Page 76 of Wanted You More

It’s better this way.

It’s better this way.

What a fucking liar.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

My roommate isin love. The sappy kind that makes me angry to be around her for too long. I don’t like feeling that way because I’m happy for her and Lincoln. They’ve been joined at the hip ever since Halloween and aren’t shy with their PDA.

It makes me grateful that Thanksgiving break separates me from them for a few days. I never thought I’d be so excited to be back in my old room, with a bed that’s actually comfortable and space that’s solely mine.

I notice the wrinkles in my bedding and narrow in on what looks like Cheeto dust staining a little section of the comforter.

Ignoring the weekender bag still packed with clothes, I walk to Wolfe’s room and lean against the open doorjamb. “You’ve been sleeping in my room,” I accuse, smiling when he looks up from his handheld game with a guilty expression on his face.

“Your bed is more comfortable.”

My lips twitch in knowing amusement. “I think you missed me.”

He snorts, dropping his game and sliding off the bed. “And I think you’re full of yourself. How could I miss you when you’ve only been gone a couple of months? I’ve seen you, like, three times since you moved to college.”

Yet, it doesn’t seem like he minds. “I guess you don’t want to go into town to get something from Queenie’s then.”

His eyes brighten. “I’ll grab my sweatshirt. Don’t leave without me.”

I smile when I turn toward the stairs, jogging down them and sliding into a pair of boots. Dad is in the kitchen making himself a cup of tea when I poke my head in. “Wolfe and I are going into town. Want to come with us?”

When he picked me up from school, he’d been excited to have family time. But since I’ve gotten back, we’ve only had one or two interactions. One was at dinner, and one this morning when I was pouring myself cereal for breakfast while he made coffee.

He asked how I slept. I said good.

He asked how school was. I said fine.

I asked how work has been. He said it was busy but good.

I asked how he was doing. He said he missed me but was fine.

Now, he tosses the tea bag into the trash and picks the mug up. “Thanks for thinking of me, kiddo, but I’ve already got plans. You two go have fun.”

Plans? “Are you meeting up with Aunt Mae? I know she’s been trying to get you to see her new condo for a while.”

Aunt Mae bought something closer to us to spend more time with family. Apparently, living in Florida year-round isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Although, she’s already texted me a million times complaining about the cold weather, so I’m sure she’ll be flying down south again in no time.

Dad chooses not to look me in the eye, which tells me it’s not Mae he’s seeing. “I’m meeting up with some people from work that I met. Nothing exciting. I’ve been trying to take your advice and get out a little more, and the people in my department have been very welcoming.”

I’m tempted to ask if one of the people he’ll be meeting up with is a girl, but I’m not sure I want to know the answer to that. That’s his business for now.

“I’m happy for you,” is what I tell him instead, getting him to finally look at me.

We share a smile.

When Wolfe comes down the stairs, I turn to see what he’s wearing and laugh. “Yeah. You totally missed me.”

He tugs on the black Chamberlin hoodie I bought him from the campus store. “What? It’s warm.”

Even Dad shakes his head, knowing it’s more than that, but he doesn’t call Wolfe out on the bullshit he’s spewing.

I tug my little brother under my arm as we walk toward the front door and ruffle his hair to mess up the hair he’s let grow out. “You need a haircut, loser.”

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