Page 49 of Not in My Book

“But you’re going home for winter break, right?”

I felt my cheeks tint slightly. “Money’s a little tight … It’s the only reason I took a shift tonight. I have to save up to pay rent and buy groceries, and once I have enough for rent, I have to save to pay off school. By then, there’s nothing left for a plane ticket. And even if I could swing the cost, I can’t afford to miss out on a week of pay.”

Aiden nodded in understanding.

“I’ve been doing everything I can to make it possible to be home for Christmas … but I think in the back of my mind, I know it’s a lost cause.” A lump suddenly formed in my throat. I hadn’t admitted that out loud yet and doing so made it feel all the more real. I loved being home, but I loved being home for Christmas even more. My mom spent hours decorating our house, carefully placing our homemade ornaments on the tree. Christmas by myself last year had felt so pitiful in comparison. Tennessee and New York were nearly complete opposites, but somehow I longed for both. A tear fell, and I quickly swiped it away.

“Hey,” Aiden said softly. He grabbed my elbow and took the mostly eaten ice cream cone from my hand. “It’s okay. You’ll go home soon.”

“God, I’m sorry.” I sniffled, swiping away a rogue tear. “I shouldn’t be crying in front of you.”

He made a face at that. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

I sniffled and wiped the tears that were quickly falling. “I don’t know. We get close, but not close enough to get burned, right?”

He looked away, a tight grip still on my elbow, clearly lost in his thoughts. A part of me that I hadn’t known existed was dying to be in there with him, even for just a brief moment. Finally, he turned back to me. “I think if Max and Hunter can call a truce, so can we,” he said softly. “So long as you promise to stop bouncing the workshop table with your leg.”

I laughed through my tears. “I don’t know, that’s a pretty big ask. I like messing with you too much.” He didn’t respond, but I had a hunch he felt the same way. The best part of my day was fighting with him. “I think we can call a truce, too.”

“I’m sorry about not being able to go home, Rosie. I know that’s tough.” His hand slipped down to mine, his thumb rubbing slowly over my wrist.

“I’ll be okay,” I said. “I’m sorry, I don’t even know what came over me. I prided myself on not crying over this …”

“Hey,” he stopped me, just as soft. I looked up—this wasn’t the man who sat across from me every day in class. He was the man consoling me under a streetlight on an empty block, shielding me from the world with his broad shoulders like he could protect me from it. Like he wanted to. “You’re allowed to be sad. You’re allowed to miss the people you’ve spent your whole life with. You’re allowed to miss the people who were good to you, Rosie.”

“Thank you,” I said, holding his gaze. Neither of us spoke. I was pinned beneath those green eyes until I couldn’t bear it and looked away. He unwrapped the napkin from my cone and handed it to me to wipe my nose.

“C’mon.” He nodded toward the street. “Let’s get you home.”

Each of her fingers tapped across her cheek as her chin rested in her hand. I tried not to let my eyes linger too long on her face. On the beauty mark beneath her eye or the way her lashes swept across her cheek when she blinked. I looked away reluctantly when she caught me studying her.

“You know,” she said. “We should’ve done this friends thing a long time ago. It’s not as bad I thought it would be.”

“Even when you’re complimenting me, you’re insulting me.”

“Oh please, you like it better that way.”

The truth was I liked her no matter what she did, no matter what she said.

I grinned. “I really do.”

—Excerpt fromUntitledby Rosie Maxwell and Aiden Huntington

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

“Wait so you two arefriendsnow?” Logan’s brow was furrowed. “I thought you two would be more likely to duel at dawn or something.”

“We came close last semester,” I admitted, then looked at Tyler. “Remember the em dash debate?”

We were sitting in the corner booth at Peculiar Pub. When I’d told them what happened over the weekend, Jess declared an emergency meeting after class on Monday.

“That was horrible,” Tyler groaned. “I swear sometimes you two just fight to hear yourselves talk.”

“Hey!” I said defensively. “It’s not my fault Aiden prefers commas.”

“I can’t listen to this again,” Tyler muttered. “Anyone want another round?”

Tyler slid out of the booth when we nodded and made his way toward the bar.

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