“That doesn’t ring a bell,” I told him, slightly disappointed.
“Well when I get back on Monday, maybe we can get together over dinner and discuss the findings,” he propositioned.
“I’m not going to be able to. I just started dating someone.”
“If it just started, it can’t be that serious.”
“I’m sorry. It…is,” I realized that as the words spilled from my lips.
He was quiet for a few seconds. “If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure.”
“Well, I will let you go. Have a goodnight.”
“Goodnight, Aiden.”
We ended the call and I stood outside of my mom’s room for a few minutes, thinking. I knew for a fact that I loved James and I wasn’t even tempted to go on a date with Aiden Black.
But I needed a second to wrap my mind around the fact that Aiden Black called me to ask me on a date because he couldn’t stop thinking about me.
Two weeks ago, this would’ve been cause for celebration.
I walked back into the hotel room shaking my head. “I swear, your whole life can change in an instant.”
I brushed my teeth and climbed in bed. Even though I had plans to watch the second movie Mom and I had picked, I was asleep ten minutes in.
“Good morning,” Mom sang in a cheery voice when I woke up.
“The sun is barely up,” I mumbled.
“That’s what happens when you go to sleep before nine o’clock on a Saturday night.”
After showering and getting dressed, I took my mom to my favorite breakfast restaurant. We had a great time and I missed her the moment she got on the road for her six-and-a-half-hour drive back home.
It was eleven o’clock when I got back to Jay’s apartment. I found him lounging on the couch when I walked in.
“Hey!” I greeted him.
“Hey.” He stood up and then immediately got distracted by the box of food in my hand. “Is that for me?”
“Yes,” I giggled.
“Sometimes I think you can read my mind,” Jay remarked as he met me in the kitchen. When I opened the box to show him what I got, he grinned. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“How was your night? How did the talk go with your mom?” he questioned, taking a seat at the table. “Everything okay?”
I sat next to him. “She’s going to call the Financial Aid office tomorrow and try to set up a payment plan. She’s going to help me get the money together so I can finish the semester.”
He clapped loudly. “Yes! Good!”
“Yeah, I hope it works.”
Jay gave me a reassuring smile. “It will.”
“Mom wanted to know every single detail about what had been going on, so we spent most of our time talking about that. And as I was telling her, it really made sense. Do you remember when we went to get my stuff out of the Cheer House?” I asked, not waiting for an answer. “I remember Vivian saying something about how I didn’t belong and if Dakota wasn’t trying to be so close to Carter, she would’ve seen that me being there was a red flag.”
“And as far as housing goes—”
“Stay here permanently,” he interrupted.
I quirked an eyebrow. “What?”
“Stay here permanently. Don’t worry about your housing assignment. Let them take that out of your bill and then you’ll only have to worry about covering your classes. That’s it.”
I wasn’t going to pretend like the idea hadn’t crossed my mind, but I didn’t want to be the one to bring it up. If we were still just friends, I would’ve asked him as soon as the suspension became real. But with our budding relationship, I felt a little hesitant.
“Do you think it’s too soon?” I wondered, thinking long term.
His face crumbled in confusion. “Do I think it’s too soon for us to continue to do what we’ve already been doing?” The hint of sarcasm punctuating his words.
Rolling my eyes, I let out a short laugh. “You know what I mean. Things are a little different now!”
He took my hand. “The only thing that’s different is that you’re mine now.”
“Oh, am I?” I replied, grinning from ear to ear.
“And I don’t just want you here because you need a place to stay. I want you here because I like you being here.”
I squeezed his hand. “You missed me last night, didn’t you?”
“A little bit.”
“Just a little bit?”
“I mean I missed holding you before falling asleep, but I didn’t miss you snoring.”
I snatched my hand out of his. “I don’t snore!”
He made a face. “Oh, okay.”
“You are a liar!” I shouted.
He did an imitation snore that made me laugh so hard I snorted.
“You play too much,” I told him as I got up from the table. “And I’d rather snore than fart in my sleep.”
He was laughing. “I still don’t believe I do that.”
“Well let me and my nostrils assure you that it is indeed a fact.”
Jay got up and washed his hands. Once he sat back down, he devoured his food. The entire time we went back and forth making each other laugh. I felt lighter and happier than I had in two weeks. Between the time with my mom, the time with Jay, and everything that happened at Carter’s funeral, I felt complete contentment.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” he asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
My lips curled upward. “Yes.”
“What’s that goofy smile about?”
I stood. “You.”
He followed me to the couch and we both plopped down heavily. I had the remote, flipping through the movie channels until I found something good. I felt his eyes on me, but I ignored him until I made a decision.
“What about this?” I asked, looking over at
