Chapter 5: Greenhouse

Our first lab was in the greenhouse at seven the next morning, and Matt was already there.

He was leaning on a potting bench among the tomato vines with two paper cups of coffee.

He gave me one without a word.

"You saw," I said.

"I saw."

"You were on the ledge."

"I was passing."

"Matt."

"I was passing slowly," he said, and his grin cracked.

"I'm sorry. It's a fox thing. Something loud happens, we go look.

"I didn't stay for all of it. I left at the part where I realized I was jealous."

He said it lightly.

Then he looked into his coffee, and the smile went away.

What was under it was so plain that I put my cup down.

"It's fine," he said.

"Chris is your best friend. He loves you. I've known you for one day. I get it."

"Matt."

"Everybody likes the fox," he said.

"I'm easy to like. I'm the funny one. I'm the guy who sits next to you at lunch.

"Nobody has ever picked the fox, Chloe. They keep him around. That's different."

My chest hurt.

"Look at me," I said.

He did.

His eyes were very green in the glass-filtered light.

"I'm not choosing anybody," I said.

"I know."

"I'm not choosing between people at all."

"I'm saying I'd like you to kiss me, and you can do it right now."

His mouth fell open.

"Right now?"

"I locked the door when I came in."

"You what?"

"You heard me."

He put down his cup.

He crossed the little aisle between the benches in one stride and took my face in both his big hands.

He kissed me.

It was slow, and sweet, and then it wasn't.

My back hit a trellis.

The tomato vines shook above us, and I could smell crushed leaves and warm earth.

His hands went down my sides and under my sweater.

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