Page 80 of Loving Lies (Granton University 3)

 

; She nodded. “I’ll be here.”

He nodded too, his eyes igniting with a joyous sparkle that warmed her. “Thanks. I…we both have some unresolved issues we need to clear up for each other.” Then he arched a look toward her best friend. “And for Bailey too, obviously.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

SHE WAS WAITING FOR HIM when he clocked off. Jonah caught his breath as soon as he saw her leaning against the far wall of the alley behind the diner, as if she hadn’t left since he’d last seen her, though she and Bailey had gone back inside after their alley scene to finish their meal.

Stray pieces of red hair, glinting crimson in the waning sunlight, fluttered across her face. She looked picturesque and breathtaking.

“Did you drive?” She pushed away from the building to move toward him.

Every muscle in his body pulled taut with anticipation as he nodded. “Yeah. My truck’s just around the block.”

She reached for his hand. “Good. You’ll have to give me a lift. I took the bus here.”

Their fingers interlaced, and he gaped at their connection in wonder. Aside from Tess, he couldn’t remember ever holding anyone’s hand. Not even his mother’s.

“Where do you want to go?”

Her answer was simple. “With you.”

It tore into him to know she wanted to be with him, really wanted to be with him. Made him feel like shit for how he’d let her leave the hospital without clearing the air between them and for not going back to her these past few months. He’d stayed away for her, to help her, but she’d looked so miserable in the diner today. And now…now she didn’t look miserable at all.

He’d messed up, big time. But he was going to fix this. Somehow.

“We can go back to my place. Aubrey shouldn’t be home until late.”

Color fled her cheeks and made the blue in her eyes stand out in stark color. “Aubrey?” she croaked as if the name physically hurt her to say aloud.

He paused. “Yeah. Did I not mention him in the letter?”

“Him?”

He smiled. “Definitely a him.” Kissing her temple, he tugged her along. “He was the reason Sean finally decided to come out of the closet. He’d fallen in love, and Aubrey was…you know.”

When he lifted his eyebrows, clarity sparked in Tess’s eyes. “Oh. But, how did you two meet?”

“I went to Sean’s apartment when I was released from the hospital. It was the only place I could think to go.”

“Sure.” Tess stroked his arm in sympathy. “That makes sense. You’d want to say goodbye.”

Realizing he hadn’t yet shared any of his Sean story with her except through his letter, he gulped. “Well, when I got there, Aubrey was also there, and we sort of…”

“Connected,” she guessed softly.

“Yeah. Neither of us as has left since. So, we just sort of became roommates. He’s not like any person I thought I’d ever like, but he grows on you.”

With a knowing smile, she bumped her shoulder into his. “You like him.”

He shook his head but couldn’t hide his grin. “Don’t tell him that. He’ll want to hug or some kind of male bonding shit I’m not into.”

Her laugh was outright musical as it filled the evening air. Jonah covered her hand with his as they approached his truck. He unlocked and opened her door, holding her hand and helping her up until she was safely inside.

On the short drive, she told him about her classes and how many finals she had to take the next week. “And the week after that, Bailey and I will go home for summer break. But we decided to rent an apartment off campus next semester. I think I’ve had about as much dorm life as I can handle.”

Jonah glanced over, panic squeezing his lungs, as he pulled into his building’s parking lot. “So, you’ll be gone all summer?” He should rejoice that at least she was returning to Granton again in the fall. But thinking he might not see her for another few months was agony. These last few months had been bad enough.

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