Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
“Well, you did look on a high afterward.” He stirs the cheese packet into the noodles. “And I’m pretty sure it wasn’t from edibles, not after that last time.”
I laugh hollowly because after Kael offered me one, and I finally accepted, I got loopy and talked his ear off. Or so he says. All I remember is sleeping soundly.
“Only because I was having fun with my best friend.” I try to temper my tone. “But the very next day, I practically spilled coffee on Brandon at work.”
“Eh, maybe he deserved it.”
I hitch a shoulder. “He can’t help that he’s not attracted to me.”
That much is true. Maybe if I had more confidence, I’d rank as a seven out of ten instead of a five or a six—and that’s probably being generous. I might be taller and have a striking hair color, but I fade into the background as soon as my lack of self-assurance comes into play. And the rest of me, for that matter.
“I suppose you have a point.” Kael frowns. “Guess I’m taking Dex’s lead and being protective of my friend.”
I smile. “Well, thanks.”
It certainly doesn’t hurt to have a new friend.
“So where’s this next date?” he asks around a forkful of macaroni.
“The color-coded mixer at Love Shack.”
His eyes light up. “I might go with Angelica.”
“Yeah?” The idea that they might attend helps me relax a little. “You want to head out together?”
“Like a double date? Nah, we’ll meet you there, though.” He smirks. “Wouldn’t want to distract you from your lesson.”
I pass a hand down my face. “Oh my God, that makes it sound worse.”
“Sorry. I was only teasing.” He winces. “The dates will be good for you.”
I nod. “Hey, do you know what the color codes are about?”
He reaches for a paper towel. “No idea, but it should be fun.”
I swallow. “Okay.”
His eyes spring to mine. “Why do you seem unsure?”
“I’m not ready to—I don’t even know.”
He waves that away. “So don’t participate.”
“That’s what Dex said.”
“See? He has your best interests at heart.”
“Yeah, I know.” I have no doubt about that. But I’m still not sure why I’m so nervous.
“That theater major guy from Mundell—Chase, I think—is showing a movie on the lawn in Liberty Court tonight.”
“Is it like the one they had on the beach last month?”
“God no,” Kael says. “That one was fun, though. They showed Jaws, but Angelica was freaked out by the end of it, and we had to move farther away from the water.”
I laugh because it’s cute. And it reminds me of an anecdote my stepdad shared about scaring his younger siblings about sharks showing up in toilets.
“Wanna go?” he asks. “Angelica didn’t mention it, probably because she’s in the library, finishing a huge assignment. So I thought it would be fun for us to head out with a blanket and find a spot on the lawn.”
“Sure. Which movie are they showing?”
“Love in the City.” He grins. “Figured it would be right up your alley.”
I read the romance a couple of years ago. “I hear it’s a decent adaptation.”
As we dig out a blanket and snacks, I vaguely wonder what Dex is up to, but Kael isn’t meeting Angelica, so I don’t want him to think he and I can’t just hang out alone.
We head out the door and toward Liberty Court. It’s a quad with plenty of grass for outdoor activities and one of the shared housing locations students seem drawn to on weekends. Each building is named after a former dean, and they’ve all taken on a life of their own.
I can see the projector set up and a guy with blond hair fiddling with it. Must be Chase, who did the beach movie and the livestreams in the dining hall. I also recognize the guy standing near him because he works at Bean Necessities, though he’s always at the shop location. Amos, I think his name is, and the way they’re making eyes at each other, I’m guessing they’re together. Sweet.
Chase’s movie events are obviously popular because it’s hard to find an empty place on the crowded lawn. We’re just about to lay our blanket down in a free spot when I hear Dex calling my name. He and Milo already have a blanket set up beside his other housemates, and I feel a stab of disappointment that he didn’t include me.
But I also didn’t include him. We’re allowed to have other friends, I remind myself.
“Get your butts over here with that blanket,” he calls out.
I look at Kael. “We don’t have to.”
“Why not? It’s all cool.”
“Okay, sure.” As we head over, they shuffle to make room for our blanket. I hunker down beside Dex, and Kael sits on the other side of me. One of Angelica’s friends, who’s sitting with a guy behind us, motions to Kael, and they strike up a conversation.