Leave it to my best friend to take my months of research and narrow it down to a split-second decision for himself. I guess hefigures I’ve done the legwork, but I can’t imagine being that loose with my futurehome.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t like the idea of having him close. I mean, we spend every freaking day together as it is. But I kind of thought moving in here on my own might give me a little independence going into the school year. My introspection has been hard at work since I started hanging out with Drew, and after inviting Ace to join us at practically every opportunity, I’m starting to wonder if I’ve become dependent on using him as a crutch.
And things are going well with Drew. I really don’t want to ruin it by being so insecure in my own independence that I’m constantly obsessing over where my best friend is and what he’s doing and wishing he could be there too to carry the conversation more.
Drew’s a great guy—with unfettered interest in me. And he’s the first guy I’ve dated in college. I don’t want to ruin it.
“Lia?” Ace says, eyes searching mine. “You cool with me living across the hall?”
This is it. My shot to say something. To stand up for the very independent woman I’m pretending to be.
“Yeah. Of course.” I smile. “You’re my bestie. It’ll be great.”
Ace beams like I just handed him the deed to the building. “Get your Amex, Cassie. We’re going housewares shopping.”
His mom groans. “Maybe I should assign that to your father.”
Ace snorts. “If you want the centerpiece of the apartment to be a stripper pole, then sure. Grand idea.”
“Say your goodbyes, Acer,” she says, already halfway out the door. “We’re hitting Target before I change my mind.”
Ace pulls me into a hug, warm and familiar. And I let myself melt into it for just a second.
“You good?” he asks quietly, and like magic, I actually am.
Living near Ace will be amazing. Any problems I have with exerting my independence are my own, not his.
“Yeah,” I say. “We’re going to have the best year.”
He kisses my temple and backs away, only half listening asCassie calls for him again. “There’s a party on campus later,” he says. “You coming?”
“I have a date with Drew.”
He lifts an eyebrow. “Another one, huh? That makes three, right?”
“If you count the first one, which I’m not sure we should.”
“It counts. All things interrupted by Gunnar still have to count or none of us would ever have anything, you know?”
I laugh. “True.”
“Well…” He shifts toward the door. “Text me or call if you get done with him…or done with the date…or whatever…and want to meet up. I’m hitting up Scottie, Finn, and Blake too.”
“Okay. I’ll let you know.”
As the door shuts behind him, I lean against the kitchen island and stare at the hardwood floors I love so much and sigh.
It was silly to think there’d ever be a phase of independence anyway. Ace Kelly has a way of making it feel like he’s there even when he’s not, and now, he’ll just be doing it from across the hall.
Ace
The bass from the speakers rattles the old pipes in the ceiling, and half the crowd is already dancing like they forgot this is a historic brownstone and not a New York City club. Dickson athletes and random city kids are packed shoulder to shoulder, shouting over the music, spilling drinks, and pretending this isn’t the third party this week hosted by Greg Landers and Holden Olsen.
Greg and Holden moved in early for soccer preseason, and apparently that means they’re determined to make this place the social nucleus of the summer. I met them in Rocks for Jocks last semester—formally called Intro to Geology—and got added to the VIP list.
Which, yeah, not a big surprise there. It’s me.
I haven’t had a chance to attend one of their parties before this, though, because of my busy social schedule, and for as much fun as it seems like everyone else is having, I’m fucking miserable.
