Page 99 of The Route to You

“Yeah, I’m just going to change, and I’ll tell you all about it while I make something to eat.”

The couch creaked under her as she stood and flashed him a grin. But as she started back toward her room, she had the clear, very distracting thought that Liddy had been absolutely right.

Spartan living arrangements were wildly overrated.

26

KYLE

The doorbell rang just as Kyle finished the job application and clicked Submit . He closed the laptop, exhaling as Charlie and Sadie exploded into barking.

“I know, I know, I’m coming. You’re both fakers anyway,” he called to the dogs, snapping the laptop shut and dropping it onto the couch. The dogs were more likely to roll over for treats than actually put up a defense.

He scrubbed a hand over his face. Nothing like spending the afternoon applying for jobs he didn’t want just to remind himself how badly he needed one.

But it wasn’t like he could keep living off his savings forever.

He hurried down the stairs, dogs spinning in manic circles around his legs, nearly taking him out at the knees. “Shit—okay, okay—another trip to the ER is not in the budget, guys.”

Jeremy stood on the other side of the glass door . . . along with Anna, a few feet behind him, dressed in a sundress that accentuated her considerable assets.

Goddamn Liddy and her predictions.

And immediately, Kyle knew deep in his bones, in that quiet, traitorous place that liked to ruin his life, that this was a colossal, spectacular mistake.

He should have asked Jeremy who was coming out tonight when he’d agreed to go out. Or after Liddy had reminded him of Anna.

“Hey,” Kyle said, unlocking the storm door. “Come on in. I just—uh—have to wrangle the beasts.”

“Hey, man,” Jeremy said, stepping inside, eyes already scanning the place with interest. “Nice setup.”

Anna leaned down immediately, undeterred by the chaos, reaching for Charlie as he tried to bulldoze past Kyle’s leg. “Oh my gosh, are these yours? They’re adorable.”

“Uh, no. My roommate’s.” Kyle grabbed both dogs by their collars before they could launch past him. “Let me just, uh, put them away.”

And before Jeremy could ask the one question Kyle absolutely did not want to answer— what roommate? —he hauled the dogs upstairs, heart already picking up speed.

This is fine. Totally fine. He was just going out for a beer . . . like a normal person. With a buddy and a normal woman. Who was not⁠—

He shoved the thought down hard as he secured the dogs.

Thank goodness Sloan is out.

She’d left an hour earlier to talk to the owner of the paint shop, and she still hadn’t returned.

He paused in the kitchen, reaching into the basket Sloan had set out for their keys. A Post-it notepad glared up at him from inside, and he hesitated.

Should he leave Sloan a note? Tell her he’d gone out?

Would I do that for any other roommate?

No. No, you wouldn’t.

This isn’t a date. And even if it was, I’m doing nothing wrong. After all, Sloan almost got married. She’d obviously moved on after dumping him. They both had.

But, fuck , the other night she’d walked in flushed and glowing and alive , and he’d had to physically anchor himself to the couch to keep from pulling her into his lap and kissing her.

Have a little sense of self-preservation.