face grew warm, and she tried to cover up her embarrassment with a tough tone.


    Keith grinned and opened his mouth to respond—but just then, a cold voice cut in from beside them. "What are you two doing?"


    Both Keith and Amara froze. Amara instinctively looked up, but before she could see who it was, someone forcefully pulled her aside.


    She looked up and saw Finnian


    gripping her arm, his expression cy


    with anger. His gaze moved


    between her face and Keith''s, then


    back again, before he repeated,


    "What are you doing here?"


    The way he said it, it sounded almost like a husband catching his wife cheating. That made Amara instantly bristle.


    Finnian had no right to speak to her that way—they weren''t anything to each other.


    And just seeing him reminded Amara of that anonymous photo, probably sent by Liliana.


    Finnian could be out there hugging Liliana, but the second he saw her and Keith close, suddenly it was a problem?


    Amara wrenched her arm away. "Don''t touch me. Whatever we''re doing, it''s none of your business."


    Her tone was icy, even tinged with disgust.


    Finnian froze in ce. Why was Amara speaking to him like this? Just a couple of


    days ago everything between them had seemed fine.


    He looked into Amara''s eyes and


    saw her staring back with guarded defiance-distance and rejection clearm her gaze. It stung.


    bifo


    deeply.


    "Amara... did something happen?" he asked, unable to keep the concern from his voice.