Page 107 of Tutored in Love
I tune back into Jamie, scolding myself for drifting. It’s hard to stay mentally present when a roommate is rambling.
“This would have been a great way to see where it’s going,” she says. “Especially after he rescued me last week at the activity. What do you think? Is missing the trip going to hurt my chances with him? Do you think he’s interested?”
Rescued? I sift through impressions as Jamie flops onto my bed, playing with the quilt ties. Personally, I wouldn’t call stabilizing pizza boxes a “rescue,” but if that’s how she wants to see it, I’m not going to argue. Chris definitely paid Jamie a lot of attention at the activity—she told me how much he was pressuring her to come on the trip and give mountain biking a try. And I noticed he made a point of talking to her at church today. Maybe heisinterested. I hate giving relationship advice. I pull a therapist move and throw the question to her.
“Doyouthink he’s interested?”
Her cheeks flush, and she smiles. “Maybe? Ithinkso. I mean, I felt like he was pretty disappointed yesterday when we talked about me having to work. But you know him better than I do.”
“Huh? I only met him a couple of months ago.”
Jamie’s smile scrunches into confusion. “But I thought—”
“I didn’t meet him until I moved in here. In fact, I think it was you who introduced us my first week at church, remember?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Chris,” I say, my heart sinking. “Did I miss something?”
“Not Chris!” Jamie laughs. “I’m talking about Noah!”
Noah.
She’s been talking about Noah the whole time.
I should have known.
I probablydidknow.The hug.Of course she’s talking about Noah.
I think I might be sick.
I can only hope Alec’s interruption to announce that the car is ready covers my confusion and embarrassment and failure to speak after Jamie’s revelation. I collect myself enough to rush a forced cheerful goodbye and hurry Alec to the car so I can make my escape.
I’m thankful, for a change, that Alec prefers loud music while he’s driving. An hour into the drive, my head is still spinning from the conversation with Jamie.
How can I be such a jerk? Jamie has been nothing but kind to me, and although some of her roommate quirks are making me crazy—like her insistence that all the spices, including mine, be arranged alphabetically together—she’s a sweetheart. What right do I have to be annoyed that she’s crushing on a guy who wants nothing more than a casual friendship with me, who has seen me at my worst, most shallow, and most inconsiderate? Especially when—hello!—I’m in a relationship! I should be happy that two good people are interested in each other.
Alec cuts the volume in half and reaches for my hand with a smile. “You okay?” His bright blue eyes show concern; his warm hand offers reassurance and comfort.
Happiness is a choice, right?
Time to choose.
The not-so-gentle reminder of a budding relationship between Noah and Jamie will be exactly the thing I need to help me focus on Alec.
So what if Ivy’s questions all made me think of Noah?
Alec is here, now, and as the saying goes, one bird in the hand...
Chapter 58
Seeing Stars
Noah stashed the last ofthe bags in the cargo area, checked the hitch and the bikes on the rack for the fifth time, and climbed into the driver’s seat.
“Everyone ready?” he asked.
“So ready,” Chris said from the front passenger seat. Jake and Melissa—the girl who’d asked Noah about Jake at the fall social—gave enthusiastic nods without pausing their conversation in the back.