Page 134 of More To Us

"Then we'll get some. We could stand to clean up our diet a little."

He rolls his eyes. "I knew this was a bad idea. My kid brother moves in and now I've gotta change my diet and feed him."

Ivy laughs.

Nash hangs his arm off my shoulder. "You gonna miss living at home?"

"Maybe a little. It'll be strange not having anyone around. I'm not used to living alone."

Callie and Jen get that sad look again.

"We'll come over and visit," Callie says. She looks at Nash. "We could bring him dinner next week."

"Yeah, we'll plan on it," Nash says to her. "Maybe Tuesday since you don't have class."

"Does that work?" Callie asks me.

"Yeah, that's fine."

They're all feeling sorry for me, trying to fill my time now that I no longer have Kira. I was with her so much, it's going to feel strange having all this free time. I had it before I met her, but now I don't know what I did with it all. I watched TV and played my guitar, but was that it? It seems like I was always busy back then, so I somehow filled the time.

I think after a break-up like this, time seems to slow down. Last night and today seem to be taking forever, like each minute is an hour. It seems like I haven't seen Kira in weeks, yet it's only been a day, not even that.

"Ready for lunch?" Bryce asks me. "You get to pick the place since this is kind of a celebration. We'll even go to one of your health food places."

"Let's just go to the sports bar down the street," I say.

My dad walks in, holding a big canvas bag. He hands it to me and smiles. "A housewarming gift."

"What is it?"

Jen laughs. "It's a laundry bag."

"Oh. Thanks." I set it down.

"You can do your laundry at home," my dad says, "but you'll need something to carry it there."

"You don't let the rest of us do laundry there," Jake says.

"I do laundry there sometimes," Bryce says.

"You do?" Jake looks at my dad. "What the hell? Why don't I get to do laundry there?"

"You never asked," my dad says.

"You said when we move out, we're on our own."

"I never said that meant you couldn't use the washing machine." He smiles at Jake, who just shakes his head. Dad always gives Jake a hard time. It's their thing.

"Let's go to lunch," my dad says, motioning us all to the door.

After we eat, everyone goes their separate ways and I go back to my apartment. It sounds weird just to think that. My apartment. I finally have an apartment. I can finally have girls over, but I still only want one.

For weeks, I've been looking forward to having Kira stay with me my first night here. I was going to get us some dinner, then we'd snuggle on the couch and watch a movie, and then she'd stay overnight. She'd be the first girl in my bed.

When I lived at home, I used to try to sneak girls in my room but my dad always caught me so I was never able to do anything more than kiss a girl on my bed. That used to really piss me off. I know it was my dad's house, but shit, I'm 21 and can't have a girl over? But then I met Kira and was happy I hadn't been with other girls in my bed, because it meant Kira would be the first. But now she won't be.

Why did she have to do this? Why couldn't she just be honest with me? If she had, we'd be together right now, like we should be. But instead, we're apart. And I miss her.

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