“We would’ve invited you, but the guys said you were with Becca working out.” Tate gives me a weak smile. “You actually just missed them. Well, Declan and Jeremy, I don’t know what the other guys are up to.”
“I think Declan said Jaxon drove down to have dinner with his mom,” Brinley adds. “And the guys never know where Zeke is anymore.”
“Alright, well, what can I help with?”
“You could actually take over this.” I walk over to where the girls are sitting, and Brinley hands me her manual. “It’s in Swedish, I think. I don’t know Swedish, so.”
“What’s it supposed to be?” I flip through the pages, and it’s a bunch of pictures with words I can’t understand.
“It’s an entertainment center.” Ember points to the front page. “It will provide extra storage around her TV.”
“Ah, got it.”
“Those three boxes have the pieces for it.” Tate points across the living room. “The guys made sure all the pieces were there, but they gave up the second they got to the instructions.”
“Which is why I was making it my mission to put it together and hold it over their heads for all of eternity.”
“But the directions are in Swedish.”
“Exactly.” Brinley smiles. “Speaking of, I have to run.”
“What does the fact that the directions are in Swedish have anything to do with you leaving?” Tate’s eyebrows furrow.
“Oh, nothing; I just thought it was the perfect point to throw in that I have a sorority meeting. Mollie’s already been making my life a living hell since Declan ditched her at the banquet. If I’m late, she’ll have my head.”
“I’m out too.” Ember stretches. “I have to go pick Maia up from her shift and then help her with routes to her classes that will avoid Cam.”
“Sounds eventful.” I chuckle. “See you guys later.”
“See you.” Tate waves at the girls as they head out, and then it’s just us.
“Sorry, I got here later than I thought. The pizza place was swamped.”
“No problem. I honestly didn’t think you’d remember.”
“Of course I did. You’ve been waiting for this delivery since your birthday, but everything kept getting put on back order.”
She gives me a small smile as if she’s happy I remembered that.
“Yeah, well, Declan and Jere pretty much helped me get most of the big things done. The girls and I have just been building some of the smaller things since no one really wanted to attemptthat.”
“Happy to be of service.” I drop my jacket over the back of her new couch. “The couch looks good. It fits perfectly.”
“Yeah, we were worried once it was pieced together, it’d be too big, but it worked out.”
Things seem normal between us. Our conversations don’t seem any different than they typically are, but she’s barely looked at me since I walked in. I want to chalk it up to her being focused on her current project, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s because of Casey. Or maybe even Becca.
I sit down on the floor and flip through the instructions, hoping something will jump out at me. I look at the pieces in the box. Honestly, I don’t know how they decided which pieces to group together, and nothing in the box resembles the pictures in the manual.
“Jere told me that you’ve started posting covers and your original music online.”
I feel like this is a safe talking point. I know Becca thinks I should bring up the distance, the tension that’s been between us the last few weeks since New Year's Eve, but I know Tate better than Becca does. Sure, she knows the female mind, but I know Tate’s mind.
“Yeah. Brinley’s been having a lot of fun with it. She and Alex edit the videos, making the sound clearer and cutting out anything unnecessary before or after I sing. It’s been good.”
“I’m happy you decided to do that. You’re talented, Tate; the world should get to witness that.”
“Thanks, Fletch.”
