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She stops in the middle of the walkway, turning toward me. “You’re going to Austin’s?”
“Yeah, I’m staying with him.”
She blinks at me uncomprehendingly. “Are we talking about the same guy? Austin Langford? Tall, blond, hardly talks to anyone?”
“Um…”
“What do you mean,staying with?” she interrupts. “Like staying the night? Living with him? Temporarily? Permanently? I can’t believe he’d keep this from me.”
Oh, God. Maybe she is a girlfriend. Why would she care so much otherwise?
“It was a sudden thing,” I rush to say. I don’t want him to get in trouble with whoever she is. “He’s a friend. My neighbor—”
Austin’s door opens, his head swiveling between us. “Are you harassing Tessa?”
The girl grins and finishes walking toward him, dumping the stuff she’s carrying in his arms. “Now harassing is a strong word.”
There’s an easy rapport between them, my stomach sinking further.
He sets the items down and comes over to join me. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” My gaze cuts to the girl, who’s watching us with unabashed curiosity. “If you have plans, I can go—”
“No, no. She’s leaving soon.”
“Way to make a girl feel welcome,” she says wryly.
He turns to her. “Don’t act like you were going to stay.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t even invite me.”
The way they’re bickering, it’s almost like they’re… “Oh! You’re his sister. Danielle.” The resemblance is obvious now that I’m seeing them together.
“Who’d you think she was?” he asks, seeming genuinely perplexed.
“I don’t know,” I mumble. It seems silly to voice aloud my initial theory.
Danielle gives me a knowing smile but doesn’t say anything.
“What, you thought…” He trails off, understanding dawning. “Oh, God, no.” He rubs at the back of his neck. “I’m not dating anyone. I thought you knew that.”
“I wasn’t sure.” Yes, we shared a bed last night. And he kissed me on the dance floor, even if it was a mistake. I guess that would have been pretty shitty of him to do if he was seeing someone.
“So, what’s going on here?” Danielle asks, wagging a finger between me and Austin.
“Oh, my apartment.” I gesture toward my busted door. “Someone broke in and maintenance can’t come out to fix it until Monday. Austin’s been so amazing helping me out.”
She holds a hand to her chest. “Oh my God, you had a break-in? That’s so scary. Were you home when it happened?”
“No, Austin and I were out.”
A smile lurks around her mouth as she looks over at her brother. “Out, you say? Where at?”
“Um, Element.”
She breathes out a laugh. “Hold up.” She turns to Austin. “You went to a club? You?”
He merely looks at her, not responding. I guess there was truth in his statement that it wasn’t his normal scene.
