“I do … Here, let me help.” He takes the plate and drink from me before I can protest. “Most of the people who go here are fake—plastic. And what makes it even worse is that because of our last name, so many people kiss our asses. Not that I’m complaining that I have it that bad. I get my entitlement.” He grins at me.
“I never said anything about that.” But I was thinking it.
“You were thinking it, though,” he says, like he can read minds.
I hate that he can, at least with me. Typically, I’m not an open book, but more like a locked journal stuffed under floorboards, underneath a bed, in a dungeon.
His smile widens. “And now you’re wondering if I can read minds.”
I roll my eyes but have to bite back a smile. “That’s not what I was thinking.”
“Liar,” he teases as I scan my code and the door beeps open.
“Maybe I am a liar. Maybe not.” I take my plate and cup from him. “You’ll probably never figure it out.”
“Actually, I don’t think you’re a liar. In fact, I think you might be the most honest person I know.”
“I’m really not.”
“We’ll see,” is all he says.
Resisting another eye roll and potential smile, I step over the threshold and into my room, lifting my foot to kick the door shut. But he places his hand against it, stopping me.
“I actually have a question for you.”
“Okay, you can ask it, but I won’t promise I’ll answer.” I set my food and drink down and turn to face him. “What’s up?”
His gaze sweeps across the room, and then his brows knit. “Wait—you’re rooming with my sister?”
“Is that your question?”
“No, I just realized her stuff is in here.”
“Oh. Well, yeah, I am. Why else do you think we were going to orientation together yesterday?”
He shrugs. “I just thought maybe you guys made friends.”
I waver. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, because I think your sister’s really nice, but I don’t think we would’ve even talked to each other had we not been roommates.”
He drags his teeth along his bottom lip. “I don’t know. It’s not that surprising to me. Sure, you guys seem like opposites—although I barely know you.” A smile creeps onto his face again. “Well, other than you’re a smartass, which Lily isn’t. Still, I get the whole social outcast vibe coming off you, and Lily can be like that sometimes. Or, well, she has in the past.” He pulls a whoops face. “Please don’t repeat that.”
I snort a laugh. “Who would I tell? I haven’t talked to anyone besides Lily, Wren, you, River, and Noah.” I set my phone down beside my food. “Besides, it’s not my thing to gossip.”
“I wouldn’t guess it was. In fact, you seem like you’re the opposite …” He trails off. “Wait, you talk to Noah?”
“For like five seconds.” I pick up one of my slices of garlic bread and pop a chunk into my mouth. “And only because I was talking to River, and he came to talk to him, so he introduced himself.”
That seems to astonish him even more. “You were talking to River?”
“I just said I was. And you saw me the other day while I was.”
“But that’s not the time you’re referencing.”
“Well, no. I’m talking about while I was in my first class today.”
His shock magnifies. “So, you’ve talked to my brother twice already?”
“Yeah, so?” I shove another bite of bread into my mouth. “Why is everyone making such a big deal about this? I get his whole betrothed thing, but so what if we talked? Is he not allowed to talk, either?”
