Page 98 of Roommating

I chew on my cuticle. “I think you’re giving me too much credit. Your grandson likes me, but asking him to quit yet another job and move back here for me seems like a bridge too far.” My stomach knots at the thought of being that vulnerable with Adam. “Wouldn’t I also be enabling his quitting habit?” Even through my protests, my mind is whirring. What if I’d asked him to stay that night in my bedroom when he said goodbye? I hadn’t been brave enough, but would it have made a difference?

Marcia doesn’t bat an eyelash before responding. “There’s a difference between runningawayfrom something and runningtowardsomething… orsomeoneelse. And he’d be moving back for both of us.” Her expression turns serious. “If things continue to progress with Sharon, we might move in together at some point.”

My eyes widen. “Wow! I’m so happy for you guys!” After everything I went through to secure my place here, I might have to get back on the roommate app anyway, but I can’t think of a better reason. No matter what happens, Marcia will always be my friend and,fine, my surrogate grandma, and that’s all that really matters.

She pats my hand. “Don’t start packing your things yet. I’m not kicking you out, but perhaps keep your mind open about your nextmove. Three might be a crowd, but maybe it’s you and Adam who are meant to live together without me.”

Chapter Forty-One

Itake a step back and study my “book it to the beach” display in progress. I’m happy with it, except the left side is too blue. I pluck a book with a yellow cover from the top shelf and reposition it to the middle to break up the color scheme.

There’s a difference between runningawayfrom something and runningtowardsomething… or someone else.

I love you, Marcia, but STFU!

Since last night at dinner, I can’t get those words out of my head or stop thinking about Adam. Am I giving up on him… onustoo easily by assuming that his moving to Philadelphia means we can’t be together? He had his reasons for going. But his deal with Jeffrey didn’t change things, and like Marcia said, he held up his end of the bargain. He can come home now… to Marcia and to me. Or he can stay in Philadelphia, and we can try a long-distance relationship. I tap my lips. Would I even want that? Long distance ishard.

“Sabrina!”

I jolt and turn to face Gabe, whose expression is a cross between amused and pissed off. “You scared me. What’s up?”

“I should ask you the same question. I called your name twice.”

I clench my teeth. “Sorry. I was focusing on my work and didn’t hear you.”

Gabe runs his dark eyes up and down the four-sided woodendisplay in the center of the floor and presses his lips together. “Focusing, you say?” He turns back to me and raises an eyebrow. “Tell me, Sabrina… which book on here does not belong on a ‘beach’ display?”

Starting from the top shelf, I read the book titles out loud. “The Five-Star Weekend,One Summer in Savannah,Summer Romance,Snow Road Station… Oh! Oops.” I smile wryly and remove that last one from the second shelf from the bottom. “Good catch.”

Gabe does a circle of my face with his eyes. “What’s with you today?”

I frown. “Nothing. It was an accident.”

“Was directing a patron to the employee bathroom earlier an accident too? And what was with sitting on my chair before? I was in it!” He waggles his eyebrows. “Are you trying to tell me something? Do you havefeelingsfor me?”

I roll my lips. “You wish. I don’t havefeelingsfor you. This is about Adam.”

“Of course it is. Spill.” He glances around the room, still crowded with patrons who lingered after the 11:45 knitting and crocheting club meeting. “Just make it fast and do it quietly.”

In a low voice, I summarize everything that happened with Adam, concluding with my conversation with Marcia the night before. “She seems to think Adam would be happier here and that I could convince him to move back. What do you think?”

Gabe sets his elbow on the edge of a shelf and presses a hand to his ear. “Damn. I don’t know. Do you want to show your cards like that?”

I scratch my head. “Not really, but if Marcia’s right, the only thing standing between me and Adam is me. If he still lived here, I could torture him with my cleavage until he begged for it, but with him all the way in Philly, it’s either the direct route or accept that it’sover. I can’t really afford to play it cool.” I’ve never had to put myself out there for a guy before. I’ve always known where I stood. Adam wrote that his feelings were real, but never expressed any desire to resume things, which means it’s up to me to start the conversation.

Gabe stares at me blankly.

“Well? What do you think?”

He shakes his head. “Sorry. I was stuck on the ‘torture him with my cleavage’ part.”

I nudge him.

He throws his hands up in surrender with a cheek-splitting smile. “You walked right into it!”

I glare at him.

His expression softens. “You should go for it. What have you got to lose?”

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