“What was that about?” she asked.
“Jake. I told you he was horrified after sharing a bed with me, so he’s buying me a bed. Right now. He narrowed it down but wanted me to choose.”
“He picked out a bed for you?”
“Because he’s desperate to make sure I have my own place to sleep tonight.”
“And you’re not worried about his choices?”
“Jake? No, he picked exactly what I want.”
I squirmed under the stare she leveled at me.
“I don’t know what’s going on with him, but he is not indifferent to you.”
“He’s not indifferent; he’s just not interested in me that way. That’s okay. His friendship is too important to mess up. I feel more myself with him around.”
I stared at my drink.
“It’s for the best. I don’t know how to have a healthy relationship, and my life’s a disaster. I should probably be alone for a while. We both just gotout of long-term relationships that ended badly, and neither of us are in a good place. What if it’s a rebound? Those never last, and our friendship would be over for nothing.”
“You’re babbling.”
“I’m babbling.”
We grinned at each other, and some of my tension dissolved.
“I still think he’s in to you,” Vanessa said. “But you need time, so it’s a good thing you live with him already.”
We finished brunch, and she drove us back. When we arrived, the contents of my storage unit were spread around the living room, and Jake was already assembling my new bed. My eyes flitted everywhere. There so many treasures I’d forgotten. Emotion welled up in me.
“Thought you’d want to set up your furniture before we move the boxes in,” Jake said gruffly when I thanked him.
He showed me to my new room, which was his old room. At any other time, I would have made a joke about being in the room where he used to jack off as a teenager, but I refrained for obvious reasons.
The expression on Vanessa’s face indicated she fought a similar battle, so I grabbed her to help me get my things from my parents’ house.
I let them know earlier about my change in address, and they were delighted.
“He’ll finally have some dishes, and your mom can calm down,” my dad teased.
“More importantly, he won’t be alone anymore,” my mother responded primly.
When we reached my old room, I warned Vanessa.
“Most stuff can be carried next door, but there are some things I want to pack.”
“Why?”
I widened my eyes at her meaningfully, but she didn’t get it.
“The present you got me last year,” I whispered.
“Oh my god!” she whooped. “You used it!”
“Shh,” I ordered. “No need to announce it to the world.”
“It’s because Jake’s back, isn’t it?” she asked with a knowing smirk.
