I was sure the delay in her answer was due to her being stunned silent.
“Um, yeah, sure, I guess so. I had to wait for three buses this morning, they were all full on my way to campus. Who knows how long I’ll have to wait.”
I nodded, and she tried to keep up as I resumed walking, though she struggled.
“Dude, could you slow down? It’s like trying to keep up with a giant,” she whined.
My steps slowed a bit, but not by much. I glanced back at Ava as her feet worked double time.
“C’mon Tink, speed it up. It’s frickin’ cold out here, let’s get to my truck.” I knew the name pissed her off, but I didn’t care. Even though we were supposed to be trying with each other, getting under her skin had become my new favorite pastime. Seeing her reaction, a different one each time, was fun. This time it was her mumbling to herself under her breath, but nothing loud enough for me to hear.
We finally made it to the lot, and my truck. Unlocking it, I walked to the passenger side and opened her door.
“Give me your bag, I’ll put it in the back seat,” I said, reaching for the strap on her shoulder.
“I can do it.” She pushed me out of the way and threw it into the second row. But then, as she moved to the open passenger door, she just stared up at the seat. “Christ, this thing was madefor behemoth sized humans. How the hell am I supposed to get in it?”
I got a sideways glance as she yanked her mittens off, seeming to look for something to grip. She pressed her lips tight as she pondered what to do.
I pointed to the running board along the bottom of my truck, made specifically for this reason.
“You’re not the only one, Tink. Step on that, you’ll be able to get in.”
She even struggled to step on the running board, so I offered my hand. She stared at it for a moment, unsure if she wanted my help or to even touch me. But she gave in and took it. As she leaned into the cab, my hand went to her back to make sure she didn’t fall. Her coat lifted as she stepped up, exposing a small patch of skin on her lower back just as my hand landed on her to guide her.
She froze.
Her skin was warm under my frigid fingers, so I yanked them away quickly.
“Sorry.” My hand went to a higher part of her back, making sure to only touch her jacket.
“It’s OK, um, thanks.”
Her response took me off guard as she settled into her seat and pulled the seat belt across her lap. I was still standing outside the door as she did it, staring at her, dumbfounded.
Did we just have a moment?
“Uh, yeah, sure,” I said.
Her glance turned into an eye roll before she turned back to her seatbelt, so I chose not to make much of it. It was a start. I had no idea what I’d done to receive the wrath she’d unleashed on me so far, and I’d like to make amends. But I also wasn’t about to let her walk all over me while doing it.
As soon as I started driving, Ava blasted the heat as high as it would go, but the car was still too cold.
“We probably won’t even have heat by the time we make it to our house,” I told her. As I turned the blower down, I looked her way. She was back to ignoring me, which was fine on our short trip. To fill the silence, I turned on the radio. The country music that came through the speakers calmed me.
Then I saw the red taillights up ahead, and we weren’t even off campus yet. What should be a ten-minute drive was going to be a bit longer, and the silence between us was already awkward.
“So, what kind of music do you like, Tink?”
Since we were stopped in traffic, I watched as her head made a slow swivel in my direction.
“Do you even know my real name?”
My laugh filled the truck. I was totally under her skin, and I loved it.
“Of course I do, but you’ve earned this one.”
That landed me a small smile. And as she looked my way, that smile made her green eyes sparkle. It brought me back to when I saw her the other day on campus and first noticed those eyes. I had no idea when I saw her then that she was my roommate. Thank God I didn’t act on my emotions in that moment and my anxiety won. Walking out of that office was the best thing I could’ve done.
