And if they don’t want to be touched, then respect that.
And if they don’t want to talk, then respect that too.
Because if there was one thing I learned, you should never assume a damn thing about a person unless you have literally walked a mile in their shoes.
Shaking my head, I grinned and then tossed him a knowing wink.
The big man jerked his chin up at me, took his notebook back, put it back in his pocket, and then walked out of my dorm.
My dad smiled at that, and then said, “Remember, only a phone call away. I can be here in four hours with traffic.”
I smirked right back, “So, in other words, you can be here in three and a half?”
He shrugged, “Probably three for you.”
I shook my head, “Got it, Dad. I love you.”
“Love you more than the wind on my face, Pumpkin,” and coming from a biker, that saying meant the world to me.
Once they all left, I stood in my dorm room and took in a deep breath.
I didn’t know how lucky I was that I had a single.
I didn’t have to worry about having a picky roommate.
I didn’t have to worry about someone disturbing my peace once I made it back to the dorm.
But… if I was being truthful, I kind of wanted a roommate.
See, I’m an only child.
And growing up in a biker clubhouse with a single dad and a bunch of single uncles and no other girls my age, well, it does something to you.
It shapes you.
It also makes you weary of people that only try to befriend you, just so they can get close to your family.
But I shook my head.
So totally not going there. not today.
I had orientation in the morning, and then the next day, my classes would be starting.
***
I rolled over in my bed, hit my alarm, took in a deep breath, and whispered, “I got this. I so got this.”
With those words, I got out of bed, made it, and then headed to my en-suite bathroom, and I knew my father had a hand in making that happen.
No way was his daughter going to use a co-ed shower.
I had just stepped out of the shower and then looked around my bathroom counter while asking no one in particular, “Where is it?”
So, what if I talked to myself?
Tell me of any woman who lives alone and doesn’t talk to themselves. Go ahead… I’ll wait.
And when I couldn’t find my soothing balm, I closed my eyes and remembered I forgot to pack the stuff. After classes, I was taking my happy butt to Target to stock up on it.