I felt like a trespasser, an unwanted boarder in his home. Every day I told myself to pack up what little I had and leave. But where would I go?
I wanted to ask Kara if she was willing to rent me a room in her apartment, but it seemed like an intrusion to even bring it up. I didn’t want to impose. I might spend almost every day with her, but we’d only known each other a few weeks.
If Caleb said or implied that he didn’t want me living at his place anymore, I would have left quickly. But he never did.
On rare occasions when I saw him at the apartment, he always gave me a polite nod. I always nodded back and walked away quickly before he could say anything. Not that he tried.
I just had to finish this semester, and then I’d leave his place. I would have enough saved up by then to rent a small apartment. I even got a side job checking test papers for Professor Phillips. Usually these kinds of jobs made me happy, since they meant extra cash, but this time it didn’t. Nothing did.
Caleb had pierced my bubble, and I was angry at him for it, but angrier at myself for allowing it. But if I was honest with myself, I knew that what was really bothering me most was that I missed him.
It was ridiculous. How could I miss someone I’d spent so little time with? How could someone I barely knew affect me this deeply? It was weak, and I couldn’t afford any weakness right now.
My mood became darker every day. Soon the only thing that cheered me up was the time I spent with Kara.
I was already at the office, folding invoices at my desk and meticulously placing them in envelopes to mail out, when the bell on the door jingled.
I looked up as Kara sashayed in, hips swaying, gold bracelets tinkling. It was Sunday, and I knew she’d attended Mass with her dad and Dylan. She always volunteered for cleanup right after, but her makeup was still perfect, and there wasn’t a wrinkle on her clothes. I felt underdressed in my shirt and jeans.
“How was church?” I asked.
“I’m still a sinner. Why do you think I go every Sunday?” She placed her purse on top of her desk. “What do you think of this top? Does it make my boobs pass for at least a B cup?”
“Yes, they look superb. What’s with you and your obsession with your boobs?”
She sighed dramatically. “Hey, hey, hey. Not all of us are blessed with huge, round tits like yours, so stop being a bitch about it.” She wagged her finger at me. “Mine are more like mosquito bites so I’ll talk about them all I want.”
She took a sip from her smoothie, shivering in disgust. “Ugh. I know this is healthy, but I swear the smoothie bar down the street doesn’t add anything besides roots and dirt. Is it supposed to taste like shit that has been sitting on the lawn for ten days?”
I winced when she took another sip. It looked very green. “Maybe you’ll start mooing in a minute,” I suggested.
Her eyes narrowed at me. “What’s up with you? You’ve been moping around like you’ve swallowed the wrong dick.”
I sighed again, opening and closing the cap on my coconut juice. When I looked up, Kara was eyeing my drink with undisguised longing.
“Know what?” Kara said. “I’ll trade you. Here.” She snatched my drink from my hand, replacing it with hers. “You need this. Since you look like you swallowed the wrong—”
I held up a hand. “Can we stop talking about body parts, please?”
“Well.” She took a sip from my drink. “What’s up?”
It had been a long time since I shared anything about myself. Forced to be an adult after my dad left us, I sometimes felt more like ninety than my actual twenty-one.
It felt weird to even consider confiding in someone, but I found myself telling Kara about Caleb.
“You’re staying at his place?” Her mouth hung open. “He’s gorgeous as hell, but he’s a horndog. You know that, right?”
Suddenly it was like my mouth couldn’t be stopped. Everything spilled. When I told her about the kiss, her eyes bugged out. I told her how determined I was to look for an apartment, a room, anything cheap to rent to get away from Caleb.
She shook her head. “Did you know he’s Cameron’s best friend?” She clucked her tongue, frowning at me. “Why didn’t you tell me about this before, you moron? You know you have to stay with me from now on, right?”
; Shocked, I could only stare at her. “What?” I managed.
“Well, why not?”
“You barely know me. I’ve only been working here a few weeks.”