Page 21 of Counting the Stars

“Your secret is safe with me. But I’m not sure how wise I am.” Carter shakes his head. “I still can’t believe you convinced Travis to let you borrow Gus.”

We both turn our heads to the three-legged snoring lump of fur on our couch. Gabby asked me over for dinner tonight. I’m not sure why I’m surprised. All of us at 3rd East eat together frequently, but it seems like she asked me and no one else. When I found out I was the only one invited, I immediately called Travis and arranged to pick up Gus.

“Are you sure about this?” Carter asks as I stand up and stretch.

“Absolutely. Gabby will see that Travis has entrusted me with his precious furry family member. Which, in turn, will show that I am becoming a responsible adult.”

“Yeah, about that.” Carter winces. “I was pretty grumpy that day. I think I was wrong to add that to your plan. You do have the ability to take life seriously when you need to, and you are pretty responsible. Give me the list and I will cross that out.”

I stare at my roommate for a moment.

“You lost the list, didn’t you?” He pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I’m sure I’ll find it…eventually.”

“Well, I hope like hell that you do because if one of the girls finds it, they’ll know my handwriting and—”

“Chill, bro! No need to get all crazy on me. It’s around here somewhere. I just haven’t taken the time to look for it.” Carter can be a killjoy sometimes. And though I haven’t looked for it since he wrote it, I’m sure it’s around here somewhere.

“Well, when you find it, destroy it. You’re not going to follow it anyway. I’m not sure why we bothered.”

“Yes, sir!” I salute him as I turn to grab a gift bag off the counter. “What are your plans tonight?”

“I’m headed over to help my mom with some things around the house. Her oven is on the fritz and I’m hoping it’s something easy to fix. I just used the money from my emergency fund to buy my brother new glasses.”

“You really are one hell of a guy.” I look at my friend. He’s as loyal as they come. “Let me know if there’s anything I can help with.”

“Thanks, man.”

I whistle for my temporary pet, who is clearly annoyed I interrupted his nap. Eventually, he rolls off the couch and comes to my side.

“I have a feeling this isn’t going to end well.” Carter bends down and gives Gus a scratch behind the ears.

“It will be fine.” I open the door. “It’s just Gabby and me having dinner. What could go wrong?”

12

Gabby

Fumbling around the kitchen, I make sure everything is in place. I’m usually so confident with my cooking, but tonight is a little different. Michelle had a late-night study group, and I invited Alex to come over…alone. It’s not like we haven’t been alone before, but this time will be different. I decided I need to sit down with him and have a heart-to-heart conversation. I’ll tell him that I found his list and that a relationship with me is not going to work. I’m willing to still be his friend, and I’ll go with him as his plus-one to his parents’ anniversary dinner (after all, I agreed before I saw the list), but nothing can go further.

I also changed up a few things for our dinner tonight. If I’m going to let him down, I might as well make myself as unappealing as possible.

My nerves are at their wits’ end when a knock at the door makes me jump. “Come in!” I yell.

“Hello!” Alex appears in the doorway.

“Why did you knock? You know we have an open-door policy.” The only time we keep our doors locked is at night or when everyone is out. Carter and Alex do the same. Jax and Aly are a little more private, which is probably a good thing because no one wants to accidently walk in on them and see something they shouldn’t.

“I know, but things felt more formal for some reason. I felt like I should knock.” He strolls in holding a purple gift bag. Instead of his usual SBFD T-shirt, he’s wearing a baby blue polo that accentuates his eyes. It was the first thing I noticed about him when we met in the parking lot. His light blue eyes shone like a beacon through the darkness and rain surrounding us. I was so taken aback by his presence and the immediate sense of tranquility I felt standing next to a complete stranger, I could barely get any words out to speak. Thankfully, Alex never seems to be at a loss for words and did most of the talking that day. It was heartbreaking to learn that he was a firefighter. Even though I had just met him, I was already afraid to lose him.

As Alex walks farther into the condo, I notice a three-legged dog beside him.

“Is that…Gus?” I don’t know Travis too well, but I know he doesn’t leave home much without his dog.

“Yup!” Alex smiles. “Travis…uh…had something to do and asked me to watch him so he wouldn’t get lonely. Are you okay that I brought him along?”

“Of course! Gus is no trouble at all. I’m just surprised Travis left him with anyone.” I walk over to give the furry hound mix a scratch behind the ears. I’ve always had a soft spot for animals but never had a pet of my own.