Squad X (a Nuzi Story)

Chapter 3: He ASKED WHAT?!

NORA'S POV

There's nothing quite like being stuck in a meeting that you know is going to be way too long. As I slid into my seat in the lounge room, trying to look engaged, I caught myself glancing at my squadmates. Lessa, as always, was cool and collected, chatting quietly with Yasmine and Brianna. Katina leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, like she'd rather be anywhere else.

But me? My brain was still stuck on what had happened earlier with Tate.

We'd just wrapped up a training session, and somehow, somehow, we almost kissed. Almost. It was frustrating as hell that I couldn't stop thinking about it. And now, to make things worse, here we were, in the same room again. As fate would have it, Tate walked in, that same arrogant swagger in his step.

I felt my heart skip a beat. Ugh. Pull it together, Nora.

As the door closed behind him, I tried my best to ignore the wave of nervous energy pulsing through me. Tate's eyes found mine across the room, and just like that, I felt the heat rise in my cheeks. He smirked, because of course he did. Why wouldn't he?

My focus snapped back to the front of the room as my mom, Uzi—Mom—called for everyone's attention. She looked just as fierce and intimidating as ever, standing next to my dad, N, who had a calm but focused expression on his face.

"We've got some new intel to go over," Uzi said, her tone sharp and no-nonsense. "As of recently, there's been suspicious trade-in deals near the old Cabin Fever Lab. We'll need two squads to patrol that area until we're done with our investigation."

The room was silent, everyone waiting for more details. But all I could think about was the fact that Tate had sat down right next to me. Of course, right?

He leaned over slightly, close enough that I could feel the warmth radiating from him. "Guess we're gonna be spending a lot more time together," he whispered, his voice low and teasing.

I shot him a look, trying to ignore the butterflies in my stomach. "Don't flatter yourself."

He chuckled softly, leaning back in his chair, clearly enjoying himself way too much. I tried to focus on what my mom and dad were saying, but it was getting harder by the second.

"The squads will rotate shifts," N continued, his tone calm. "Stay sharp. We don't know exactly what we're dealing with yet."

"Sounds like fun," Tate muttered under his breath, his eyes never leaving me. "Maybe you and I could take a shift together."

I rolled my eyes, trying to keep my cool. "I don't need a babysitter."

He smirked. "Who said anything about babysitting?"

I tried to act like his flirting wasn't getting to me, but the truth was, it kind of was. And that was infuriating.

As the briefing wrapped up, I gathered my things, ready to make a quick exit before Tate could corner me again. But, of course, he had other plans.

"Hey, Nora," he called, catching up to me just before I reached the door.

I stopped, letting out a small sigh. "What now, Tate?"

He grinned, running a hand through his messy hair, looking every bit as smug as he always did. "I was thinking... maybe we should, I don't know, grab a drink or something later. You know, to debrief." His tone was playful, but the look in his eyes told me he wasn't entirely joking.

I blinked, caught completely off guard. "Wait. Are you... asking me out?"

His grin widened. "Maybe. Depends on your answer."