Page 79 of Off Limits

We bobbled the huge piece of furniture for a second, the entire thing swaying precariously until we got a solid grip on it again.

“Why did you stop?”

“Aren’t we putting it in your room?” He looked at the door, then back at me, a bewildered expression on his face.

“No, I got it for you.” My cheeks and neck flushed hot for some stupid reason.

“For me?” He blinked a few times, a mess of emotions crossing his features in rapid succession.

I nodded, hating how warm my face felt. “So you have somewhere to put your stuff.”

He smiled, his cheeks pinking the same shade as mine probably were. “Thanks.”

“It’s no problem.” I nodded to the den. “Should we?”

“Oh, right.” He huffed out a laugh. “Yeah.”

We carried the dresser into the den and paused. “Where do you want it?”

He glanced around the small space. “Maybe under the window?”

“Is that good?” I asked when the dresser was in place.

He nodded, a shy smile on his lips. “Yeah, it’s perfect.”

“I’ll keep an eye out for a bed or a cot or something that will fit in here. Sleeping on an inflatable mattress can’t be good for your back.”

“Probably not.” He shot me another of those shy smiles that shook something loose inside me. “But it can’t be any worse than the old futon I used to sleep on.”

“We’ll get you a proper bed.” I glanced around the small space.

Even with only the camping mattress, the second bedside table from my bedroom set, the dresser, and a bookshelf in the room, the space was cramped.

“Thanks.” He glanced at the bookshelf, then back at me. “For everything.”

I’d helped him move the shelf from my living room into the den last week when he brought his book collection home from wherever he’d stored it.

I knew how important his books were to him, and I didn’t like the idea of them sitting in boxes when I had a nearly empty shelf in the next room.

“I’m just glad it’s getting good use,” I said lamely, not sure what to do with the mess of emotions rushing through me.

“When do you have to leave for that party?”

I pulled my phone out of my pocket to check the time. “About an hour and a half, unfortunately.”

“How about you do whatever you need to do, and I’ll get dinner ready? Then you can relax until you have to leave.” he suggested.

“Yeah, okay.”

We stood there for a few beats smiling at each other before Asa looked away, breaking whatever spell had been cast over us.

The last thing I wanted was to go to this stupid party tonight, but maybe an hour or two away from the apartment would help me get my head in order and remember that Asa was my stepbrother and roommate and whatever happened at our parents’ was a mistake.

18

ASA

“Why do you look like that?”I flopped down on the couch next to Dex.

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