“Yeah, at Barney’s,” Oswald replies.
“Oh, well if you’re not hungry…” Liam looks at me with a clear question in his eyes.
“I can still sit with you,” I offer. This is so damn awkward. I don’t know if I’ll have the nerve to agree to go to lunch with anyone again.
“Nah, it’s all right, maybe another time.” Liam stops fully. A quick but abrasive sense of inadequacy brushes against me, but it’s gone in a flash.
“All right, man, see you around.” Oswald reaches for my bag and hauls it right off my shoulder, then continues walking. I glance over at Liam, but he’s already turned away to head in the other direction.
I take a few quick steps and catch up with Oswald. “You didn’t have to come. I could have just sat with him so he didn’t have to eat alone.”
He looks down at me with furrowed brows. “You’re worried about him eating alone?”
I shrug. “It sucks to eat alone in a new place. Are you late for class or something?”
“No, why?”
“You’re walking fast, and where are we going?”
Oswald stops, and a few students have to swerve to get around us. “Maybe you’re slow.” He turns to face me, his grin sweet and teasing.
“Maybe you have an unfair advantage because your legs are longer,” I counter.
He steps a little closer, but his smile stays in place. “Maybe I do, but I like your legs just fine.” I’m not sure how to respond to that or the way he’s looking at me, so I don’t. “Where areyougoing?” he asks softly.
“Home, I guess.”
“Can I come?”
“Um…” Why is my first reaction to say yes?
“I don’t get many afternoons off from practice, but they went light on us this week because classes just started. I just want to hang out while we can, no pressure.”
“Okay.” A bubble of happiness makes my chest feel light after I answer. “My car is over by the English building.” Which is in the complete opposite direction.
When we start walking again, Oswald works to slow his pace, and I feel like I can breathe without panting, which is a nice change.
We walk in relative silence to the lot where I parked. Thankfully, I don’t see any tickets on my car, and it’s still where I parked it. “Hey, I can take that.” I reach for my bag when we get near the trunk of my car. Oswald allows me to take it from his shoulder, and I can feel the tightness of his bicep when it skips down his arm.
When he starts to follow me toward the driver’s side, I say, “This is me.”
He looks down at the sleek black car, then up at me again with a heavy frown. Instead of monitoring his reaction, I get behind the wheel. Normally, I would toss my bag on the passenger seat, but I slip it into the back instead.
Oswald knocks on the window, and I think he’s about to tell me he changed his mind about coming over, but when I roll the window down, he asks, “How do I open the door?”
I tap the button on the touchscreen and then hear the handle release. “Sorry. I haven’t had any passengers,” I explain once he sits down.
Oswald looks around the interior, and I start the car. I can barely tell it’s running, it’s so quiet, but I’m used to it now, so I feel the slight hum. “Seatbelt,” I remind him after clicking my own. He reaches over his shoulder and clicks it into place, but he’s still not saying anything. I feel weird.
I’m not dumb, I know my Tesla is expensive, but I’ve seen G-Wagons and BMWs all over, so I didn’t think it would stick out too much.
“I’m a little intimidated, Waylynn,” Oswald finally says as I start to back up.
I can’t just ignore his words. I have to ask, “Why?”
“This car, for starters. It’s nice as hell. You’ve seen our truck.” He catches my eye from the side as I look to the left to make a turn out of the lot.
“I don’t have a problem with your truck. It got us to the restaurant just fine.” I give him my true feelings. I’ve been judged way too much to do that to someone else, especially about a vehicle or money. “The hinges could use some oil though.”
