Page 24 of She Likes It, Hey Micah
His eyes go wide when he sees me, and he legitimately drops his knitting needles as if he’s so shocked to see me that he can’t contain his surprise. “You’re home,” he says at the same time he checks the watch he wears on his ankle. Yep, he wears a watch on his leg. “Either my watch died, or you’re home before eight for the first time in…ever.”
I sink onto the couch because my room feels too far away. “Grant had a thing tonight. Didn’t need me.” Have I told Kale about Grant? Probably not, but he doesn’t look confused by my statement. I nod toward his knitting project. “How long have you been working on that?”
He glances at the partway-made jacket, though he still seems overwhelmingly unnerved by my presence. “Started it around three.”
It’s not even six yet, and though I don’t know a lot about knitting, I know it takes time. “That’s…impressive.”
Stretching out his legs, Kale folds his arms. “What happened?”
“What?”
He waves a hand over me. “You’re always pretty blocked, but this is almost as bad as when I first met you. What went wrong with your day and how are you going to move past it?”
I regret stopping to chat, but I’m too tired to move now. “Nothing,” I say, which is true. But since Kale is still looking at me like he’s waiting for an answer, I add, “I got trapped in the past, is all. I’ll be fine.”
Whether that’s actually true, only time will tell, but I’m going to need something to distract me tonight so I don’t get stuck thinking about Miranda.
Just as Kale is about to say something, my phone buzzes, and I’ve never been more excited to check a text. Maybe my roommate would have some good advice, but more likely he wants to tell me to align my chakras or something else I don’t understand.
My heart rate picks up speed when I see that it’s Micah who texted me, even if that means this distraction comes in the form of work.
Micah Taylor: Would you rather have the power to fly or the power to teleport?
Okay, maybe not work-related. Does she not have a date to entertain tonight? From the sounds of things, she’s rarely without a guy taking her out.
I could easily ignore her and head to the gym or something, but instead my fingers type back a response.
Me: Teleport.
Micah Taylor: Seriously? You don’t want to fly?
Me: I could teleport short distances which would be the same as flying. But I could also teleport long distances and avoid being stuck in a car with your questions.
Micah Taylor: Fair point, Mr. Price.
Me: Fischer.
Micah Taylor: Would you rather tell me why you don’t like your last name or tell me why you don’t like being touched?
An almost laugh escapes out of me, even though I should be terrified that she’s more observant than I gave her credit for. It’s not like I’ve hidden my dislike of either of those things, but neither have I stated it directly. Do I want to answer either question? Not really. And if she continues on like she did earlier today, I won’t have to.
But I do anyway.
Me: Price isn’t my last name, but it’s what I use professionally.
Micah Taylor: Thanks for telling me, Fischer.
“Okay, what’s happening here?”
I look up, realizing Kale has been watching me this whole time with wide eyes. I’m not entirely sure what his expression means, but he seems to think something is wrong with me. “What?”
He cocks his head to one side, reminding me of the way Micah looks at me when she’s trying to figure something out. “You’re breathing.”
“People tend to do that when they want to stay alive.”
“Ha!” He shakes his head. “You just said a joke. I didn’t think you knew what a joke was. No, I meant your energy started flowing as soon as you got that text. Who is she?”
Suddenly I want to protect Micah from Kale, like there would ever be a reason for the two of them to meet. Hiding my phone might be a little over the top, but I tuck it under my leg anyway. “Who says I was texting a girl?”
