Total pages in book: 73
Estimated words: 69413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69413 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 347(@200wpm)___ 278(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
I bit back a smile. “And none of this makes you ‘out of my league,’ Jamie,” I said. “I assure you. You’re smarter, funnier, and more attractive than just about every multimillionaire I’ve met.”
A slight blush appeared on his cheeks and it gave me way more satisfaction than it should have.
“Well, you’re the most attractive person I’ve ever met, without a doubt, so there,” he said. “You don’t want to hook up with me, but I can at least compliment you back.”
“Hey, I said you were smart and funny, too,” I teased him, squeezing his leg. “And I’m just some hot piece of meat?”
He was laughing, giving me a playful look. “I don’t know, Landry. You haven’t met my mom yet. I think she’d give you a run for your money on humor and intelligence,” he joked.
“Fair enough,” I said. “Well, I hope I’ll finally get to meet her tomorrow.”
Jamie hummed. He was giving me that same look he had earlier, where he wasn’t sure if he could believe me or not.
“You’re very kind,” he finally said.
As I watched him, my mind swam with ideas and thoughts and so many things I wished I could say to him. He seemed so stressed about his monetary situation, and having to live with roommates, especially.
“You know,” I offered, “if your roommate situation ever gets to you too much, I do rent out a home in southern California. It’s in Orange County, really close to the water. It usually goes for around eight grand a month, but I could give you a killer deal because, well, I like you, and I think you might like the house, too.”
Jamie suddenly tensed up, and he pulled back his leg from under my hand. The air between us suddenly felt colder. Worse, somehow.
He cleared his throat and reached down to grab his glass, finishing off the last of his scotch. “Um. Thanks, really, but I don’t think that would work out for me.”
Something twisted in my gut.
Fuck. I really shouldn’t have said that.
“I just wanted to offer it up,” I told him. “Sorry if that was out of line.”
He shook his head, looking over at the fireplace instead of meeting my eyes. “I know you were just trying to be nice. I do appreciate it, really. But I definitely think you were right when you said we’re better off as friends. I’m not in the market for a landlord, you know?”
I bit the inside of my cheek. Even though I did like the idea of being his friend, something about the way he’d said it didn’t sound very happy.
“Right.”
He stood up, draping the blanket over the side of the couch again. “I think I should get back to my room,” he said, scratching the back of his head. “The rehearsal dinner is tomorrow, and Chase asked me for some help setting up, and then the next day is the big wedding. I want to be fresh.”
“Right,” I said again, sounding like a broken record because I didn’t know what else to say. I knew I’d veered somewhere way far off track, because the warm closeness I’d felt earlier in the night had suddenly evaporated into thin air.
“I can come by and grab my dried clothes sometime tomorrow morning, if that’s all right?” he asked.
“Anytime,” I said. “Just call or shoot me a text when you’re around.”
He left so fast I felt like a storm had just ripped through my hotel suite.
Usually I liked the peace and calm of having the place to myself at the end of a night, but suddenly, without Jamie here, the room just felt empty.
Fitting. That had seemed to be the theme of my life for the past year.
Empty, empty, empty.
7
JAMIE
I hit my alarm clock like I was trying to swat at a fly the next morning, the incessant beeping rousing me from a deep dream. I groaned, tossing off my sheets and trying to shake the sleepiness away. I checked my phone and saw a missed call from my roommate Nicole about an hour ago, and remembered that she’d sent me a photo yesterday night that I’d forgotten to reply to. I called her back.
“Jamie,” she answered, her voice way more chipper and energetic than I felt. “You’re still alive. Good.”
Nicole was one of my better roommates, but we still butted heads sometimes. Both of us had been ready to live on our own for years now, but couldn’t afford to do it. She still looked out for me, though, and was taking care of some things at home while I was gone.
“Alive and hungover,” I said. “Sorry, I meant to reply to the photo last night. Looks like you’re keeping Clark and Lois happy just fine.”
Clark and Lois were two of my houseplants that needed to be watered almost every day, and they looked healthy as ever. I wasn’t at a stage in my life where I was ready for pets or kids, but I’d named my plants long ago, and I didn’t care how cheesy it was—I cared about them.