He glanced around behind me, his gaze sweeping over the floor. “Where’s your bag?”
I explained again, and the four of us walked across the sky bridge connecting to the parking garage, Liv and Ford hand in hand and me with half of a ridiculous bunch of balloons. Down below, people were running across the drop off area with umbrellas, or just going for it and avoiding puddles while dragging their bags behind them.
“Thanks for coming. I figured by the time I got here, you guys would be gone and I’d have to race back to the house to meet her.” LJ’s cheek-aching smile hadn’t let up since we’d left baggage claim.
“We’re glad you made it. Is there any helium left on the planet though?” Liv smirked and Ford swallowed a laugh behind the beard, his chest rumbling.
“How could I not welcome Marisa back properly? It’s been forever since I’ve seen her. I wanted her to know without a doubt how much she was missed.”
The leaping heart feelings had to stop or I’d trip over my own feet—although holding onto these balloons, I probably wouldn’t hit the ground.
We handed at least fifty balloons out to people waiting for their loved ones, but I still felt seconds from being lifted off my feet by the time we made it to the parking garage.
Shoving the balloons into the trunk, we slammed it against a popping that sounded like a small war taking place inside.
“How did you even get these here?” I slid into the passenger’s side seat.
LJ closed the door and ran around to his side. “Some in the trunk, I used trash bags to keep them anchored in the back of the car. Everyone at Party City hated me when I went before the doctor’s appointment.”
“I’m sure they did.”
He turned on the car and we pulled out of the parking garage into the steady downpour. The beads of rain drummed on the roof and streaked down the windshield.
Streaks of lightning crisscrossed the sky and claps of thunder rumbled in the distance, but inside the car there was nothing but sunshine.
“I tracked your flight, and I swear there were clear, bright skies up until fifteen minutes before you landed.”
“Looks like Philly is happy to have me back.”
“I know I am.” He reached over and patted my knee.
My heart leapt, centering everything on those five fingers wrapped around my leg. “You just need me to do your laundry don’t you.”
He let go making an exaggerated offended scoff. “All my laundry fits in the baskets in my closet.” The dropped ’s’ covered by a cough didn’t fool me.
“How many baskets did you buy? It’s a Jenga tower of dirty clothes, isn’t it?” I poked his shoulder. Laundry had always been my forte when it came to the home up-keep arts. Something about the fresh clean smell comforted me. Also because I used to run the washer and dryer when I was home alone growing up, so I didn’t hear every bump and creak.
LJ acted like his skin would burn off at the touch of a dryer sheet. For me, it was the thing that gave me comfort on cold, lonely nights.
“I might’ve picked up a couple extra from people who left them out on the curb after move out before the summer.”
“And here I thought you just missed my sparkling personality.” I tucked my hands under my chin.
“It’s been boring without you here being the eternal pain in my ass, and workouts were less entertaining.”
I laughed, forcing the air through my tight vocal chords. “Just getting you used to how things will go next year.”
He drummed his fingers along the steering wheel and pulled onto the highway. “If I get drafted.”
“Of course you will. You’ve been talking about this since we were seventeen. Don’t tell me you’re losing faith in the last quarter.”
The worry line around the faint scar from his eyebrow to his hairline crinkled.
“LJ, in the worst draft possible, you’ll go in the second round, maybe.” I leaned back and slid my feet out of my sneakers, propping them up on the dashboard.
“Yeah, you’re probably—” His eyes flicked to my feet and he swatted at them, while snapping his gaze back to the road. “Are you seriously putting your eight-hour plane feet all over my car?”
I clutched my sides, laughing and shifting my legs to evade his fingers.
At a light, he threw the car into park and mounted a tickle attack that left me in tears and out of breath. “I give. I give!” I shouted, scooting to the far edge of my seat with my back pressed against the door and my feet firmly on the floor.
“Did I say I missed you? I take it back.” He shifted back into drive and we drove the rest of the way while filling each other in on our summers. His worry line was gone.
By the time we made it through the city and back to campus, my eyelids were harder to keep open. The rain had let up, leaving only a spitting spray as we drove through the streets of off-campus housing.
I yawned as we pulled up to the front of The Brothel. “How can I be tired when I’ve been sitting on my ass for ten hours, if you include how early I had to get to the airport to check in?”
“Because you need to sleep in a bed, not propped up like a store mannequin with someone’s head reclined three inches in front of your face.”
LJ hopped out of the car and I grabbed my backpack from the back seat and opened my door.
Staring up at the house I’d stayed in for nearly a month last semester, I braced myself for what was to come. We were roommates now.
He stood at the bottom of the steps leading up to the gray and white porch.
The front door opened and Berk and Keyton burst past the door frame holding a cookie cake.
I grinned and laughed, walking up the porch steps past LJ, who stood leaning against the railing.
“You’re here!” Berk jumped up and down while Keyton tried to steady the chocolate chip cookie cake with chocolate writing so it didn’t splat onto the porch. He rushed toward me in full drama mode and wrapped his arms around me, spinning me in circles and nearly taking out Keyton, who balanced the cake in his hands.
“What the hell?” Keyton grumbled.
Berk set me down and ruffled my hair like I was a four-year-old.
I glowered and crossed my arms over my chest. “What the hell?”
“I’m just glad you’re here.” Berk jerked his thumb in LJ’s direction. “Maybe Mr. Mopey will lighten the hell up.”
“Fuck you.” LJ’s gaze narrowed at Berk before softening and turning to me. “He’s been a pain in the ass all summer. We’re happy you’re here.”
I fought against my yawn and kept my hands over my mouth. “Me too.”
“Let’s get you inside.” LJ slipped my backpack off my shoulder. “You can borrow some of my clothes until your suitcase gets here.” He pushed past Berk, who winked at me as I followed LJ into the house.
“Just like old times.” I trudged up the stairs behind him.
By the time I made it to the last step, LJ had disappeared into his room.
I walked down the hall to the second door, the one that shared a wall with him and had been Reece’s old room. On the bed were my favorite shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion.
My bag hit the floor with a thud.
Turning, I slammed straight into LJ’s chest, pinning his arms between us. “You got my stuff.”