but he still looked good. I looked away.
“ So thanks,” I said. I set the box of linens down on my unmade bed. “For helping.”
“ Yep,” he said. He glanced at his watch. “I gotta get moving.”
“ Date?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
He rolled his eyes. “Yes. With my brother. He needs his truck back.”
“ Oh.”
He pulled his keys out of his pocket and fingered them. “So. It was good to see you.”
“ Yeah,” I said, not sure if I meant it or not.
He shifted from one foot to another. “OK. So I guess I’ll see you around.”
“ Yeah. See you around.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it. A wave of his hand and he was gone.
And I was alone in my new room, wondering what had just happened with the ex-boyfriend who, until that moment, I’d been sure could care less about me. He’d been different than I expected. I thought he was going to show up, reveling in the fact that I’d called him and needed his help. It wasn’t begging, but it was asking, and that’s what he’d said I’d do. But instead, he’d been quiet. Reticent. Catty when he saw Dylan.
I didn’t know what to make of that.
Other than the fact that I’d probably never understand men.
I made my bed and unpacked the stuff from Dani’s. Not only had she brought me my things, but she’d repacked my clothes into my suitcase. The pants were perfectly folded, my shirts rolled into tight little balls. I wondered how she could live in such a pigpen of a house when she could pack the neatest suitcase I’d ever seen.
I sighed as I stowed my clothes in my dresser. I didn’t deserve her for a best friend. And I’d lied to her. About the house, the roommate situation. I knew I needed to make it up to her, to come clean. I wouldn’t be able to live with that hanging over my head.
Monday. I’d tell her Monday when they got back from their long weekend. The bike festival was a two-day thing and they’d managed to find a hotel room somewhere in Glencoe so they wouldn’t have to drive home between events. Dani called it a mini vacation. I’d kept my mouth shut.
There was a soft knock on my door. Meg, I thought, checking up on my move-in. She hadn’t been home when Ben and I unloaded the furniture.
“ Come in,” I said.
But it was’t Meg who opened the door. It was Dylan.
He smiled at me. “Hey.”
“ Hi.” I smiled back.
“ You getting settled?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yep.”
I was. I’d gotten the bed made and transferred all of my school stuff from my backpack on to my desk. The laptop was plugged in and charging and the books I was using this week were stacked in a small pile next to it. I’d need to run back to the storage unit to grab my printer but, otherwise, I was all set up and ready to go.
He surveyed the room. “It looks good. A little plain, but good.”
I looked at the blank walls. “Yeah, it could use some décor.” I thought of Meg’s walls. “Or paint.”
He lounged in the door frame, his hands shoved in his pockets. “There’s a bunch of paint in the garage. You’re welcome to use it if you want.”
“ Thanks.” I put the last of my t-shirts in my dresser and closed the drawer. “You don’t have to stand in the doorway, you know. You can come in.”
“ OK.” He eased his way into my room.
I motioned to my bed. “Sit.”
He sat.
“ I didn’t know you had a cousin,” I said. It was stupid but it was the first thing that came to mind. And at least I didn’t add a ridiculous adjective like gorgeous or god-like to the statement.
“ I usually try to keep the fact that I’m related to people a secret,” he said, smiling. He looked a lot like Andy. Same dark hair, same brown eyes. But his features weren’t as sharp, as defined. Andy’s face was all angles and Dylan’s was … softer. Friendlier.
“ I didn’t know you were looking for a place to live.”
“ Well, a week ago, I didn’t either,” I said.
“ A week ago? Care to
“ So thanks,” I said. I set the box of linens down on my unmade bed. “For helping.”
“ Yep,” he said. He glanced at his watch. “I gotta get moving.”
“ Date?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
He rolled his eyes. “Yes. With my brother. He needs his truck back.”
“ Oh.”
He pulled his keys out of his pocket and fingered them. “So. It was good to see you.”
“ Yeah,” I said, not sure if I meant it or not.
He shifted from one foot to another. “OK. So I guess I’ll see you around.”
“ Yeah. See you around.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it. A wave of his hand and he was gone.
And I was alone in my new room, wondering what had just happened with the ex-boyfriend who, until that moment, I’d been sure could care less about me. He’d been different than I expected. I thought he was going to show up, reveling in the fact that I’d called him and needed his help. It wasn’t begging, but it was asking, and that’s what he’d said I’d do. But instead, he’d been quiet. Reticent. Catty when he saw Dylan.
I didn’t know what to make of that.
Other than the fact that I’d probably never understand men.
I made my bed and unpacked the stuff from Dani’s. Not only had she brought me my things, but she’d repacked my clothes into my suitcase. The pants were perfectly folded, my shirts rolled into tight little balls. I wondered how she could live in such a pigpen of a house when she could pack the neatest suitcase I’d ever seen.
I sighed as I stowed my clothes in my dresser. I didn’t deserve her for a best friend. And I’d lied to her. About the house, the roommate situation. I knew I needed to make it up to her, to come clean. I wouldn’t be able to live with that hanging over my head.
Monday. I’d tell her Monday when they got back from their long weekend. The bike festival was a two-day thing and they’d managed to find a hotel room somewhere in Glencoe so they wouldn’t have to drive home between events. Dani called it a mini vacation. I’d kept my mouth shut.
There was a soft knock on my door. Meg, I thought, checking up on my move-in. She hadn’t been home when Ben and I unloaded the furniture.
“ Come in,” I said.
But it was’t Meg who opened the door. It was Dylan.
He smiled at me. “Hey.”
“ Hi.” I smiled back.
“ You getting settled?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yep.”
I was. I’d gotten the bed made and transferred all of my school stuff from my backpack on to my desk. The laptop was plugged in and charging and the books I was using this week were stacked in a small pile next to it. I’d need to run back to the storage unit to grab my printer but, otherwise, I was all set up and ready to go.
He surveyed the room. “It looks good. A little plain, but good.”
I looked at the blank walls. “Yeah, it could use some décor.” I thought of Meg’s walls. “Or paint.”
He lounged in the door frame, his hands shoved in his pockets. “There’s a bunch of paint in the garage. You’re welcome to use it if you want.”
“ Thanks.” I put the last of my t-shirts in my dresser and closed the drawer. “You don’t have to stand in the doorway, you know. You can come in.”
“ OK.” He eased his way into my room.
I motioned to my bed. “Sit.”
He sat.
“ I didn’t know you had a cousin,” I said. It was stupid but it was the first thing that came to mind. And at least I didn’t add a ridiculous adjective like gorgeous or god-like to the statement.
“ I usually try to keep the fact that I’m related to people a secret,” he said, smiling. He looked a lot like Andy. Same dark hair, same brown eyes. But his features weren’t as sharp, as defined. Andy’s face was all angles and Dylan’s was … softer. Friendlier.
“ I didn’t know you were looking for a place to live.”
“ Well, a week ago, I didn’t either,” I said.
“ A week ago? Care to
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