Page 131 of Love Not Qualified

“One week.” He nodded.

FIFTY-ONE

TRISTAN

After we finished arranging her clothes in the closet next to mine—the space was still half empty and I decided I had to take her shopping one of these days—she went to take a shower.

I could see she was nervous about this. Not only about moving in together but about facing Ryker tonight. He was going to come home in a few minutes from school and even if I assured her I told him about it this morning, she still looked as if she saw a ghost.

“Weren’t you supposed to go to that football game with him tonight?” she shouted from the shower, and I moved to the door to hear her better. I could barely see her through the steam, but she still looked gorgeous.

How the hell did she manage to breathe in that hotness was beyond me.

I leaned on the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest. This felt good and I was about to see her like this every day. To have her next to me when I woke up, to have breakfast with her, to take showers with her.

“No, it’s tomorrow. You can come if you’d like,” I suggested.

“No. You should do this alone. I don’t want him to think that now that I’m here he won’t get you to himself anymore. Maybe another time.”

I nodded, then heard a door clicking shut.

Her head snapped to me. “He’s here?”

“Yes.”

“Then what are you waiting for? Go keep him company while I hurry out of the shower,” she pushed, her hands starting to move at a high speed. I walked inside the bathroom, sliding the glass door open.

Her eyes popped out at the same time her nipples perked. “What are you doing?”

“I’m not going until I get my kiss.” I rose a brow.

She rolled her eyes, then placed a peck on my lips. “Go.” She shooed me, but I saw the smile on her face as I walked away and closed the door behind me.

When I walked downstairs, Ryker was at the fridge, grabbing a snack.

“Hi,” I told him. “How was school?”

He shrugged, placing his elbows on the island in the middle. “Like school.”

“You’ll be done with it before you know it,” I told him and clapped a hand on his back.

Ryker ate his sandwich, then cleaned his hands of the crumbs. I could see he was ready to leave and go upstairs, so I stopped him.

“Can I ask you for a favor?”

“Shoot.”

“I want you to meet Haelyn before you go to your room, but I won’t force you to if doing it is something you won’t like.”

He looked from one side to another, barely squinting at me. “She seems important.”

I nodded. “She is.”

Footsteps approached us and to my surprise, Ryker didn’t look like he had any intention to move. At that, I couldn’t help but let a smile form on my lips.

He and I were doing better.

Haelyn walked down the steps in a pair of grey sweats and a black crop-top, her curly hair still wet from the shower she just took. I knew she wanted to look as presentable as always, but didn’t have time to dry her hair.

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