He stopped midway down the flight. He adjusted his glasses, and it still made Mac swoon.
“Let’s forget that happened.” Mac waved behind him, to his room, to that fuckload of awkwardness. “Can we be friends?”
Gideon’s eyes bulged open as if Mac suggested they go on a killing spree or something. “Friends? Are you out of your mind?”
Ouch.Mac wasn’t expecting that. Even Gideon seemed surprised by what came out of his mouth. It looked like he was going to say something else, but he turned and continued down the stairs and out of sight.
Things had happened on Mac’s first night at college, and unfortunately, he would never forget them.
TWO YEARS
Later
CHAPTER TWO
Gideon
Gideon brushed his hand against the freshly painted living room wall. He appreciated that the landlord hadn’t painted his new apartment a bone white that seemed to be standard in all buildings. Beth had looked at him funny when Gideon made the guy put it into the lease agreement. He told his girlfriend to trust him. The off-white color gave his new place a warmth and coziness even before the furniture had all been moved in. He breathed in the new paint smell and smiled to himself. It was only mid-September, right before classes started up again, but Gideon already knew junior year was going to be awesome.
Boxes lined the floor of his and Beth’s one-bedroom apartment. They had scored one of the best places to live in the city, thanks to Gideon charming the landlord and giving him some stock tips he’d picked up from past classes. The apartment sat above a barbershop in the heart of downtown Duncannon. It had hardwood floors, built-in shelving surrounding a brick fireplace, dishwasher, and in-unit washer and dryer—the last one being the holy grail of a college student apartment. It was slightly out of their price range, but Gideon would make it work.
Well, actually Beth’s parents would make it work. Step one was buying the couple brand new furniture and paying for movers.
Gideon opened a box and thought about trying to do some unpacking until the movers arrived. He was the type who wanted the apartment set up, down to the magazines on the coffee table, before they went to sleep the first night there.
He opened a box that had picture frames wrapped in towels and sweaters. Gideon held a frame with decorative menorahs at the corners. They had made it at the Hillel, Browerton’s Jewish student center, for Hanukkah sophomore year. He and Beth smiled and held up said picture frame in the shot. It was very meta.
Gideon didn’t expect to have a serious girlfriend in college. But then most of his friends began pairing off with serious girlfriends, and his mom kept asking about his dating life.
Beth seemed to come along at the right time. She was from a nice family, a few towns away from where Gideon grew up. They were both active in Hillel and had many mutual friends. Dating her was an easy transition. Not much in his life had to change. And his mother loved her. She loved telling her friends about Gideon and Beth.
He sat on the toilet, the only seat in the apartment, and texted his girlfriend.Where are the movers? Their 1-4 p.m. window is closing in twenty minutes.
Fifteen minutes passed, and still no movers. Gideon unpacked the box of kitchen supplies his mom had shipped. He filled up the wall unit with pictures and knickknacks they had accumulated over the ten months of their relationship. Gideon had unpacked as much as humanly possible without furniture.
Have you heard from the movers?Gideon texted his girlfriend.
He stared at his phone, waiting for a response. He realized Beth hadn’t responded to his earlier message.
“Gideon.” Beth stood at the doorway of their apartment.
A nervous pit dropped into his stomach, not too dissimilar from the one that dropped when his parents asked him to come into the living room so they could inform him his dad had cancer, years ago.
“I managed to do what I could,” he said, pointing to the wall unit and a pair of framed pictures hung on the wall. “Have you heard from the movers?”
“They’re not coming.” Beth could only look at him for a second before glancing away.
“What happened?” Even while asking this, Gideon had a feeling what the answer was.
“I can’t move in with you.” Her voice cracked. “It’s over, Gideon.”
Gideon needed to sit down. Too bad his only option was the toilet, which felt about right.
“I’m sorry I’m doing this now, like this. I’ve been thinking about it all summer.”
“Way to wait until the last minute.”
“There was never a good time.”
