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I hate scheduling my life around it. Luckily, I have more control than those who have appointments at actual treatment centers, so I can manipulate when I get mine done.
“I’ll hook up tomorrow after class and then Sunday when we get back.”
Holly considers me again, but this time, while she chews her lip, the side of her mouth curves up into a half-smile. Like she’s thinking good thoughts.
“Okay, Ben. I’ll go with you on a weekend adventure. But, if I wake up in a bathtub full of ice, missing one of my kidneys, I’m going to be really angry.”
“Don’t worry. I plan to steal your kidney at a later date.”
Holly sticks her tongue out at me, and my cheeks ache from the size of my grin. Maybe some guys would play it cool, act nonchalant about getting the girl they’ve been crushing on to agree to a weekend away. She asked me to give her the truth though, so I’m not letting my face lie.
Holly shakes her head at me like I’m crazy. Maybe crazy for her.
“Stop being weird and read. It’s your turn.” When she hands me the book, our fingers brush against one another, and if I’m not mistaken, her breath speeds up a bit.
Or I could be imagining things.
That’s the problem though. I’ve been having trouble figuring out exactly how Holly feels about me. If Jasper’s right, then she likes me but is worried about the exchange not happening if things start up with us and then go sideways. I doubt only hanging out with me during my treatment sessions is helping her forget those fears.
Time to get away from all these distractions.
Holly fishes some notebooks out of her bag, writes something real quick, and then puts it all away to focus back on me. “You gonna read to me or what?”
Maybe, this weekend, I’ll get to explore the or what.
13
HOLLY
Agreeing to a weekend away with Ben is like eating a huge piece of chocolate cake. The whole time, you’re fluctuating between loving the taste and chiding yourself for skirting your diet. And Ben is more tempting than desserts.
The buzzer lets me know he’s here.
I press the speaker button. “Who, might I ask, is calling?” I use a prim tone, like he called on a fancy residence instead of a tiny apartment with two college students crammed into it.
“The renowned Ben Gerhard the Fourth. Here with his chariot.” Some of the smoothness of Ben’s voice is filtered out by the crackle of the speaker, but the sound still has chills skittering down my spine.
“Well, isn’t that grand? We in a hurry, or do you wanna come up?” Ever since Annabelle’s house, I’ve been imagining Ben in my space.
“I’ll come up.”
I click the other button by the speaker that unlocks the front door and try to calm my nerves, worried I’ll start sweating. At least with the place being so small, it’s easy to keep it clean. Terra hides her disorder in her own room, and I don’t have enough stuff to get too messy.
The whole of my apartment could easily fit in the sitting room of Ben’s parents’ townhouse, but I like our little place. We have a tiny, round kitchen table with mismatched chairs that I reupholstered over the summer with funky floral prints. The overstuffed love seat Terra’s mom donated to us sits by one of the two windows with a blanket Terra crocheted folded neatly on its back. My shiny orange pots hang from hooks on the walls because our cabinets are taken up by the food we buy in bulk.
Sure, my loft is a bit exposed and only has room for my bed, a lamp, and a dresser, but I have a soft mattress that Pops gifted to me for graduation. Plenty of times, Terra has climbed up my ladder to lounge with me on its comfy surface. Or I’ll join her in her tiny bedroom for a Netflix marathon. It’s not fancy, but it’s home.
There’s a knock on the door, and I don’t dawdle in opening it.
Dang, Ben just keeps getting hotter. He has on dark jeans with boots, and his black winter jacket is unzipped, revealing one of the thermals he tends to wear. This one, interestingly enough, is purple. And he makes that deep plum work for him.
If we were a couple, I’d step forward to slide my arms around his waist. That way, I could hug his warm body against mine while also taking a long sniff of whatever subtle cologne he had on.
However, we are not dating, so I opt for stepping back and spreading my arms wide, Vanna White–style.
“Welcome to casa de Holly and Terra. Please refrain from flash photography and keep your hands inside the ride at all times.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
