Page 76 of The Enemy Face Off

"True."

"And maybe my hardly-ever-there neighbor might actually be, you know, there."

"We will definitely be home all summer."

I contain my smile. "That's…cool."

"How's the bookstore going? Did you manage to get that issue sorted out with the supplier?"

I shuffle in my seat. I'd forgotten I mentioned that in one of our texts. But that was, like, two weeks ago. "I'm surprised you remember that."

He snorts. "In addition to being able to read, I also have great comprehension and memory skills."

I grin. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that it was a minor detail I texted about weeks ago."

I quickly turn and see him shrug. "I remember everything you text."

"You…you do?"

"Of course."

"Really?'

"Yep."

"Everything?"

"Uh-huh."

"Prove it."

"Okay."

And then he does.

He literally starts reciting our exact message thread where I told him about the supply chain issues one of our smaller suppliers was having and how it meant we were woefully low on a number of children's titles. And he isn't paraphrasing, he's saying it back to me word for freaking word.

As he's talking, I flick my head several times to make sure he hasn't somehow taken out his cell phone and is secretly reading the texts. But nope. I can see both his hands, and he is recalling the messages verbatim.

When he finishes, I remark, "Why didn't you tell me you have a photographic memory?"

"What? And ruin the illusion that I'm a numbskulled hockey player? No, thanks."

My chest tightens uncomfortably.

He's not calling me out, but he very well could.

I completely underestimated his intelligence when I first met him. I prejudged him through the lens of a tired stereotype—the dumb jock athlete. And for months now, Milo has been revealing himself to be far more than I ever expected.

"Some music?" I suggest to quell the uneasy feeling gurgling in my chest.

"Sure." He answers slowly. "Are you okay? Did I say or do something wrong?"

"No. I'm the one who did. I…I'm sorry, Milo."

"Normally those three words are in the top five things I like hearing from you, right up there with 'You're the best, Milo' and 'You're always right, Milo,' but I don't like unwarranted apologies."

"Oh. It's warranted, all right. I jumped to all sorts of conclusions about you when we first met. It was wrong of me, and I'm sorry for that."

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