Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 72060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72060 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 360(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
On that note, I head up to our room at the end of the hall, which has a tad more space than the dorms.
“Hey! Welcome.” Milo is folding laundry as I enter. “I know our room isn’t much to look at—”
“Are you kidding me? Compared to the dorm, this place is lit.”
Milo grins as I set the box on the bed alongside random stuff from living with Austin for almost two years. My clothes and books are stacked in other boxes in the corner of the room.
“That dresser is yours, as well as the right side of the closet.”
“Awesome.” I start unloading my jeans and tees, realizing I accidentally took one of Austin’s hoodies. I lift it to my nose for no good reason, then quickly lower it in case Milo sees me looking like some sort of creeper—or like I lost my best friend. But it has the desired effect because there it is, that apricot scent from Austin’s hair and clothes.
“The laundry room is downstairs,” Milo says, probably thinking I’m giving my clothes the sniff test.
“Cool, thanks.”
The winter semester starts in a few days, so there’s plenty of time to get myself organized. I’ll show Austin that I can make it on my own. Generally speaking, he’s kept me on track with my schedule. The fact that I now know how to use a calendar with alerts is all due to him getting tired of reminding me about stuff I’ve signed up for because I’ve spread myself too thin.
So essentially, I’m the yin to his yang. I get him out, and he keeps me orderly. It may prove harder to do not living together, but we’ll make it work.
“It’s okay to say no to things,” he’d said, staring at my full calendar.
“Where’s the fun in that?” I’d lobbed back.
Though Austin does have a point. He’s way more deliberate than me and only accepts invites for events he thinks he’ll enjoy. Or, let’s be honest, if I twist his arm just enough. How else is he supposed to meet his dream guy from those romance books?
Scarred by bad experiences on apps, he’s deleted all of them. The last guy kept comparing their bodies and tried convincing him to join him for workout sessions. It was an offhanded way of calling him out of shape, and though Austin fully admits he’s not fit, he hates when people boil you down to size and appearance. He doesn’t work out or shy away from junk food, and I love that about him.
But the experience that haunts Austin the most is when someone he was into called him a prude and ghosted him. I think his lack of experience is endearing and representative of who he is, but he’d roll his eyes if he heard me say that.
He’s the whole package, and there’s a guy out there who will appreciate him someday.
Once I put my clothes away, I arrange some picture frames on the dresser.
“That your mom?” Milo asks, motioning to the photo of me with my mom at my high school graduation.
“Yeah.” Mom loves it most when we’re mistaken for siblings, not only because we look alike but because Mom had me when she was only eighteen. I glance at the frame on his bedside table. “Yours too?”
“Uh-huh.” He stands and stretches, his gaze catching on the other photo I set out. “Your boyfriend?”
I have no idea why my face heats. Austin and I have refereed these sorts of questions for years. “Nah, my best friend. Lives on campus.”
“Oh, yeah, maybe I do recognize him.”
I don’t see how he wouldn’t, especially since Austin works at the coffee cart stationed in the center of campus. He’s taller than me, with wide shoulders, so he stands out. Plus, Austin has the best hair. It’s thick and wavy and a distinct copper color I’ve rarely seen. It matches the freckles on his nose, shoulders, and arms, but he hates it when you point them out. Add in his striking blue eyes, and guys should be fawning over him. But he’s very good at blending into the background and making himself seem small—or maybe invisible.
I smile. “He’ll probably be around sometimes. Hope that’s okay.”
“Totally fine.” He tilts his chin toward the wall beside my bed. “At least you two won’t be banging the headboard like Craig and his girlfriend.”
“Thanks for the heads-up.” Okay, maybe that is more like the dorm. Some nights, Austin and I would lie awake, laughing and making fun of some of the sex noises we’d hear from other rooms.
Milo slips into his sneakers near the door. “Wanna head downstairs for lunch? Most of us still use the dining hall on campus, but sometimes we go in on stuff. Today, it’s a sub tray. Sodas too.”
“Sounds good.”
I follow him out the door and down the stairs to the dining table, where the others are already gathered. I feel momentarily self-conscious, which would surprise Austin. I’m outgoing but not always as confident as I seem.