Page 11 of Lodged

“Oh, here we go,” Mama says, and Granny glowers at her. Miles can’t keep his face straight any longer. He bursts out laughing, but Granny is on a mission, so she plows through.

“That’s right, the New Love card came out for Ruin today when I was asking the angels about all of my grandchildren,” Granny says with a triumphant smile. “Really? And what about me?” Rain asks, ready to hear what Granny comes up with.

“Nothing, I fear. You have to actually go out and get a life so the angels can see something, my dear.” Miles starts laughing uncontrollably, bending over and gasping for air.

“Har har,” Rain says before smacking him on the head, which only makes him laugh harder.

“I think that’s enough for tonight. Why don’t we let Ruin rest? We have a big day at the farm tomorrow,” Mama says as she helps Granny off the couch. Rain starts whining, and I give her a side hug.

“Let’s go, Raindrop. We have to rest.” She hugs me back, and we make our way to our rooms, perfectly in sync, like always.

“G’night, Miles,” I say as we disappear down the corridor.

“Night, RaRu. Happy you’re home.”

Hearing that familiar nickname for me and my twin, settles any lingering nerves I had about the day. I’m home.

I wake up bright and early, and after putting on my work clothes, I grab a quick breakfast and head out to help on the farm. The Apple Festival is fast approaching, which means harvest season is upon us. We need to make sure the trees are healthy, andthe apples are happy and growing to avoid any surprises during harvest.

“Morning, Ruru. Ready to work?” River greets me as soon as I reach the barn.

“You know it.” I give him a little salute, and he chuckles.

“Good. Why don’t you come with me today and help me water the trees? It hasn’t rained in over a week.”

“Of course. Who’s on pruning duty today?” I ask, even though I already know the answer.

“Merlin and Miles,” River answers with a sigh, and I giggle.

“Do you trust them not to over prune the trees?” River gives me a pointed look.

“If they fuck up the trees, I’ll prune their balls.” I cackle at my brother’s response, and he laughs as he adjusts his hat.

“Okay, enough fun for today, Ruru. Let’s go get some work done.” I nod at River, and after hitching the water tank to his truck, we head to the furthest part of the orchard to start watering the trees.

As crazy as it sounds, I’ve missed all the hard work. It feels good to be back.

Chapter 7

Gio Bianchi

“Okay, class, remember, I’m available during office hours and by appointment. Don’t get a low grade in your lab reports just because you didn’t want to put in a little extra effort. Midterms are approaching fast,” I say, and I can feel the collective disappointment. I know this is a required class, but for the life of me, I cannot understand the lack of motivation some students have. I try to make it fun and interactive as much as the class material allows.

“I’ll be there tomorrow, Gio. I have so many questions,” Alyssa says in a playful tone as she waves on her way out. I give her a curt smile and quickly try to make eye contact with someone else—anyone but her. Her flirting is insane. I need to ask other TAs if they’ve had the same experience with her because it’s uncomfortable.

One by one, my students leave until there’s just one left. Her hair is a red braided mess, and I have the sudden urge to fix it for her—to take all the exhaustion from her body and melt it away. Somehow, her body language tells me she’s tired—her shoulders are slumped forward, her back hunched, and her movements slow as she finishes packing her belongings.

“Bye, Gio, have a good evening.” She’s holding her laptop to her chest, and I’m curious why she didn’t put it in her backpack. Does she have assignment overload?

“Bye, Ruin. I’ll see you around.” She smiles at me, and I swear her eyes light up. Damn. I need to remind myself I’m her instructor and nothing more—I shouldn’t be noticing if her eyes light up or not. Before I can think better of it, I hurriedly pack my stuff in my bag and rush to catch the elevator with her. We’re on the sixth floor, and although I usually take the stairs to get my steps in, I want to spend a few more minutes with her.

“Hold the elevator!” I shout as the doors began to close. I put my hand in between them just in time and they jerk back, allowing me inside. When my eyes meet hers, her pupils dilate, and a faint blush colors her cheeks.

“Oh, hi, Gio. Long time no see.” We smile at one another pleasantly. I don’t want to make her self-conscious, so I divert my gaze to the control panel.

“Any plans for dinner?” I settle on a light topic, hoping she’ll talk to me some more. I love her voice—it’s sweet and breathy.

“Not really. I still need to go to the grocery store, but I’ve been so busy since I got back. I haven’t had a chance to do muchother than study.” She starts playing with her hair, and for some reason, I think she’s uncomfortable. But why?

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