“What does the winner get?” I called through the door.
Trace laughed. “Winner chooses what everyone else has to do. If I win, I’m making them go to the dermatologist with a list of questions they have to ask.”
I could only imagine what that list would look like.
“Don’t let him win,” Phelps begged. “I actually need my dermatologist to keep me as a patient. I’m not asking her a bunch of weird questions.”
“Oh, oh.” Trace tapped the door excitedly. “Uncharted Treasures is a dating app, isn’t it!”
“No. Goodnight.” I thought about texting the answer to Finn. I had a feeling he’d be the most merciful of the three. But getting involved meant possibly getting caught. And I was not about to ask a dermatologist about any invisible rashes or plagues or third limbs or whatever idiocy Trace decided to cook up for me as punishment.
I had other things to worry about. Like never letting Jenny meet my brothers. And more importantly, figuring out how and when to tell her the truth about us. About me. I’d almost told her tonight, knowing we’d be alone and uninterrupted while we drove. But I couldn’t seem to get the words out, and then she’d prevented it, and the amount of relief I’d felt scared me. I had to tell her soon or I never would. Because if she tried to kiss me or gave me any signals that she’d welcome it again, I wouldn’t hesitate next time.
I could’ve lost her tonight. She could have been hit by that car. She needed to know how I felt about her. All of it. And then the chips would fall where they would.
Chapter 18 – Jenny
“Do you mind?”
It was the question Sadie asked Denver every morning when he showed up at breakfast in nothing but his boxers. And he had the same answer for her today.
“This is how I’m most comfortable in the morning.”
“So it would be okay if Stare-ton walked out here shirtless? Or pants-less?”
Stinton glared at her from across the table. “I’m right here.”
“I know. And I appreciate that you have clothes on. That’s all I’m saying.” Sadie smiled. “You can stop staring now.”
Stinton rolled his eyes and went back to working on his crossword puzzle and eating his bran flakes. Not even a hair on his head was allowed to be out of place. Every button was buttoned, every seam on his clothes pressed. I couldn’t imagine Stinton forgetting something as important as a shirt.
As to why he stared so much? I think he just liked to analyze things. Word puzzles, patterns, people. Denver had assured me he was harmless, and I had to admit he was probably right. I’d have to take Denver’s word on the other two roommates since we had yet to meet them despite living here for the past three days.
I recognized Dan’s honk and motioned for Sadie to hurry up. After rinsing my bowl in the sink, I slid on my black slings by the door and finger-combed through my hair before taking my purse off the hook where I’d placed it before breakfast. We were still working on getting consistent timing down. Yesterday, the guys were ten minutes earlier than we expected. The day before that, they were ten minutes late. I was just glad I wouldn’t have to put my makeup on in the car again.
Sadie rushed out on my heels and passed me. She got in first and moved over to make room for me. As usual, I could feel Noah’s eyes on me from the shotgun seat, and I waited as long as I could stand it before meeting his gaze. Once again, it filled me with a mix of embarrassment and longing, followed by frustration. That dang hug. I thought about it all the time. Sometimes I thought about what might have happened if I’d been a little more patient. Less skittish. If instead of backing up at his hesitation, I’d just stayed there and not overthought the moment. If I’d just gone for it.
But I wasn’t really a go-for-it kind of girl, was I? I was the type who couldn’t look Noah in the eye, but also couldn’t stop texting him on the way to work. He’d started it. Heck, he was starting it right now.
I felt my phone vibrate in my purse, and I pulled it out and placed it in my lap, trying to look nonchalant. I doubted we were fooling Sadie, but the great thing about her was she didn’t care.
Carpool Noah: Still haven’t met the other two roommates?
Jenny: I’m starting to think they don’t exist.
Carpool Noah: Maybe they think you don’t exist. I’m pretty sure if they saw you, they’d start to hang around more.
Jenny: Denver says they both have girlfriends.
Carpool Noah: Even so.
His flattery was too much sometimes. Although, he might be right about Sadie and any guy who sawher. Well, at least before she opened her mouth. The girl was drop dead gorgeous. Sometimes I wondered how much of the bickering between her and Denver was hate and how much was… something else. Although, I could be way off. Noah seemed to think Denver had it bad forme, but that was just more of his flattery nonsense.
Carpool Noah: How is it going with Sadie? Did you figure out the whole borrowing thing?
The dude knew way too much. I sighed. Lauren was getting home from her honeymoon on Sunday, and she was going to kill me when she realized how much I’d kept from her. I should not have used Noah as a confidant replacement, but I really needed someone to talk to about all this. Plus, he knew Sadie. Lauren didn’t.
Jenny: Yes! She made us a spreadsheet and everything. It was really weird, but also comforting to know the steps for borrowing anything from her, and vice versa. We’re now good with sharing body wash. She likes the way mine smells. It’s buttercream scent.
