“Why not indeed?” I mutter.
She rubs the towel against his body, and then I put him back on the floor and rub him down some more. When we finish, his fur is sticking out in every direction. He gives himself a shake and then strolls out of the bathroom and turns toward the kitchen, like he’s never looked better.
“Do you think he’ll straighten his fur out himself?” Sadie whispers.
“I hope you’re not saying anything about how he looks.” I peer at her over my glasses. “He might be offended.”
She grins. “The new ruffled look is in, or so I’m told.” And she leans up and ruffles my hair. Her face is close to mine, grinning. I can see strange striations in her pale gray eyes, fanning out from the dark center of her pupil. Her lips are a perfect curve.
She blinks up at me. I have no idea what my eyes are doing, but her hand stills as a flush takes over her cheeks. Then she steps backward, mouth parting as a grimace washes over her face, and she pulls the edges of her robe together. “I’ll just go get …” She waves her hand toward her room, then shoots through her bedroom door and closes it with a click.
What just happened?
My whole head is tingling. I turn and look at myself in the mirror. Did she just ruffle my hair? My hair is standing on end, and I’m grinning like an idiot.
It feels like the culmination of something that’s been building ever since she moved in. All the jokes we’ve shared, the understanding we’ve had from day one. I liked that hair ruffle. I like Sadie. I like her far too much and in a way I probably shouldn’t.
Chapter 21
Sadie
Pasta is my go-to on the nights it’s my turn to cook. A can of tomatoes, some cheese, and anything else I want to throw in, and voila, I’m a star contestant onMasterChef. We started watchingThe Great British Baking Showa couple of days ago because I thought it might help me understand cooking techniques a bit better.
“You ready?” James says, his blue eyes mischievous as he leans toward me over the tray in his lap. “What’s going to be your favorite thing today?”
I shake my head at him as he presses play on the remote. At times like this, sitting side by side on the couch with him teasing me, I could almost imagine we’re a couple. Would he ever see me that way? Sometime in a mythical future? Gah, Sadie, get a grip.
When we’re about ten minutes in, James’s phone pings and he picks it up, but his face falls and he starts tapping away. Is that Jane texting him? He’s mentioned her texts once or twice, and ever since his afternoon of drinking, my curiosity about her has settled into active dislike. Mr. K lifts his head from where he’s curled up on the couch next to me, ears flicking up.
“You want me to stop?” I say, nodding at the screen.
“It’s my mom,” James mutters. “My parents come to New York every few months. She’s been messaging me about coming up this weekend.”
I pause the episode. Would this be good for James? A bit of family time?
“This weekend?” I glance around Des’s smart, but admittedly not huge, apartment. “Are they staying here?”
He scratches his neck. “Probably. They used to sleep on our pull-out couch in my old place.” He’s not meeting my eyes. “The problem is that I haven’t told them that Jane and I split up.”
Oh, Christ.“Really?” Maybe he isn’t that close to his parents. “Yeah, well, I wouldn’t tell my mom much about my love life, if I’m being honest.”
He closes his eyes. “I’m an only child, and they think I have the perfect life.” His voice drops as he hunches over his phone. “They’re so proud of me: living in New York, the business. I haven’t been able to bring myself to tell them how difficult things have been.”
Would they think any less of him? He’s stepping into a major new role at work, and, yes, Jane left him, but that wasn’t really his fault.
He gets up and starts pacing across the rug. “I don’t know what to do. Jane and I grew up together. My parents have known her since she was eleven. My mom and dad were childhood sweethearts, and they’ve always loved the fact that my relationship with Jane mirrored theirs. Nothing made them happier. They love Jane.”
I stare at him.Childhood sweethearts. Of course they’ve known Jane forever. “That sounds … really difficult?”
“Yeah, I’m going to have to tell them. I thought …” He stops abruptly.
“What?”
He sinks into the couch again and pushes his glasses onto the top of his head. Am I bad for liking James better without them? It makes him look young and vulnerable, like me. He rubs his eyes.
“I thought I wouldn’t ever have to tell them. That we’d get back together.” His Adam’s apple bobs. “That sounds so stupid when I say it out loud. I feel like I failed them.”
God.“I’m sure they won’t think that. Are they nice people?”
