Page 16 of Commit
“I’ve gotta go. I’ll leave my number on the counter with my card. Don’t forget to order food. I’ll see you guys tomorrow. Feel free to explore. Just stay out of my office.”
And just like that, he’s gone, leaving me feeling… hell, I don’t know what I’m supposed to be feeling. I’ve moved way past anxiety and straight into panic territory. Everything is changing too much and too fast.
“Well, he’s still as cuddly as a cactus,” Abbot deadpans, making me chuckle despite myself.
“Not sure you should let him hear you say that.”
He looks around the room thoughtfully. “I’ll admit, the room surprised me. It’s very you. I feel bad insisting you stay with me now.”
I walk over to the window, look out at the garden and a pond, and sigh. It’s peaceful here. For now, at least.
“A pretty room doesn’t mean it’s a safe room. I’ll stay with you, at least until we get a feel for what kind of man your dad is. There’s no point in taking unnecessary risks,” I say, turning to look at him.
“Smart and pretty. I knew there was a reason I loved you.”
I roll my eyes. “You love me because I know too much.” I give him my best evil laugh, which has him snorting.
“Please never do that again. I thought you were having a stroke or something.”
I glare at him and head for the door. “Let’s bring our stuff in and unpack. Then we can order some food and explore a little. I wouldn’t mind checking out the cherry blossom tree Hudson said is here.”
“I’m down with this plan. I’ll even let you choose what we eat as long as I get to pick the movie later.”
“Ugh, fine, but I make no promises about staying awake.”
He cocks his brow. “Out of the last five films we’ve tried to watch, you’ve seen the opening credits of three and the first half of the others.”
“I can’t help it if horror movies make me sleepy. It’s like listening to white noise. There’s just something soothing about the sound of a chainsaw.”
“You’re fucked up, Starling.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
I decide to take Hudson’s advice and use the pink and green room for reading and schoolwork because studying with Abbot would only result in me stabbing him in the eye with a pencil.
For as much as he plays up the stereotypical jock role at school, the man is fucking smart, and he knows it. It all comes easy to him, but I’m not as lucky. I have to work twice as hard to achieve half the success. And that’s okay. I never needed validation when it came to my studies. I’m an average student with average grades. I have no desire to become valedictorian, which is just as well because Abbot is a shoo-in for it.
I hang my clothes in the closet and put my underwear and pajamas away in the dresser. I don’t have much, but I make do.
“You ready to order yet?” Abbot pokes his head into the room.
“Yeah, I just want to put some sweats on and get comfortable first. You can order, though. I won’t be long.”
“Alright. What are we having then?”
“Pizza. I’ll have the usual.”
“Hawaiian with extra pepperoni,” he huffs. “Pineapple shouldn’t be on pizza.”
“Suck it up. I like it,” I reply. It’s a familiar argument between us. What can I say? I like the combination of sweet and savory.
“What do you want to drink?”
“I’ll have a Coke,” I call out after him as he leaves.
I slip out of my jeans and pull on a pair of sweatpants. They’re so old they have a hole in the left ass cheek and one in the right knee, and the material is worn thin in other places too. But they’re so comfortable that I refuse to get rid of them. I pull a baggy football sweatshirt that I stole from Abbot on over my T-shirt and pull on a pair of fluffy socks to keep my feet warm.
I fold my jeans and leave them on the end of the bed before heading off to find Abbot. I pause in the doorway and gaze around the room once more.