Page 88 of Tutored in Love

I turn to look at him—our faces too close for comfort, cinnamon in the air between us—and he tips his head down to indicate his waiting hand.

“I promise,” he says.

Chapter 46

Aftermath

It might have helped toknow she had a boyfriend, Noah texted, then punched his code into the keypad to the new apartment—new to him, that is. The door stayed firmly locked.

Ryan:She doesn’t.

Noah:Tell that to the guy holding her hand.

Ryan:Hand-holding isn’t definitive. Besides, she asked about you!

Noah:He also kissed her cheek. At the YCS social.

He punched in the code again, with the same result. Grumbling, he tried again. Apparently, the door’s keypad preferred a soft touch. This place was a big step up from his old one, though it wasn’t as nice as Matt’s.

“Hey.” Jake, his only roommate, looked up from the video game he was playing in the living room. “How was the social?”

It was a nice change to have a roommate who occasionally acknowledged the real world. “Not bad,” Noah hedged, focusing on how good the food—and company—had been before Alec had shown up.

“Nice.” Jake nodded, going back to his game.

“Oh, and someone told me to tell you hi,” Noah said, remembering the girl he’d met during cleanup. They’d covered the usual get-to-know-you questions, and she’d recognized his roommate’s name.

Jake pulled away again, curious. “Someone?”

“Yeah. Can’t remember her name. Reddish-brown hair, dark eyes, short, athletic.”

His eyebrows ticked up. “Melissa?”

“Yeah, that’s it.” Names were always hard for Noah, even when he wasn’t drowning in failure.

“Huh,” Jake said, his expression lighter. Several seconds ticked by before the sound of his game started back up, bringing a smile to Noah’s face as he went to his room. Maybe Jake’s luck would be better than his.

Having a private room was possibly the best thing about the new place. Noah closed his door and slumped onto the twin bed to take his shoes off. One more year, and then he would be able to afford a down payment on a place of his own. The first thing he’d buy after that would be a man-sized bed.

At least he wasn’t six-five.

Like Alec.

Alec, who had swooped in and taken Grace when Noah wasn’t looking.“A day late and a dollar short,”his mom would say. It felt like a personal insult.

Noah placed his shoes in the empty slot on his shoe rack, pulled out his phone, and flopped onto his back, checking to see if Ryan had replied.

He hadn’t.

It had felt so good to see Grace again, in spite of a twinge of guilt for surprising her the way he had. In Mexico they’d both been shocked. This time he’d deliberately inserted himself into her world, catching her at a disadvantage. He’d tried to let her know his intentions were good with a reassuring touch on her arm and by carrying the conversation while she recovered. It had helped, and she had gradually relaxed, the conversation flowing until the unwelcome interruption.

Noah’s phone buzzed twice in quick succession.

Ryan:What???

Sorry for delay. Escaped toddler interfering with baby feeding. But I asked Claire about Grace. She doesn’t know about any boyfriend.

Ryan:Don’t worry. I didn’t give you away.