Page 14 of You Were Mine

I shrug. “To be honest, I’m intimidated by the amount of paperwork I have to do. The thesis has all these strange, misleading deadlines, and I’m absolutely terrified I’m going to miss one and put my whole graduation in jeopardy.”

“Yeah, I’ve never liked paperwork, either. Fortunately, I have people who can do that for me,” Brandon replies.

Somehow, I don’t think I can just hire someone to file all my thesis paperwork, and really, even if I could, I wouldn’t trustanyonewith that.

“But you’ll get it,” Brandon says slyly, “As long as you remember to bring all your materials to your thesis defense.”

I sigh. I suppose Brandon forgetting my inability to remember my chemistry lab book was too much to ask. “You’re still going to hold that over me, huh?”

Brandon shrugs and winks. “Yep. That’s the kind of man I am.”

Chapter Six

Logan

The apartment looks like the Adams family moved in, and really, what more can I ask for? After I haul in the last ceramic skulls to place around the TV, I stand back and admire my handiwork. In hindsight, I really should have gone into interior design rather than painting. I’m really good at designing. Of course, I’m good at painting, too; that’s why I chose it. But there’s something really enjoyable about the packing and unpacking and the purchasing part of decorating that’s a bit lost with painting.

The other thing about decorating is that it’s a good distraction…usually. Today, however, it’s not working as well as it should. I keep going back to Mark’s coffee date. He may have insisted it wasn’t a real date, but it’s so obviously real. But I’ve analyzed all my feelings about it and decided not to tell Mark that it really bothers me.

First of all, Mark can date whomever he wants, so I should stay out of his love life. It’s not his fault that I couldn’t get up the courage to ask him out.

Two. Knowing that doesn’t help the fact that even as I stand and look at all my Halloween decorations, I’m thinking about how life just isn’t fair. I would be better for Mark than this Brandon guy, even though I don’t really know Brandon. Being jealous really sucks because you know it’s bad, but somehow, you just can’t help it. Jealousy is not a decision you make. You wake up with it, or unintentionally allow it in, no control.

I sigh and flop onto the couch, disturbing a flock of plasticMichael’sbags, purple tinsel, and foam pumpkins.

The door opens, and I bolt up. Mark pauses in the doorway and stares. “You boughtmore?” he asks, incredulous. “Is there anything left in the stores for the kids?”

Okay. Time to be a mature adult. Be friendly. You can do it.

“It’s not my fault everyone else was slacking off,” I reply, patting the space beside me. “Come! Join me in laying amidst my Halloween acquisitions; fruits of my labor!”

He crosses his arms. “You’re something else. You know that?” Mark asks.

“That’s why you love me,” I answer in a sing-song voice.

“Yeah, right.”

I feign a pout, and as usual, my charm and good looks have little effect. That might be part of why he’s so attractive. He’s one of the few people I know who doesn’t take my crap. At least, he’s one of the few who will call me out if I do something foolish or silly.

“Question, though,” Mark says. “Brandon invited me out on a date.”

“Of course, he did. The plebian swine.”I think to myself.

“Told you so,” I say.

“Yeah, yeah. I know. Anyway, it’s on Halloween, and I know we usually have plans...” he trails off.

I grab a ceramic skull and hold it in my hand. I’m fully prepared to launch into aHamlet-style monologue about how he’s abandoning me, but I look at him and the guilty expression on his face. Mark feels badly for asking. Probably because we always spend Halloween together. And then, I really can’t bring myself to be such a jerk. Even if I meant it was a joke, it would probably make him feel really awful, and I don’t want that. I really do care about him.

I shrug. “I think I’ll survive,” I say. “The last corn maze we went in, you nearly killed me.”

That’s only a bit of an exaggeration. A man with a chainsaw emerged from that corn maze, and Mark almost ran me over to escape. I didn’t know Mark could run that fast.

“That’s your fault. You told me it wasn’t haunted!”

I smirk. “You should have known better,” I reply. “So, where is Brandon taking you?”

“We’re going to the gala at the art museum,” he says.

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