Heartburn (Love By Design 3)

A couple regarded at me, the woman angry and the man smug. “Kids these days.” I blow them off and dragged Lia’s plate to my side eating bites of her untouched food. Guilt sits heavy in my stomach. My phone beeped.

Lia: I’m home now.

Whit: I’m sorry I snapped…

Lia: Have a good night.

Lia didn’t even get to enjoy her dinner and she had been looking forward to coming here. She was excited to me about her photography assignment and I ignored her. Clearly the jerk award goes to me. The waiter returned clearing the table. I ordered another dish of hers to go. If my girlfriend thinks this conversation is over, well, I’ll be groveling outside her apartment hoping I don’t need a boombox and some classic rock to get her attention.

I thought about what I expected from her during my three block walk. My jeep was parked nearby, but I don’t want to go home. I gazed up at her building and rang the buzzer.

“Go away, Whittaker. This isn’t giving me space.” Lia grumbled through the intercom.

“I ordered you a dinner to go.” I shake the bag like an idiot as if she can see it.

“I’m eating ramen noodles.” She snapped.

I basically spent a fortune on dinner and she’s eating from the college dollar menu. I’m an ass. “That doesn’t seem very nutritious.”

“Leave it on the stoop.”

I snorted, no freaking way. “But someone could steal it.”

“Who?” She grumbled.

“Alley cats?”

I heard the buzzer click and pushed the door open. I jogged up the two flights to get to her floor. The door was already open and she’s wearing my sweatshirt, tiny sleep shorts that I know barely cover her ass and have a tiny hole in the side seam. The knee high socks are a nice touch and make her look like she’s sixteen.

Her arms crossed as she leaned against the wall. “So now I have to worry about alley cats in my neighborhood.”

I hummed and peered out her window noting a commotion outside. “That and drunken frat boys.” I pointed to the guys walking and signing loudly, obviously on their way to a beer crawl.

“And weirdly protective boyfriends who need a hobby?”

I walked forward nudging her to the table where I put the hot food.

“I like to think I add something to the neighborhood.”

“Beside upping the average age of men around here?” She’s snarky, but I asked for that.

“Ouch, but I deserve that.”

“Sit. I’m hungry.” She moved to turn the stove off and dumped out the hot water boiling for noodles.

“Can we hash this out?” I asked uncertain if she was even willing to put up with my crap.

“I don’t know can we?” She opened the take out containers and I passed her a plate. It felt like an old married couple the way we worked in tandem together, or at least how I imagined them to be.

“I keep thinking that if you moved in with me this would solve all our problems.” I shoveled a bit of food in my mouth so I would shut up.

Lia put her fork down. “Oh Whit. No Whit, that’s not how this is going to go.”

I chewed my food slowly and then asked, “Why not?”

“Because I’m twenty. I need space. I need my own space.”

“I have an extra room in my house.” I said thinking how I could clean it out this coming weekend.