“Wait . . . he doesn’t know you quit?”
“He doesn’t even know I’m in Huckleberry Hill.”
“Why not?”
“Maybe because I was too ashamed to tell him? Plus, he’s having the time of his life right now. He’s living it up in England, drinking pints of ale in taverns, talking history with anyone that will listen. What am I supposed to do—ruin his trip? I don’t need to give him something to worry about. I don’t want him to rush home thinking he needs to save me. He’s waited his whole life for this trip. I’m not going to be the reason he comes home early.”
“So, what are your options?” he asked.
“Sell a kidney.”
“Right. Okay—let’s start with something less invasive than that.”
“I could put it on my credit card . . . with a really high interest rate and no job to pay it off.”
“Keep going.”
“Sell feet pics. I have cute toes.”
“Poet,” he snapped.
“I could ask my friends. Hadley and Salem are rich—they wouldn’t even miss the money. But . . . independence.”
“Asking for help has nothing to do with independence.”
“Fine. This is pride we’re talking about. My pride. Not that I have much left of it anyway.” When he remained silent, I let out an embarrassed laugh. “You’re going to make me ask you, aren’t you?”
“Ask me for what?”
“The money. To fix the car.”
“No, I’m not going to make you ask. You need the money? I’ve got the money. I can take care of it.”
“You sure?”
“Wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t sure, Freckles.”
“I’ll pay you back. I swear I will.”
“Okay,” he said easily.
“I mean it,” I insisted. “I’m going to pay you back.”
“Whatever you tell yourself.” He shrugged.
“This doesn’t count,” I said.
“What doesn’t?”
“Me asking for help. Because you were going to offer it all along, weren’t you?”
“God, the mental gymnastics,” he muttered.
“We met not even twenty-four hours ago, and you’re loaning me two grand. That’s nuts. Why would you do it? And don’t give me the excuse that it’s because you’re a fixer.”
“Because I like you, Poet. I like you a lot.”
I liked him too. He made desire dance along my skin. He made the noise in my head not seem as loud. He made me feel?—
