That mouthsmirked. “Yeah.”
“Was the girl with the cast Max’ssister?”
“Yeah.”
I nodded. “And theothergirl?”
“Brittany. That’sDes’sgirl.”
I wasn’t sure which one was Des but hopefully tomorrow I would. Just standing there, I could feel my eyes getting droopy, and Aaron must have noticed too because he let out another tiny snicker. “Let me show you your room before youpassout.”
With sweaty hands I had clenched at my sides, I nodded, almost relieved. “Thank you so much for inviting me again,” I told him as he led me toward one of six doors I counted, stopping at the one furthest away from the stairway. “I’m sorry for being so awkward, but hopefullytomorrow—”
Aaron shook his head. “Stop saying you’re sorry. Everything is all right, Rubes. Right? I’m just me. You’re just you. We’ll be fine. You’ll be back to giving me hell in no time with everyonearound.”
That had mesmiling.
Which must have made himsmile.
Something brushed against the balled-up hands I had at my sides, and I didn’t need to know it was his knuckles. “I’m in the room right next to yours,” he said, gesturing to the door just behind his shoulder with the hand he’d just touched me with. “The bathroom is the door in front of mine. There’s another one upstairs. If you need me, any hour, wake me, all right? Get somesleep.”
I nodded at him for a moment before reaching forward to grab ahold of his wrist. His skin was warm and his wrist thick, and that focus on me was almost too much. Sliding my grip down the length of his fingers, I dropped my hand and swallowed, trying so hard to act like this was all normal. “Goodnight. Thank you for inviting meagain.”
He dipped his chin down and handed over two of the four bottles of water he’d been holding before taking a step back, toward his door. “Night,” he whispered, that smile still playing at his lips. “I’m gladyou’rehere.”
I was screwed. Here I’d come, expecting and hoping that this weekend would help me get over him and… I was screwed. Even if I knew this road went one way and onewayonly.
A little sister.That’s what he saw me as. I couldn’t let myselfforgetit.
I flashed him a smile I only partially felt before turning around and pushing the door open, dragging my suitcase in behind me. More white walls and seashells and sea dragons stared back at me in the small room that was quickly going dark as all traces of the sun completely disappeared. Flicking on the light switch, I kicked off my flats and stumbled toward the bed, ripping my clothes off and dropped the bottles of water beside the frame. Too tired to shower after wiggling out of my tights, I crawled on top of the mattress after shutting the gauzy mint-colored curtains. I’d just tugged the sheets up to my neck when I thought twice about it and jumped back off, grabbing my computer and phone from my weekend bag and hooking the smaller device up to charge. I’d call my mom tomorrow, or at least text her. She hadn’t responded to my last message and I wasn’tsurprised.
I opened my computer and found a Wi-Fi connection, thankful that whoever owned the house had a framed portrait with the password on it directly in front of the bed. I launched the Skype app without thinking. It had barely finished logging me in when it pinged with an incomingmessage.
* * *
AHall80:Night,Rubes.
AHall80: I’m gladyou’rehere.
RubyMars:Metoo:)
RubyMars:I promise to try my best and not be an awkward twattomorrow.
AHall80:You’re not anawkwardtwat.
AHall80:Goofy
AHall80:Cute
AHall80:Notatwat
RubyMars:Stop.
AHall80:Why?
RubyMars:Because you don’t have to say that stuff. I know whatI’mlike.
AHall80:Metoo
