‘I thought I would be lonely,’ I reply, not answering her directly. ‘I’m not. Turns out having people around you 24/7 doesn’t make you happier, only more distracted.’
When she huffs out a short laugh, I tilt my head to one side, a silent question.
‘It’s like we switched places,’ she explains, waving her key in the air. ‘At home, I had way more time to myself than I ever wanted. Now I have to figure out a way to balance my classes with my job and a social life. Maybe I should’ve come to you for advice.’
‘My advice would be don’t waste your time on that douche in the leather jacket.’
It’s said before I can stop myself, but Mia doesn’t respond. She stands frozen, her hand halfway to the door, key hanging in midair.
‘I’m joking,’ I splutter, forcing the words out. ‘Only, yeah, relationships won’t exactly solve your time-suck problem.’
‘Is that why you came to Hemden? Because you and Breanna broke up?’
This is my punishment. Any time I get close to feeling good about something, anything, the universe serves me an unwelcome reminder.
‘Yeah,’ I say, pulling away from her. ‘It is.’
Mia unlocks the front door and we climb the stairs in silence, considerably less comfortable than we were before. Three flights have never felt further as I trudge behind her, watching one foot pass in front of the other. Slipping quietly into our flat, we creep down the hallway to our rooms. I slip my key into the lock to open my door and watch her do the same.
‘Goodnight, Mia,’ I say before she can disappear. ‘And happy birthday.’
‘Ethan?’
When she says my name, she sounds a little awkward, like it’s a language she’s not fully confident in speaking. ‘There is one thing I miss.’
‘Yeah?’
She rests her head against the wall and nods.
‘Biscuits.’
Not what I was expecting.
‘Biscuits?’ I repeat. ‘As in flour and butter and buttermilk biscuits?’
‘Yeah,’ she says with a sigh. ‘Nothing fancy, just a homemade biscuit. I tried to explain them to Alice, and she bought me a scone, but it’s not the same at all. I didn’t even try with sausage gravy. I’d give anything for a run to the Hardee’s drive thru.’
‘So that’s your guilty pleasure,’ I say with reverence as though she’s confessed some mortal sin. ‘I’m with you on the junk food but you can keep Hardee’s. I’m a Waffle House man myself.’
‘Says someone who has never worked at a Waffle House. You put in six days a week over summer break then see how desperate you are. I never want to hear the words “smothered and covered” again as long as I live.’
‘Stop, you’re making me hungry,’ I warn, tongue lolling out of my mouth as I pretend to drool. ‘Hey, maybe your mom could send you some biscuits.’
She smiles like I’ve said something hilarious. ‘If I told my mom I was homesick for her cooking, she’d have me back on the first flight to Charlotte.’
There’s a long quiet moment as she opens her door, and my insides turn to liquid, every inhale filling me with the possibilities of every successive second.
‘Goodnight,’ she says, fumbling with her keys as she breaks away from my gaze. ‘Thanks for walking me home.’
‘Any time.’
I watch her close the door to her room, listening to the lock turn and catch, fully aware she’s still wearing my jacket. It’s not like I need it right now and even if I did, I’d rather freeze to death than ask for it back. No, the thought of Mia standing in her room, my jacket around her shoulders as she takes off her shoes, checks her phone, does whatever else it is a girl does when she gets back to her room after a long day, that’s enough to send me to bed happy. I looked out for her at the bar, I walked her home, I gave her my jacket. I got to take care of someone today. I got to take care of Mia.
And it feels so good.
22
Mia
