"I should go home."
I nod.
"Uh-huh."
She blinks again and it's like she emerges from a spell (or a curse) and backs away from me and heads toward the door, keys jangling.
8
Freya
"So you ate macaroni and cheese with him?" Mia says, her eyebrows creasing with bewilderment.
"Um, yeah. I was really hungry!" That's my only reasonable excuse for what happened. Rhett was totally normal (or as normal as he can possibly be) at practice on Monday, and he hasn't said a word about when I came over. It's like it never happened. He also hasn't mentioned anything about being my friend, which is even more strange because he was so insistent about it last night.
"Was it good?" I nod. Jesus take the wheel, it was so good. I keep dreaming about it. I've also realized that I will definitely put up with Rhett if it means I get to eat that stuff again. I have no idea why it was so good, but damn. Best thing I've ever had in my mouth. Selfish? Probably. But it also doesn't hurt that he's nice to look at and makes me laugh. I could find a worse person to be friends with.
"You look like you're talking about sex right now, and it's freaking me out," Mia says, wrinkling her nose.
"Shut up, I am not talking about sex. Although, that mac and cheese was better than a lot of the sex I've had." My history is . . . boring. I've had a few boyfriends here and there, but nothing that stuck. No one that got me. May or may not have something to do with my trust issues.
Definitely may.
"Go out and get laid then. Or buy a vibrator." I've already done the second and it's working. Sort of. I just miss . . . I miss closeness. I miss breathing the same air as another person while lying in bed. I miss being able to turn to someone in the morning and share a smile. Not even the sex. That's what I miss.
"Whatever. How are you doing in the relationship department?" She bites her bottom lip and blushes.
"Oh my God, did you meet someone?" I squeal. "Tell me everything!" After being coy for a few minutes, she finally caves and tells me that she met a guy. He lives in the same building, and they started chatting during a two a.m. fire drill. Hashtag romance.
"Ugh, I'm all fluttery and gross, and I can't stand myself most of the time," she says with a moan, and I just laugh. Having a crush is the worst. Not that I would know anything about that currently . . .
I make Mia give me all the details of her new guy, whose name is Antonio. She refuses to tell me his last name so I can't stalk him on Facebook, but it's easy to go to her page and find the guy named Antonio that she recently friended. Ha. Now for the stalking to make sure he's not a terrible person. It's only right as Mia's best friend.
"But wait, what's going on with you and this Rhett guy?" Mia says. Ugh, I thought we had moved on from that topic.
"Nothing. That's what's going on. He's my stunt partner and we've eaten two meals together. That's it." And my loins burn for him. Just a little. Calm down, loins. Get your shit together.
"Uh-huh," she says and neither of us believe me.
"Shut uuuuup," I say, groaning and putting my face in my hands. "He's hot as fuck and there's nothing I can do about it. I thought that the longer I knew him, the less hot he'd get, but it's like he just keeps getting more and more attractive. I literally stand there and try to find faults and just end up listing his good qualities. I'm a mess." I groan and Mia cackles at my misfortune.
"So what's stopping you from taking things to the next level with him? I mean, if you're that attracted to him, don't you think that means something?" I know she's right, but I don't want her to be right.
"It means that I make terrible decisions, that's what it means." She raises an eyebrow at me.
"Look, I gotta go, but don't think that we're done talking about this." I get a glare and a finger pointed at me before she goes. Dammit, I miss her so much.
I shut my laptop and sigh. Mia has accepted my decision to move here, but she was so pissed at me at first. She gave me the silent treatment for two days, which she had never done before. It was a rough time, and I cried in the shower about it a lot, but she finally came around and supported me completely. She's the best best friend I could ask for.
I chew on my lip. The other night with Rhett still has me puzzled. He was so . . . casual. And a little more reserved. Instead of acting like a guy who was giving a performance, he seemed more like a regular person. Or as regular as he could get. He's still odd, but in an interesting way. I just don't get him, and I think that's part of his appeal. I keep telling myself that if I can figure out what's going on behind the curtain, then the desire for him will go away.