Page 174 of Meet Me at the Metro

“You don’t want her to leave,” Harvey finishes for me.

Evie frowns. “We don’t want her to leave either.”

“And you don’t think she’d be willing to stay?”

“I don’t know.” My head falls into my hands as I mull over our conversation a few nights ago. “She’s worried about being unable to afford living here past the year. She doesn’t think she’d be able to keep up with rent, but I told her she could stay with me.”

Evie’s entire body piques with elation. “You asked her to move in.”

“I mean, not exactly. I—”

“You asked her to move in! Oh my God, Theo!”

“He’s trying to steal our bloody roommate!” Harvey teases.

“You fucking snake!”

“Would you two calm down?”

I bite back my smile. The idea of her clothes being scattered along my flat andmybed suddenly becomingourbed made me obnoxiously giddy, but I refused to let them see that.

“She didn’t say yes yet.”

“Yet,”Evie emphasizes. “Keyword.”

“We’d have to figure out school. She’s worried that the university won’t accept her for another term.”

“I hardly think they’d be averse about it,” Harvey assures. “From what she’s shared with us, she’s doing great in her classes.”

“Besides, you’ve got connections, Theo. Your stepmum is literally the head advisor. That gives her an easy way to register for more classes.”

“Yeah, Evie, I know, but I’m not really in a position to sway Kim’s favors right now. I haven’t spoken to her since fall break.”

“Oh yeah,” she winces. “Forgot about that...”

“So go talk to her then,” Harvey suggests. “Smooth things over.”

I scoff. “How the fuck am I supposed I do that?”

“Apologizing?I mean, even if it’s not completely sincere, at least it’d give you a means to convince her to help Ellie stay anotherterm.”

Evie cocks a pierced brow my way, challenging me. “Stop being a taint.”

“The fuck did you just call me?”

“Ataint. The anatomical region between a man’s ballsack and anus. You’re being one, so stop.”

Harvey shakes his head disapprovingly, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Good God, Evie...”

“What?You sure as hell weren’t going to say it, so someone had to!” Harvey glares at her indignantly, and she tries to redeem herself. “All I’m saying is that if you want Ellie to stay so bad, you’ll push your pride and hard-headed ego to the side and find a way to help her.”

“You know what, you’re right,” I admit, pushing off my knees as I rise from my chair.

“Oh my God, please let me hear you say that again.”

“Fuck off.”

“Love it when you talk dirty to me.”

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