Dominic Frear knew exactly when the game had tipped. He usually knew before the other person even realized it themselves. A certain smile. The way their gaze lingered on his mouth for one second too long. Nervous playing with a strand of hair. That subtle shift in their voice as soon as he got closer. People were surprisingly easy to read. Especially when they wanted him. And the blonde in front of him definitely wanted him. Dominic leaned one shoulder against the wall beside the lockers and looked down at her.

The corners of his mouth curled into a small grin.

Dominic raised an eyebrow.

She rolled her eyes. Dominic's grin only widened. The funny thing was, she still didn't leave. Of course she didn't. Nobody actually left when Dominic Frear wanted them to stay. At least, almost nobody. The corridor was nearly empty by now. The last classes were done, and most students had either headed home or long since drifted toward the gym and the parking lot. Perfect. Dominic had practice in about forty minutes. More than enough time. His black shirt pulled slightly across his shoulders, and the strap of his gym bag hung loose over one of them. The tattoos on his left forearm showed after he'd pushed the short sleeves of his shirt up a little further. Not on purpose. Of course. Dominic never did things like that on purpose. At least, that's what he'd claim. His gaze drifted back to the blonde. Nadia? Nina? Fuck. Something with an N. They had— History together? No. Chemistry. Probably. Not important. Either way, he knew she'd been looking at him every time he passed her table for two weeks now. Yesterday, she'd liked a photo he posted seven months ago. Amateur mistake. Dominic had noticed it. And because he'd been bored during lunch, he'd texted her. Apparently, that's all it took.

She tilted her head slightly.

Dominic pushed off the wall. Only a little. Just enough to close the space between them. He didn't even have to try. That was the trick of it. People always claimed he was running some kind of game. Bullshit. Dominic didn't need tricks. He looked good. He knew how to talk. And most importantly, he knew when to say nothing. His eyes deliberately dropped to her lips, then slowly back up to hers. There. Exactly that reaction. Dominic had to suppress a grin. Too easy.

She laughed.

Dominic nodded slowly.

She stared at him for a moment.

Another eye roll. And another damn smile right after. Dominic knew this game. He'd been playing it for years. Honestly, it should have been boring by now. Sometimes, it was. But winning still felt good. Especially when the other person kept insisting they weren't interested at all at the start. Dominic lifted a hand. His fingers casually brushed a loose strand of hair from her shoulder.

She stayed silent. Dominic let the strand of hair slowly slip through his fingers.

His grin grew wider.

He could already see it. About thirty more seconds. Maybe less. Then he'd have her number. By Friday night, she'd probably be standing next to him at some party. And whether she'd still be as thrilled about him on Saturday morning— Well. Not his problem. Dominic was just about to pull his phone out of his pocket. Then his eyes drifted past her shoulder by chance. And got stuck. Oh. No. His fingers froze on his phone. For about two seconds Dominic said nothing. Not because he was surprised. More because he was trying to work out if the universe was personally messing with him. You. Of course. Out of every damn person on this campus. Right now, of all times. Dominic's jaw tensed almost imperceptibly. Not today. Please not today. He sort of liked you, actually. Well.

Liked

was maybe a strong word

He didn't have a problem with you. That was more accurate. You were quiet. Unnoticeable. Actually pretty pleasant. And if Dominic was honest, there were more annoying people on this campus. The only problem was— you had a crush on him. A pretty obvious one, even. Dominic had no idea when that had started. At some point there had been those texts. Then those chance encounters after class. Once, you had even brought him exactly the coffee he always orders in the morning. Vanilla latte. Extra shot. No damn cinnamon. Not even his friends got his order right. you did. Actually kind of cute. Only problem was, cute isn't the same as knowing someone. And you simply weren't— Not his type. Simple as that. Dominic never understood why his friends made such a big deal out of it. Rudy had asked him at practice last week why he didn't just give you a chance. Dominic had looked at him like the guy had suggested they join a book club together. Why would he? Just because someone wants him doesn't mean he wants them back. Even if, admittedly, that rarely happened. And usually your obvious interest didn't even bother him that much. Sometimes he even found it flattering. After all, who doesn't like attention? But right now— Right now, the timing was shit.

Dominic tore his gaze away from you.

The blonde looked at him questioningly.

She turned her head slightly. Dominic reacted immediately.

Her attention was back on him. Good. His eyes still drifted past her one more time. You were still there. Fuck. He knew the signs by now. Soon, Nadia— Nina? Forget it. —would notice there was something between him and you. Not because there was actually anything between them. That was exactly the problem. But people noticed things like that. Looks. Tension. That damn unspoken thing where practically half the campus already knew you had a thing for Dominic. He really didn't need his almost-guaranteed Friday night suddenly becoming complicated. Dominic exhaled slowly through his nose. Then he looked at you again. Properly this time. His previously flirty expression shifted. Not dramatically. But the grin disappeared. His eyes narrowed slightly. An expression his friends knew pretty well.

Seriously?

Dominic finally pushed himself fully off the wall.

The blonde looked back and forth between him and you.

Too fast. Dominic noticed it himself. He ran a hand through his dark hair, then shoved both hands into his pockets. His eyes stayed fixed on you. Of course you had to be here right now. Not five minutes later. Not after he'd gotten the number. Now. Dominic snorted quietly.

The blonde followed his eyes again. This time, Dominic didn't stop her. Maybe you would just keep— No. Of course not. He knew his luck. Dominic tilted his head back. For a moment he closed his eyes. Patience. He needed patience. Then he opened them again.

Without waiting for an answer he left her behind at the lockers. His steps were slow. Not hurried. Dominic Frear didn't hurry toward anyone. Especially not you. Still, the distance closed faster than he would have liked. With every step, his mood got a little worse. Not because you had done anything. That was the most annoying part. Dominic knew he didn't really have a reason to be annoyed. After all, You couldn't read minds. But damn. Once. Just once, you could have shown up when he wasn't in the middle of picking someone up. Dominic finally stopped in front of you. He was noticeably taller and had to lower his eyes a little. His arms crossed over his chest. His tattooed forearms pressed against the black shirt. For a few seconds he said nothing. His eyes swept over you quickly. Then back to your face. Dominic knew this face far too well by now. He knew where you usually sat during lunch. Knew which route you took after the last period. Even knew that you usually stayed late on Thursdays. Not because he paid attention. Of course not. You just pick up on things like that.

His voice wasn't loud. But clearly annoyed. Dominic shot a quick glance over his shoulder. The blonde was still standing by the lockers. And obviously looking over. Perfect. When he looked back at you he briefly ran his tongue over the inside of his cheek.

His gaze lingered on you for a moment. Then he lowered his voice a little.

He gestured with a quick glance back at the girl. "Subtle" wasn't exactly the word for it. But Dominic had never claimed to be subtle. He exhaled.

His eyes met yours again. Annoyed. Impatient. And completely sure you would try to get his attention again tomorrow anyway. Like always. Dominic had no reason to believe anything would ever change about that. Not yet.