My heart pounds out of my chest. Thank God Larissa seems to have as much anxiety as I typically do about being late. It’s clear she hasn’t known me too long. Most people I’ve spent any amount of time around know I’m not the girl you come to when you need to double-check something. Which has proven to be true, yet again, considering I thought it started on Wednesday this week.
I burst out of bed, rifling through my suitcase and setting out all of my shoes, shorts, and tops I’ll need for the week, and place them right on top of the dresser. If I see them, then they exist. Object permanence is something I’m still working on, even at 25. That means theday after tomorrow, my years of dreaming will be a reality.
Everything I’ve devoted to this milestone will finally be coming to fruition. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt prouder of myself. Little Avery who always saw this coming might not be surprised, but the girl she became over the past few years of rejections might be. Sometimes the things you don’t see coming turn out to be the best things.
“How was practice?”
Ty’s question catches me off guard. Is he showing interest in my life? I try not to seem too excited as I continue to casually water his plants.
“Pretty good for the first day. And a Monday. Started learning the routine for the kickoff game. Lots of high kicks so—” I wipe my brow melodramatically. “I’m beat. You?”
“Same.”
I smirk, leaning over to continue watering my row of plants. “I didn’t take you for a kickline guy.”
My joke almost drags a smile out of him. I shouldn’t be, but I’m proud of myself for amusing him.
“What’s that?” he asks, lifting his chin in my direction.
“A watering can, Ty, we’ve been over this.”
He snorts, gesturing toward the coffee table. “No. That. The book.”
“That? Oh. Yeah.Night of the Hollow Court.I found it when I was putting a few of my knick-knacks out. I remember you said it was good when you were reading it a couple weeks ago.”
He arches a brow, following my gaze to the gold owl and a duo of porcelain kittens I tucked into a corner of the built-in entertainment center.
I smile. “It’s not bad. It’s almost as good asStarless Veil.”
“Really? Let me know what you think when you finish. I liked it.” Ty grabs a baseball cap he abandoned on the kitchen counter last week and slips it on.
“Where are you going?”
“Where are your keys?”
“Why?” I counter.
“I wanted to take a look at something in your car. Been thinking about the sound it was making. Think I might know what’s wrong. I’m gonna pull it into the garage and troubleshoot it.”
“They’re on the island.”
Some fluttering thing stumbles through my chest as he snatches up my gaggle of keys and keychains with a curt nod, then exits into the garage. I finish watering the plants and plop onto the ashen couch with Ty’s book. This couch is in need of something… lively. A throw blanket. I make a mental note to add my floral one the next time I get a chance. After maybe five pages, Ty barges back in.
“Can you come out here for a second?” he asks.
I peek over the top of the couch, dropping the book beside me. Before I can reply, he’s already retreating back out. Pushing to my feet, I make my way across the kitchen and through the cracked garage door.
“Whatcha need?” I ask.
His head is dipped under the popped hood of my sedan. My car looks incredibly out of place. For a garage,Ty’s isnice. And orderly. And like the house, it feels sterile. Like it never gets used. There’s barely an oil stain on the ground. No smell of gasoline lingers in the air.
His arm pops out from the edge of my hood. “Just hold this.”
There’s a flashlight in his hand.
When I don’t grab it immediately, he straightens to stand. The baseball cap he grabbed minutes ago now sits backward on his head. Something in me jolts.
Chickens in a biscuit. Stop being so mouthwatering, Ty.
