into it.”
She laughed. “Right? My high school algebra teacher was a friggin’ liar. I’ve never once had to solve an algebra problem as an adult.”
“Try learning it on your own. Joel attempting to help me while I was getting my GED was a fucking riot.” I snickered at the memory.
Those smiling lips again. I couldn’t look away. “Oh, my God. I can only imagine the swearing involved in that.”
I chuckled and rested my arms on the back of the couch with a sigh. “Shep’s actually the mathmagician of the family, so at least I had him to step in and save the day when quadratic equations got the best of us.”
“So,” she said as she leaned forward to untie her boots. “I think everyone’s going to Habits night after next. Maggie and Cooper are even going to be there.” She made a mock surprised face.
“It’s a miracle.”
Her eyes were on her fingers as they unlaced the first one enough to slip her foot out. “It’s been so weird lately. Everyone’s so … busy.”
With each other , was the rest of that sentence. “For sure. I feel like I haven’t seen Cooper and Maggie in weeks.”
“Because it has been weeks.” She wiggled her toes before getting to work on the other boot. “We’ve barely seen them since they moved in together after like four seconds of dating.”
“Who would have guessed?”
She chuckled and shed the final shoe, dropping it with a thump. “Certainly not West. I’m surprised he only decked Cooper once for nailing his sister.”
“West has two rage buttons: Lily and Maggie.”
“Truth. It’ll be good to see everyone, since they’re all taking a break from being grownups, or whatever.” She wrinkled her nose.
I shook my head, thinking about how much had changed over the last couple of months. “It blows my mind that Cooper, playboy of the century, the guy who never took anything seriously, has a live-in girlfriend and a real, adult job. At an investment firm. Where he wears a suit and tie to work every day.”
“Playboy to professional. At least he has somewhere to wear all those fancy suits of his.”
I chuckled. “Like Coop needs an excuse.”
“True. And then Lily and West are just together all the time. It’s so strange to be here alone all the time now,” she added, partly to herself.
“Mine’s the opposite. It’s strange to feel like you have nowhere to go. Though it’s not like I haven’t been through that before. At least I’m not a kid this time, and at least it’s not like I really have nowhere to go.” I watched her for a beat. “Thanks again for letting me stay, Rose.”
Her face softened. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I can help, even though you’re still a dick for not asking first.”
I put my hands up in surrender. “Hey, blame Lily for that.”
“Oh, trust me. I do.” She stretched and groaned. “Man, I’m beat. Getting up at eight in the morning is horse shit.”
I laughed. “You get used to it.”
“Who said I wanted to?” she asked as she stood.
I grabbed my stuff and followed her to the bedrooms. “Hey, don’t knock it. You’d be surprised at how much you can get done when you’re awake during the day.”
Rose yawned one stretched-out word. “Pass.” She turned in her threshold and looked up at me with dark eyes, most of her hidden in shadows of her dark room. “Sleep well.” The words were soft, full of some emotion I couldn’t quite place. I only knew I wanted to cross the small space between us and kiss her until she was breathless.
But instead, I stepped into Lily’s dark bedroom. “You too,” I said quietly. And I closed my door as she closed hers, putting the walls between us as we always did.
SAVE ME
Rose
I WOKE THE NEXT MORNING to the damn cats again, though at least this time they didn’t break up contraband dreams about certain sexy ex-boyfriends who happened to be sleeping in the next room.
Not that it mattered. I had a date with a cute guy in a few hours, and I was
She laughed. “Right? My high school algebra teacher was a friggin’ liar. I’ve never once had to solve an algebra problem as an adult.”
“Try learning it on your own. Joel attempting to help me while I was getting my GED was a fucking riot.” I snickered at the memory.
Those smiling lips again. I couldn’t look away. “Oh, my God. I can only imagine the swearing involved in that.”
I chuckled and rested my arms on the back of the couch with a sigh. “Shep’s actually the mathmagician of the family, so at least I had him to step in and save the day when quadratic equations got the best of us.”
“So,” she said as she leaned forward to untie her boots. “I think everyone’s going to Habits night after next. Maggie and Cooper are even going to be there.” She made a mock surprised face.
“It’s a miracle.”
Her eyes were on her fingers as they unlaced the first one enough to slip her foot out. “It’s been so weird lately. Everyone’s so … busy.”
With each other , was the rest of that sentence. “For sure. I feel like I haven’t seen Cooper and Maggie in weeks.”
“Because it has been weeks.” She wiggled her toes before getting to work on the other boot. “We’ve barely seen them since they moved in together after like four seconds of dating.”
“Who would have guessed?”
She chuckled and shed the final shoe, dropping it with a thump. “Certainly not West. I’m surprised he only decked Cooper once for nailing his sister.”
“West has two rage buttons: Lily and Maggie.”
“Truth. It’ll be good to see everyone, since they’re all taking a break from being grownups, or whatever.” She wrinkled her nose.
I shook my head, thinking about how much had changed over the last couple of months. “It blows my mind that Cooper, playboy of the century, the guy who never took anything seriously, has a live-in girlfriend and a real, adult job. At an investment firm. Where he wears a suit and tie to work every day.”
“Playboy to professional. At least he has somewhere to wear all those fancy suits of his.”
I chuckled. “Like Coop needs an excuse.”
“True. And then Lily and West are just together all the time. It’s so strange to be here alone all the time now,” she added, partly to herself.
“Mine’s the opposite. It’s strange to feel like you have nowhere to go. Though it’s not like I haven’t been through that before. At least I’m not a kid this time, and at least it’s not like I really have nowhere to go.” I watched her for a beat. “Thanks again for letting me stay, Rose.”
Her face softened. “You’re welcome. I’m glad I can help, even though you’re still a dick for not asking first.”
I put my hands up in surrender. “Hey, blame Lily for that.”
“Oh, trust me. I do.” She stretched and groaned. “Man, I’m beat. Getting up at eight in the morning is horse shit.”
I laughed. “You get used to it.”
“Who said I wanted to?” she asked as she stood.
I grabbed my stuff and followed her to the bedrooms. “Hey, don’t knock it. You’d be surprised at how much you can get done when you’re awake during the day.”
Rose yawned one stretched-out word. “Pass.” She turned in her threshold and looked up at me with dark eyes, most of her hidden in shadows of her dark room. “Sleep well.” The words were soft, full of some emotion I couldn’t quite place. I only knew I wanted to cross the small space between us and kiss her until she was breathless.
But instead, I stepped into Lily’s dark bedroom. “You too,” I said quietly. And I closed my door as she closed hers, putting the walls between us as we always did.
SAVE ME
Rose
I WOKE THE NEXT MORNING to the damn cats again, though at least this time they didn’t break up contraband dreams about certain sexy ex-boyfriends who happened to be sleeping in the next room.
Not that it mattered. I had a date with a cute guy in a few hours, and I was
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