On hour five of the stream, I finally decided to step away and tackle a few chores.
“I’ll be back online later tonight,” I told everyone. “Need to adult for a bit. Stretching my legs is probably healthy, too.”
My laundry bin was overflowing, so I used a garbage bag to carry the excess. Before opening my door, I listened for voices on the other side. It was an unusually quiet day in our house. Normally by this time, the guys were in the living room arguing about which TV show they were going to watch on the flat screen.
When I opened the door, my hand lingered on the knob. Seeing Finn’s gift every day made me feel ten times worse for avoiding him. The thoughtfulness in the gesture was something I never expected. He’d been so nervous when presenting it to me, too, which made the moment sweeter.
I shoved down my emotions and willed myself to stay on task. As I tiptoed out of my room, I noticed Sam asleep on the couch. He snored softly with an arm over his eyes. I focused on being extra quiet as I made my way through the kitchen and into the laundry area.
I pulled out my cheap detergent and started separating my clothes. My mom used to get on me if I didn’t separate my delicates. She enjoyed keeping things as nice as possible since we couldn’t afford to replace items on the regular. I hummed to myself as I separated, remembering a tune she taught me when I was six years old. I needed to read her email soon. And visit her. I dreaded both, but it had to be done. Maybe a weight would lift if I got it over with?
My car was currently in the shop so I’d have to take the bus to the cemetery. I tried to map out the route in my head. At one point, I could recite every bus stop in the county. Mom worked late nights, so it was vital I knew how to get around on my own. I hadn’t ridden public transport in ages, though, so my memory about the best routes was fuzzy. I got so distracted trying to figure out if it was the number seven or eight bus I needed to catch on Elden Street, I didn’t notice I was no longer alone.
Finn lowered two sacks of clothes, pausing at the door. When I looked up, he pulled out one of his earbuds. My stomach flipped at the sight of him. Despite my embarrassment, I felt a genuine smile appear on my face. His response was a polite, curt nod.
I know he insisted he wasn’t shy, but his similarities with Celeste were uncanny. I hate that I judged him for it when we first met.
“Need to get by?” I asked with a little extra energy in my tone. I wasn’t okay, but I was addicted to pretending I was. I knew that if I smiled enough, I could trick my body into thinking everything was fine. It always worked if I waited long enough.
Finn looked like he was about to refuse but nodded instead. “Yeah…thanks.”
“Of course.” I pressed against the washer, trying to make myself as flat as possible.
Finn grabbed both bags, one in each hand. His muscles flexed as he lifted them. I turned my gaze forward so I wouldn’t stare.
The laundry room was more of a closet, added on by the Ables as an afterthought. Thankfully, there were two washers and dryers, so the guys and I rarely waited for a turn. But we were starting to find ourselves in traffic jams—like now.
Because Finn was such a large person, flattening myself against the washer did little. He avoided knocking me with his laundry bags but wasn’t as fortunate with his body.
A spark ran down my spine when his hip brushed mine. I chewed on my bottom lip, recalling how solid he felt kissing me against the wall. Finn cleared his throat once he got through and remained quiet as he unloaded his bag.
“So…” I scratched at my cheek as nerves bubbled in my stomach. One of us needed to rip off this band aid. Might as well be me since I caused this. “I was thinking about my promise.”
Finn paused for a second. “Your promise?”
God, why did his voice have to sound so deep? And why was his cluelessness so attractive? Couldn’t he be average? Boring, even? What I’d give for a boring roommate.
“You’ve already forgotten?” I asked, trying to keep my tone teasing. “I promised to find something that makes you smile.”
He stared at me like he was searching for something specific. I shifted my weight from one foot to the other. I wondered if he practiced this dark look. It felt like he was glaring into my soul.
“I didn’t forget,” Finn said, finally. He tossed a detergent pod into the washer and turned it on. The water started drowning out some of his words as he said, “You’ve just seemed a bit—”
“Alright, party people! Gather round for the rules of the night!” Lincoln called from the living room. I heard Sam’s loud protest over the noise of the washers. Finn looked unimpressed with the interruption.
“We could pretend we’re not here,” I sounded like I was joking but I truly wanted us to stay. “So, you can finish whatever it was you were about to say.”
Finn shook his head. “It was nothing. We should go. He’s going to keep calling until we answer.”
My shoulders sagged, but I nodded in agreement. Finn picked up his bags. He nudged his chin toward the door, wanting me to exit first.
When we entered the living room, we found Lincoln standing in the middle of the space, looking giddy as all get out. Sam was glaring at him through half-closed eyes. He pulled a pillow over his face when he saw us enter the room, as if he couldn’t take seeing any more people.
Henrik stood behind one of the couches. He looked up when he saw Finn and me exiting the laundry room. He gave us a smile that seemed to make Finn stiffen. I raised a brow, wondering what unspoken communication had exchanged between them.
“Must we do this now?” Sam said, voice muffled by the pillow.
“We’re four hours away from this place being crowded with locals, so yes.” Lincoln walked over to pull the pillow away from Sam. He earned himself a burning scowl.
