"I did notice that."
"But let me guess, you were too distracted by your lover girl that it just went right over your head."
"Something like that." I run my hand through my hair. "Wait. No, she's not mylover girl, whatever the hell that means."
"I heard you two flirting it up in here."
I shake my head. There's too much confusing information all at once. "You heard us?"
"Yeah. When I walked out the front, I watched through the window and waited for you guys to get in your office, then I ran back in and eavesdropped outside your door."
"Raina, that's messed up."
"What? If it's as innocent as you say it is, then what's the problem?"
"You know that's messed up. Plus, we didn't even say anything suggestive. We were literally talking about my posters."
"Oh, honey, it wasn't what you said. It washowyou said it. I could hear the lust in your voices, even through that solid wood door."
"You're ridiculous, you know that?"
"I know. But you love me."
"I do, but that doesn't mean I'm not about to kick you out of my office." I shove my thumb in the direction ofthe door behind me.
"Alright, I'll actually leave this time." She gets up out of my chair and walks over to me. "Just don't let her scare you, okay. She may seem tough, but it's just a front."
"Like you?"
"Exactlylike me."
"Well, now I'm even more scared."
She chuckles and pats my cheek, like I'm her child. "I'll see you later." She walks past me and out my door.
"Are you still good to pick up Clover from school today? I have that late appointment scheduled."
"Of course! Come by for dinner when you're done, okay? We'll have a drink and talk about your complicated love life."
"Goodbye, Raina," I deadpan with enough force to tell her I'm done with this conversation.
Chapter Nine
B
"How did it go?"
I pull my jacket off and toss it onto the chair in the living room. "It was good."
Fia eyes my jacket on the chair. "Lou's coming over later."
"Fuck, I forgot about that." I pick it up and walk over to the hooks on the wall and hang it up.
Whenever my older sister comes over, I try my hardest to appear tidy, so she has fewer things to nag me about. I love my sister to pieces, but she is extremely type A, and I am.....not. We lived together for a year and a half when I first graduated from college and moved to the Twin Cities. Her college boyfriend had just dumped her, and she was in a really bad place. That made her a lot less picky about my shit lying all around the apartment, but over time, as she started to get out of her funk, she became more vocal about her dislike for my habits. When she finally moved in with her boyfriend, Sam, I was free to live my crazy tornado life in more spaces than just my bedroom. And if we're beingreal, I'm notthatmessy. She just has a low tolerance for my chaos.
"So, how was seeing him again? Did it reignite all those butterflies you shoved down?"
"I don't get butterflies, Fia."
