Page 57 of Catching Feeling

I notice how her entire face has lit up at the mention of her book. I can tell how passionate she is just by talking about it. It sparks my curiosity, and I want to know more.

“My friends and I snuck out in high school and tried to get in, but the cops ran us off. Ever since then, I’ve been researching it, trying to find out anything I could about its history. It’s so eerie and creepy now. I love it. Anyway, it’s where one of the victims in my book dies, and so it’s a pretty important location.”

“You and your scary shit.” I shiver dramatically. No fucking thank you. Yes, I am a man who does not fuck with ghosts. “Can you contact the city to try and tour it? For, say… educational purposes? You’re an author.”

She shakes her head. “Aspiring author. And no, I tried over the summer, but the city never even responded. It’s closed to the public, so I’m sure that’s the reason they didn’t respond. But anyway, what about you? Aliens or ghosts?”

There’s a teasing smirk on her lips because she already knows the answer to that question.

“Uh, neither. Moving right along. What’s your favorite food? Besides SweeTarts. That’s an addiction.”

She laughs softly until her brows pull together, and sadness flickers across her face. “My dad… he used to make the best gumbo. It was my favorite. He used to spend hours in the kitchen when I was growing up, always cooking for me and mama. Our fridge was always overflowing with Tupperware. It used to drive my mom crazy.”

I reach out and pluck the bag from between her legs, then drag her into my lap. I can’t fucking take it, seeing the raw vulnerability, the haunting sadness in her eyes, and not touch her.

“He sounds like my kind of guy,” I say, tucking her hair behind her ear. “You know, you can always talk about him to me. Even if it makes you sad, Viv. It’s okay to be sad.”

The conversation has grown heavier, and I know that scares her. Anything below the surface makes her clam up and push me out, but I fucking care, and I need her to know that. Even if all she wants is to fuck me and nothing more, I still care.

I know she’s got Hallie, but I want to be there for her too. “Thank you.” She pauses and clears her throat, then crawls back over to her spot, avoiding my gaze entirely. “What about you? What’s your favorite food?”

I shrug. “Food. I’m not picky—I’ll eat just about anything. But if I had to choose a favorite, probably pizza from Jack’s or this little sushi place deep in Manhattan. They’ve got the best sashimi in the world. It’s me and my sister’s favorite. Last year, she and my mom had it flown in for my birthday because I couldn’t get there because of baseball.”

Viv scoffs. “Why am I not surprised? I can’t even imagine how much that must have cost.”

“I think it’s Rosie’s way of bridging the distance between us. It’s not about spending money but trying to do things that make us feel close together, even though we’re thousands of miles apart. She always has my favorite sports drinks sent over before a game, and sometimes she’ll just call to sit on FaceTime and watch a movie together. She’s always been on the sidelines rooting for me no matter what I do.”

“I think I’d like her,” Viv announces once I’m through talking.

“Yeah? She’s been asking non-fucking-stop to meet you on FaceTime.”

Her eyes widen. “Really? Why?”

Nodding, I roll my eyes. “Yeah, she’s convinced we’re in love and harboring a secret baby or some shit. I don’t know, she reads too many romance books and talks about tropes, which I do not understand in the slightest. She’s a menace to society.”

“A fellow book lover? Say less. Let’s call her. Right now.” Well, shit.

I expected Viv to feel, I don’t know… weird that my sister wanted to meet her since we’re, you know, strictly roommates, so I’m a little surprised that she’s being so agreeable.

“You sure?”

“Yes, duh. Call her, All-Star.”

I swipe my phone off the arm of the couch and unlock it. Rosie’s generally always the first person on my call log, so I quickly press her name and wait for her to answer.

A few seconds later, her face comes into view. She’s upside down, her hair hanging off what looks like the side of her bed, judging by the bright yellow comforter beneath her.

“Save me from this misery,” she bellows dramatically, and then realizes that I’m not alone. She flips back upright, and her eyes widen. “Wait. Please tell me that you are the mysterious Vivienne that my brother has been hiding.”

Viv laughs and nods, lifting her hand in a wave. “It is I. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you too. I feel like I already know you with how much my brother talks about you,” Rosie says, waggling her eyebrows.

And I’m going to kill her.

“I do… not… talk about you all the time,” I tell Viv before clearing my throat. “I mean, I’ve mentioned a few things to Rosie, but it’s not like I just sit around talking about you twenty-four seven or anything.”

I drag my eyes from Viv’s to Rosie and widen them slightly in a way that says, Please shut up before I throw myself off the roof.

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