“Not like ADD. Actual ADD. I’ve always struggled with my attention.”
“Oh, okay.”
“Yeah. So, school has always been a challenge for me. It took me a few years to garner the courage to start university. It’s part of the reason I’m late to the game. I feel like I might officially be the oldest freshman at Northern.”
Because he was a freshman and I was a sophomore, I sometimes forgot that Caleb—at twenty-two—was three years older than me.
I was sorry he struggled in school. It was hard for me to imagine because academics had always come so easy to me. I realized I was lucky.
I suggested something I hoped I wouldn’t regret. “Well, if you ever want to study together, let me know. I can quiz you or hold you accountable, make sure you’re not goofing off.”
Caleb’s face lit up as he rose to a sitting position. “You’re serious about that?”
Slightly unsure what I was getting myself into, I said, “I wouldn’t have offered if I wasn’t serious.”
“I know, but sometimes people offer things hoping the person won’t really take them up on it. Like when you see someone you haven’t seen in a while and say, ‘We should get together sometime.’ Half the time, you know that’s not going to happen, and you probably won’t ever see them again after you walk away. I’m the type of person that if you ask me over for dinner, I’m texting you immediately to set a date.”
“That’s a little annoying.” I laughed.
“It’s called follow-through. More people should follow through with things in life instead of just talking about them. If life were nothing but empty promises, where would any of us be?”
“Oh, that’s so deep,” I joked.
“It is.” He gave me a look. “So anyway, if you’re serious about studying together, I’m gonna take you up on it. I think just having someone physically there who’s also studying might help my wandering mind.”
“Yeah, sure. Why not? You know where to find me.”
“Down in your dungeon.” He winked as he placed his hand briefly on my arm.
That single touch sent an electric current through me. Holy crap, I needed to get laid.
I sighed. “Will you stop making my need for privacy sound like some horror movie?”
“You know I’m kidding, right? I just like to tease you, because every time I do, your face turns red. If you had no reaction, it wouldn’t be any fun, and I probably wouldn’t do it.”
“What brought you down to my dungeon tonight again?”
“I found out you’re a genius and had to let you know, remember?”
“Oh, that’s right. My little sister loves to talk, doesn’t she?”
“She’s a great kid. She means no harm.” He grinned. “She told me you took her out yesterday.”
“Yeah. We had a nice lunch at the Japanese restaurant.”
“It meant more to her than you realize.”
The fact that Caleb had lost his sister was still heavily on my mind. I wasn’t sure if I should ask him about it… I suppose he would’ve mentioned it if he wanted to discuss it.
I moved on to another subject. “How was the movie yesterday…with Veronica?”
He shrugged. “It was alright. It was Italian with subtitles. But Maura was right about that place. There were some dodgy characters in there, and that was on a Saturday afternoon with plenty of normal-looking people around.”
“Did you ever stop to consider that I might enjoy any potentially crazy people I find in the theater? Or that I might be one of them?”
“You bring up a good point.” He winked.
After a moment of awkward silence, I said, “So…you and Veronica… You’re dating…”
Thanks, Captain Obvious.
He hesitated. “Yeah. It’s new.”
A rush of jealousy hit me again. “She’s really pretty.”
“Yeah. Indeed, she is.” He smiled. “What about you? Are you seeing anyone?”
“No, not at the moment. My last relationship ended a couple of months ago.”
I’d dated a guy named Thad for a few months. While he was really sweet, I didn’t want to have sex with him, so I’d ended it.
“What happened?”
“I just didn’t see the point in continuing.”
He laughed. “I guess that can be reason enough. You weren’t that into him?”
“He was nice. We got along really well. But I wasn’t that attracted to him physically.”
He nodded. “Yeah. Physical attraction is important. People you get along with that you’re not physically attracted to are called friends.”
I chuckled. “That’s true.”
He clapped his hands together. “So when are we studying together?”
I guess he hasn’t forgotten.
“Whenever.”
“Alright. Eight tomorrow night after dinner sounds good to me, too.”
CHAPTER FOUR
* * *
CALEB
Shelley poked her head into my room Monday afternoon after I’d returned from class. I’d just started a set of arm reps when she interrupted me.
“Wanna see something funny, Caleb?”
I put down my weights. “What’s up?”
She pulled up something on her phone.
“What’s that?”
“It’s this karaoke app where people can sing and record songs. If they make it public, strangers can sing the same song and join their performance. Then the app puts it all together like a duet.”
I wiped my forehead with a towel. “That sounds wicked. You’re into that, huh?”
She shook her head. “No. But look who is.” Shelley giggled as she handed me the phone.
I hit play on the video. It took me a few seconds to realize I was watching…Teagan. Teagan singing! Teagan singing “Someone Like You” by Adele.
I was gobsmacked. Just when you think you have someone figured out… Her voice wasn’t perfect by any means, but putting herself out there like that was impressive. I made a mental note of her username: teagirl888.
“Thanks for sharing. Better not to tell her I know, though. Okay?”
My phone rang right then, interrupting the conversation.
“I better take this. It’s my mother.” I winked.
Shelley left the room to give me some privacy.
I answered the call. “Hey, Mum.”
“How’s my baby?”
“Good. Everything okay back home?” I opened a bag of Hot Cheetos. I’d been addicted to them since arriving here.
“Yes. I just wanted to check on you. I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“I know. I’m sorry. It’s been busy here. Managed to get a job, though.”
“Oh?”
“Yeah, I’ll be waiting tables at this pub down the street from school.”
“Very good. When does that start?”
“This weekend they train me. I’ll have shifts during the week as well.”
“That’s excellent. And are you still liking the house you’re living in?”