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“There’s instructions for submitting it in there. I’ve already got everything else turned in. I just need three recommendations.”
“Who are you choosing for the other two?”
He wiped his palms on his jeans. “I thought I might ask Miss Jones. I’ve got a pretty solid B plus in her class right now, and I think I can get it up to an A before the end of the term. And then maybe Mrs. Winston.”
“Nice. I’ll do mine tonight. Tomorrow at the latest. You’ll keep me posted?”
He nodded vigorously. “I will. Thanks, Mr. Campbell.”
“My pleasure.” Trevor darted back into the hall and I checked the time on my phone. I’d planned to swing by Kayla’s room in person to ask, but Trevor had eaten up that time. I shot off a text inviting her to meet me there for a walkthrough and then quickly gathered the piles of work to take home and grade.
Between walking through the building across the street and Kayla coming for dinner to talk about the program, it was going to be a late night getting the grading done.
Not that I’d been sleeping all that well since Kayla had started dating Luke. At least tonight I’d be up doing something productive instead of tossing and turning.
13
KAYLA
Idropped my bag by the front door and kicked off my shoes then moved out of the way as Austin came behind me. He set his own things down and gave a heavy sigh.
“What’s wrong?” I turned so I could study him. He looked tired. More tired than I’d seen him in a long time. How come I hadn’t noticed it at school? Probably the fluorescent lights. They made everyone look so awful, I was used to discounting it.
“I don’t know. Let me get started on dinner.” Austin headed toward the kitchen.
I followed, trying to figure out where to begin. Getting him to open up wasn’t hard. Not usually. It was a matter of nudging in just the right spot. “Can I help with the food?”
Austin was staring into the fridge. He closed the door and turned around. “Let’s just order in.”
“Okay.” I didn’t really want takeout, but I also wasn’t going to push for a homecooked meal when he was clearly grumpy. I could get a salad or something. “What are you in the mood for?”
“I don’t know. Do you have a preference?”
Ugh. I thought through the various options that wouldn’t have excessive delivery fees. “What about the deli?”
He wrinkled his nose.
“Or not.” I managed a tight smile. “Pizza? Chinese? Walk into town and see what strikes you?”
Austin pulled out a chair at the kitchen table and sat. His shoulders slumped. “I was really hoping it would be this amazing, perfect space. You know?”
I pulled out the chair opposite him. “I get that. But it wasn’t awful.”
“It was close.”
I snickered. He wasn’t wrong. The current owners were clearly moving because maintaining the building had gotten to be too hard, so they were just walking away. There wasa lotof work that needed to be done. “Look at it this way, you can get it exactly the way you want it.”
“Yeah, I guess.”
Everything about him looked so dejected that my heart broke a little bit. I stood up and went around the table so I could wrap him in a hug from behind. I rested my chin on his shoulder. “What are the options? You can buy this place and, worst case, knock down the buildings and start from the ground up. Or you can keep looking. What matters more? Move-in ready or location?”
Austin reached up, and his hand closed gently around my forearm. He twisted his head so our noses practically touched.
My gaze locked with his and for a moment, time stood still.
“Hey guys, what are we having…oops. Sorry.” Megan made a show of stomping out into the hallway.
I straightened and cleared my throat. I looked around the kitchen. Anything was better than risking making eye contact with Austin again. Not after that. Whatever that was. Should I make up some excuse and leave?
