“I’m not a student here. I’m just visiting for the weekend.”
“From where?”
“I live in New York. Go to college at Cambridge. I just spent my junior year abroad, at Università del Tirreno.”
“Oh. Wow. That’s really cool?—”
“Izzie! He’s here, in the kitchen!” A petite girl with a head of brown curls bounces up beside us, shooting me an apologetic look when she realizes she interrupted. “Sorry,” she says. “Crush emergency.”
“No worries,” I tell her, feeling my phone buzz in my pocket and pulling it out to check.
Rory:You’re in Connecticut?!
I sigh.
Wren:Yes, stalker.
Rory:Mom checks your phone location too.
Wren:I’ll turn it off.
Rory:That’ll reassure her.
Wren:I’ll be back in NYC tomorrow.
Rory:You’re supposed to be in Italy.
Wren:Left early. I didn’t want to bother Mom and Dad while they were out of town.
Dots appear and disappear as my sister types and stops. I’m sure she’s battling the urge to chastise me for leaving Milan early and for telling no one about my change of plans. Both were irresponsible.
Rory:Say hi to Sawyer from me.
I smile at my phone, liking the message.
“Good news?”
I glance up, straight into Sawyer’s green eyes. Belatedly realizing the girls who were whispering next to me have fallen silent. That everyone in this line, everyone in this hallway, is silent and staring this way.
In answer, I flash him my phone screen. One corner of his mouth curves up as he reads the latest text. “Hi back.”
My phone buzzes with another message.
Rory:And text Mom!
I roll my eyes, shutting off my phone before refocusing on Sawyer. “If you need the bathroom, it would probably be faster to walk back to your dorm.”
“I don’t. I was just checking on you. You’ve been gone a while.”
I’ve been in line for five minutes. Likely less.
I love you. The words are right there, waiting. Ready. Impatient.
“Yo! Bennett!” His roommate, Wesley, is headed toward us, a younger guy with him.
Wesley pauses to talk to someone else, but the guy with him continues this way.
“Hey,” he says, sticking a hand out to Sawyer. “I’m Austin.”
