Vague.
<3
I know. Sorry. I was looking forward to being with you.
Me
Same
<3
I promise we’ll still hang out often. Maybe this weekend, I’ll come take you out.
Me
I’d love that.
“Something wrong?” Zeno’s voice cuts through the fog.
Only that I’ll hardly see my boyfriend.Not that it’ll be any different than what we’ve been doing since February, but itshouldbe different. It’s a bit disappointing.
“Nope.” I force my voice to be perky and not raise suspicion.
Thankfully, he drops the topic when we arrive at my new dorm. It’s a brown brick building with a checkerboard of square windows up the side—unexciting from the outside, but it promises so much on the inside. To my right, castle-like university buildings loom, probably lecture halls.
Zeno heads for the small parking lot attached to the checkerboard dorm. Few people mingle, while another familyunloads a van. The building has been open to move-in for the past few days, but Zeno suggested waiting until the end to avoid the rush. It meant fewer days hanging around the room with Lev, waiting for the semester to begin, so no complaints.
Zeno pops the trunk and starts unloading my four suitcases. I roll two towards the few small steps leading up to the building, and Zeno trails me with the other two. Right as I’m about to tap the button to open the door, it swings open, an imposing form appearing.
Lev smirks, highlighting that dimple on his cheek, before ducking for my suitcases. His fingers brush against mine as he grasps the handles and carries them up the rest of the stairs.
“Hello again. Guess we meet sooner than expected.”
Zeno reaches the top, lowering his bags to stretch his back and offer his hand in a shake, which Lev accepts after a slight hesitation. “Thanks for being here.”
He bobs his head before taking my bags inside while I hold the door for them both, having nothing of my own to carry.
“Wouldn’t know what to do without him,” I mutter in a low voice meant only for my brother, because, realistically, of anyone it could be, Iamgrateful Lev agreed. Once we’re alone, I’ll thank him. Can’t let Zeno know he’s winning in everything, including my attitude.
Unfortunately, my words are heard by the one who shouldn’t have, causing Lev to twist around. “I’m sure you’d manage.” He speaks with a low drawl, like one Alessio often tries to do, but, unlike Alessio, Lev masters it.
Once inside, Lev and Zeno step aside for me to get the elevator doors. They enter first, and I tuck myself closest to the buttons.
“Floor five,” Zeno directs.
The uppermost floor. Zeno probably planned that.
“Three doors to the right of the elevator,” Lev adds, stoking my irritation until my teeth grinding in my silent response.
Between them, the thrill of moving in is dying out. Half the fun is figuring everything out, but Lev, arriving early, has already done all that.
When the elevator dings at the fifth floor, I stomp out and head towards the right, only to realize I have no way of opening the basic wooden door with the number 510 tacked onto it. Lev roots through his pockets and pulls out two keys, flipping one into my hand.
“Shouldn’t the person living here be the one to collect the keys?”
“I called ahead to let the housing department know he’ll be signing on your behalf,” Zeno explains, totally missing the attitude in my tone.
Of course, he did.
