“Everything okay?”he asked.
“Yeah,” I said.“Why?Oh.Uh, yes.I was just…inspecting this rug.”
Fox gave a quiet groan.
Bobby tilted his head, but all he said was “Could I talk to you for a minute?”
“Me?”
“No, dummy,” Fox murmured.“The rug.”
That galvanized me.With a glare for Fox, I picked myself up.Dusted myself off.Realized I was stalling.
In the hall, Bobby shut the door behind me.His expression was unreadable.The distant sound of the waves filtered between us, and I tried to remember if I was still breathing.
“I want to apologize,” he said.“I haven’t been a very good roommate.”
The best I could come up with was “Huh?”
“I know we should be taking turns with the chores, and I’m sorry that I haven’t been doing my share.”His grin was surprisingly boyish.“Ihatecleaning the bathroom.Like, actively hate it.”
My brain wanted me to ask,What?But I couldn’t quite connect my brain to my mouth.
“And I noticed you cleaned it.Again.”Bobby grimaced.“Even though it’s definitely my turn.So, I’m sorry.”
I was still staring, but somehow, I managed to say, “Are you saying this because you feel bad for me?”
“Am I telling you I hate cleaning bathrooms because I feel bad for you?”
“Never mind.”I took a breath.“Bobby, you’re a great roommate.You do so much to help everyone around here.If you hate cleaning the bathroom, I’ll do it.”
“No—”
“I don’t mind.Plus, it gives me something productive to do when I’m, uh, redirecting my energy.”
Bobby didn’t say anything.Then his mouth tipped into a smile.“I noticed it got cleaned three times the week you were doing that revise and resubmit.”
“How dare you?”
The smile grew into that big, beautifully dopey grin.Then it softened into something more serious.“So, there’s this other thing I wanted to talk to you about.”He hesitated.“We haven’t been hanging out.”Before I could speak, he hurried to say, “I know it’s my fault.But I miss it.And I’d like to spend more time with you, as friends, if that’s okay with you.”
Which was his polite way of saying,If it’s not going to make you freak out again.
I nodded.
“So,” he said, “I was thinking we could get something to eat.”
And now, I realized, was my chance.If I wanted to make a point.If I wanted leverage or the upper hand or whatever you wanted to call it—now was the time.I could say no.I could backtrack.I could quibble about the bathroom.
But it turned out, I didn’t want to do any of that.
“Yeah,” I said, and I couldn’t help my smile.“Sure.”
“Pizza?”
Because I’m nothing if not suave, sophisticated, and debonair, I said, “Awesome, possum.”
And because Bobby is literally the perfect man, he threw a shaka and, with a perfectly straight face, said, “Cowabunga.”
