Abel lifted his arm and looked at his watch. “It’s time for an omelet.”
I stood up and glared at him, my hands full of slut gear. “I have to go to class. We aren’t all pissing in the wind and hoping life works out.”
“Have you ever tried to piss in the wind, Kettle? People would pay good money—”
I put up my hands and shook my head. “What time is it?”
“Noon.”
“Are you fucking kidding me?” I grabbed a pair of his basketball shorts off his dresser and pulled them on. I hurried out of the bedroom with Abel laughing as he followed a few steps behind.
“You might as well take the day off,” he called after me, as I took off across the lawn to his car.
I jumped into the passenger seat and watched him as he strolled casually to the car, a shirt over his shoulder. He slid in and started the engine then flipped through the radio stations. He rolled down his window and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from the dash, popping one into his mouth and holding the pack out to me. I shook my head and watched as he patted his pockets for a lighter. “I think I left it in the house. Do you mind if I—”
“Ugh.” I leaned forward and pushed in the built‐in lighter.
“Very smart, Kettle. You don’t need college after all.” Abel put the car in drive and headed toward my place as I silently cursed him the entire trip.
The apartment was empty, because unlike me, Trish had made it to where she needed to be this morning. I took her clothes into my room and dropped them onto the dirty‐laundry pile to wash later. Abel stood in my bedroom, leaning against the doorframe.
“I’ll wash your clothes and get them back to you,” I told him.
“Don’t worry about it. If I ever need some, it’ll be nice to have them here.”
“I don’t even want to know the situation that would require you to need an extra set of clothes while you’re here.”
His eyebrow lifted as he looked me over, and I realized how stupid my statement was.
“Well, at least if I hurry, I can still make my last class.” I moved to walk out of the bedroom, but Abel didn’t step out of the way.
“I clothe you and give you shelter, and you refuse to feed me. What would Jesus do, Kettle?”
“You’re a bad influence.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“Fine. I’ll make you something to eat.”
He stepped out of my way, and I went to the kitchen to get started. I pulled open the fridge and dug around for the eggs but found an empty carton. “The eggs are gone. What else do you like?” I called out, as I looked over my shoulder.
Abel stood just outside my room with a small black dress dangling from his finger. “I like this.”
I walked over to him and snatched it from his hand. “Seriously. You need to learn boundaries.” I tossed it onto the pile of clean clothes I’d ripped out of my closet the night before when trying to find something suitable for clubbing.
“Says the girl who slept in my bed last night.”
“Do you want me to feed you or not?”
He nodded, and I walked back to the kitchen and resumed my place in front of the fridge as I searched for something that would take minimal effort to prepare. Abel groaned as he slid into the chair behind me. I pulled out the little bit of leftover spaghetti and held it up for his approval.
“Absolutely.” He smiled, carefree, as he laced his hands behind his head. I uncovered the bowl and popped it into the microwave, pressing my back against the counter and drumming my fingers at my sides as I waited.
“Why Trish?” he asked, and my fingers stilled.
“I should ask you the same,” I replied, but his gaze never wavered.
“She is who she is. No hidden agenda.”
The microwave dinged, and I turned to grab our food and a couple of forks. I took the seat next to Abel and held out a fork. He took it with a smile, and we both ate in silence.
“After college are you moving back to Mississippi?”
“I have no idea where I’ll be,” I said, because it was the truth. “Who knows what’ll happen tomorrow, let alone a few years from now?”
There was a bite left in the bowl, and he leaned back in his seat, letting me have it. Abel grabbed the bowl and took it to the sink to wash it out.
“So you and Trish are going out tonight?” I asked, and his hands were still for a moment before he rinsed out the bowl and placed it on a dishtowel on the counter.
“That’s the plan. You think you’ll need to be rescued again?”
“I’m staying in tonight. I can only take so much humiliation.” I pushed myself to my feet and headed into the bathroom to brush my teeth. Abel leaned against the doorframe as he watched me. I blinked as my reflection appeared to fade and blur before me. I rubbed the heel of my hand over my eye as I groaned.