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I’m breathing hard by the time I hang up, my heart pounding, but I’m proud of standing up for myself like that. For asking for what I want.
Now only if I could do that in all aspects of my life.
“Tessa?”
I glance up to find Mia half a dozen feet away, bundled up in a wool peacoat. “Hey.”
“Everything okay?”
She glances at my phone and back at me. What must I look like to have someone stop and ask me that?
“Yeah, I’m fine. I was on the phone with maintenance at my apartment. I—” I pause, realizing I never told her I was leaving Element Friday night. “Oh my God, I didn’t tell you what happened.”
She takes a seat next to me. “I heard about it. Austin texted Tyler and Ethan to let them know what was going on.”
Thank God he’d had his head on straight. He’d been so wonderful, so in control. Meanwhile, I’d been a hot mess.
“Yeah, so they still have to replace my door. It’s been a crazy weekend.”
“I’m so sorry that happened to you. Do you have a temporary lock on your door or something?”
“No, I’ve been staying with Austin.”
Her brows raise. “Oh.”
Is that a badoh? Or a good one?
Recognition seems to hit her. “So that’s why he bought you that drink at the club. I thought that was strange. Oh, and I told Kelsey you guys weren’t together. Sorry.”
“Oh, no. It’s fine. I mean, we aren’t together. Just friends.”
I think. Are we still friends after what happened this morning? For some reason, I don’t want to say anything to Mia about it. It’s embarrassing as hell, for one. And it also seems… private.
She waves her hands in front of her face. “Sorry, I’m making assumptions all over the place. I guess we haven’t talked much lately, have we? You’ve got a lot to catch me up on if you’re friends enough to stay over at his house.”
I breathe out a shaky laugh. Yeah, a lot has changed, hasn’t it? Like how I can’t even imagine my life without him now. How integral he’s become.
I don’t tell her those things, though. I talk instead about the self-defense moves he’s been teaching me. About helping him with college stuff. About Boots and his family and hanging out with him. About how badly I’d misjudged him that day I was on the phone with her. How he’s nothing like I thought he was.
“I have a confession,” Mia says, her fingers twisting in front of her. “I kind of told him a while ago that… Well, because I didn’t want him to think…”
“What?”
“That something had happened to you when you were younger. But I didn’t say what. I just didn’t want him to think you were scared ofhim.”
Her hands won’t stop fidgeting in her lap. Has she been worried about that?
“Hey, don’t stress about it. I told him weeks ago. It’s fine.”
She gives me a relieved smile. “Okay, good. I wasn’t sure if I should say anything, but I didn’t want him to take it personally. He really is a nice guy.”
I can’t explain why, but her high regard of him doesn’t help my mood any. It’s a good thing that he’s nice to other girls, too. That he’s a nice guy all around.
But a tiny part of me wishes that all his helpfulness, all his attention, was special tome. That it was because he likesme.
My God, I’m mental.
I glance around, wanting to change the topic, and my gaze lands on the couple walking hand in hand about twenty feet away. Wait, I know that guy. “Is that Dr. Hanover?”
