Page 59 of The Even Odder Couple

“Ah.” I nod. “I get it. You’re just teasing.”

“Am I?” She chuckles, and it’s a musical sound. Better than the strum of Daniel’s guitar. Sure, I don’t love that I’m the one she’s laughing at. But at least my strange behavior didn’t throw her off tonight.

“I’m not that inflexible,” I say.

“Come on.” She cocks her head. “You won’t even leave a cereal bowl in the sink.” When I take too long a beat, she says, “Admit it. You want to scrub all of these sticks before we go to bed.”

My throat heats up. But I shouldn’t feel ashamed about being responsible. “Washing them wouldn’t be a terrible idea,” I say. “Dried marshmallow is horrible.”

She shakes her head, still chuckling. “Ah, Spencer. Never, never change.”

As she pushes the cart inside, pain and relief battle in my chest. I hate that Tess thinks of me this way—all uptight, her polar opposite—but this is just another timely reminder that we’re different.

For better or worse. And at least she’s acting normal, which means she didn’t clock any change in me tonight. Her not noticing is better than her reacting negatively to the shift in my feelings, right?

Yeah. Unless her feelings would’ve shifted positively.

Thatwould’ve been better.

Still, I bury the ache of being invisible to her. At least this is familiar territory, which makes it easier to focus on what’s good. Like calling off the bet. It was the right thing to do, especially since a part of me would’ve been in it for real now. Instead, I can put my head down and do my jobs. Save up money. Move on with my life. I’m plenty busy, anyway. There’s really no time for bets. Or relationships.

I square my shoulders and follow Tess across the dining hall, into the kitchen. She’s standing by the sink now, bent over the cart. She sets the brake, then turns on the faucet to fill the basin with water. When she sighs and swipes at her forehead, she might as well be tugging my heartstrings. I’m a guitar being strummed.

By Tess.

“You should go to bed,” I say. “We can let the sticks soak. I’ll take care of them in the morning.”

She straightens and turns toward me. Slowly. “Seriously? You mean it?”

I nod. I’m afraid if I speak, my voice will crack.

“You’re actually suggesting we leave these overnight?”

Another silent nod.

Tess throws her palms up like a prayer. “Thank you, thank you, thank you,” she gushes. “I’m so exhausted, I cannotwaitto hit my bunk. I’m going to sleep like a log tonight.”

“No problem.” My voice is steady. Apparently, Icanshove my feelings back down and be strong for Tess when I need to. “I’ll be up early,” I say. “I always am.”

She spins around to switch off the faucet, then turns back toward me. “You know what?” She takes a step closer. “That fortune cookie was right.”

My heart skips a beat. “Huh?”

“Ihavebeen looking for love in all the wrong places.”

“You have?” My heart skips two beats now.

“Uh huh.” She smiles, and my heart skips a whole string of beats. “As it turns out,” she says, “love is a cart full of s’mores sticks that someone else is willing to wash.” Her lip quirks. Another joke. Got it.

When my phone buzzes in my pocket, I’m too busy counting skipped heartbeats to check it.

“I really am grateful to you,” she says as she heads across the kitchen. She pauses at the swinging doors. “You coming?” she asks. “It’s dark out, and I’ve got the lantern.”

My phone buzzes again. “I’ll be right behind you.”

I pull my phone out to check the messages, and get a one-two punch knockout.

MILO: We took a vote, and you’re outnumbered. We’ll arrange a kidnapping if we have to.

BRO:A deal’s a deal, dude. No backing out. Quit, and I’ll tell Tess.

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