Chapter 5
Chapter five
Jay
My back hurts. Mostly because I’m waking up on an old sofa bed that has springs. I’m used to pillowy foam, and that’s not what this is. I’m crumbling already.
She blinks at me, then yawns, voice still sleep-rough. “You’re up early.”
“Couldn’t sleep in. That couch tried to murder me.” Standing with a stretch that clicks something somewhere, we walk into the kitchen together.
She bites back a smile, arms crossing over her chest. “You didn’t have to take it, you know.”
I shoot her a look over my shoulder as I grab two mugs. “We’re not starting this again.”
She holds up her hands, surrendering. “Fine. I just hope you’re not expecting sympathy every morning.”
“I’ll be fine.” I also hope that we find the right bed for her today and their delivery is fast.
I hold up the mugs. “Do you drink coffee?”
She wrinkles her nose a little. “Usually I’m a peach tea girl. Actually, decaf peach tea, because, yeah, I need to cut back. But coffee is good until I go shopping.”
“Decaf coffee it is, then,” I say, clearing my throat as I make us both a drink.
Her fingers brush mine when she takes the mug, but it’s enough to send a jolt straight through me.
Too early for that kind of contact. I clear my throat and shake off whatever that was and pass the milk and sugar over in case she wants them.
“So, where are you dragging me to look for this bed?”
She yawns, covering her mouth. “I was looking online last night, and there’s a couple places downtown, figured we could check them out. One has a discount deal going.”
“What time do they open?” I ask, pushing my glasses up my nose.
“Nine-thirty.”
I check my watch. “We’ve got about an hour, then. Do you want to shower first?”
She nods, adding two scoops of sugar to her mug, which makes my teeth ache. “I won’t be long. Then once we’re home, I’m going to Daphne’s for brunch. I need to snuggle that beautiful baby girl of theirs. Then I have a date later.”
“You work fast, haven’t you only been in town for like five seconds?” I say, sipping my coffee.
“I downloaded an app last night when I couldn’t sleep.”
I don’t know why I’m shocked. Liv has never been the girl to wait until things come to her. Everything I know about her tells me she’s impulse-driven. Good for her for making shit happen. “Well, make sure you give Rosie an extra squeeze from me.”
She grins into her mug. “I will. You should come, you know. Since they’re your best friends, too.”
I glance at her. “You want to spend that much time with me?” The question slips out before I can think about what that could mean. “I mean, I figured you’d want to bitch about me to Daphne.”
“What do I have to bitch about? The fact that you cook, or that you gave up your bed for me?” Her laugh is soft but brittle.
“Come on, Jay. You’ve been incredible, way better than any of my ex-boyfriends, let alone friends.
You’ve treated me better than I deserve.
” The moment the words leave her lips, panic makes her eyes widen slightly, and my head tilts at that comment.
It’s only a flicker of something she covers almost instantly, but I catch it anyway.
The tiny wince, the way her eyes drop to her cup like she wishes she could rewind the last three seconds.
Better than she deserves? What happened to her to make her believe that?
“Bad relationship history?” I ask, careful, not prying, but giving her room.
She snorts, though the sound is empty. “You could say that.” She leans against the counter, one hip cocked, sipping her coffee. “But that’s in the past, I don’t want to think about it. I’m on the up, great new roomie, fresh start, dating, life is going to be great.”
I watch her a moment longer, that flinch still lodged in my mind. Daphne gave me the neat version of why she transferred, but if that response is linked to the reason, then this doesn’t look neat. It looks messier. Messy enough that maybe it’s not my business—at least not yet.
I have to forcibly tell myself not to ask again because the handful of times I’ve met her, she carries an unmistakable confidence.
She’s the one who people turn to look at when she walks into a room.
But right now, her words are contradicting what she’s showing me, and that brightness seems to be missing, and I want to figure out why.
It’s no secret that when my friends and I were all in college together, I was the fixer of the group, the reliable one.
The calm-in-the-storm type. That’s exactly why I’m sleeping on my own damn couch right now.
Because Daphne knew I’d say yes, and she trusted me not to mess this up.
And I won’t.
But there’s a girl in my apartment who I’m pretty sure has a broken heart, and I want to help her fix it.
Not in a “get under someone new” kind of way.
Liv’s a knockout, there’s no denying it, but that’s not what she needs from me.
I can tell. Having grown up with three older sisters, seeing their breakups firsthand, you notice these kinds of things.
But still, I’d love to understand what kind of person could make someone like her look so damn tired underneath all that confidence she wears like armor.
Whoever it is, I’m positive he never deserved her anyway.