Page 43 of Mr. Swoony

“Of course, that’s what good friends do for one another. They vouch for the other.” He widens his eyes, obviously calling me out for how I acted toward him when Kyleigh told me she loved him.

“You’re an adult, and I can’t stop whatever is going to happen, but we thought last year was our year. We’re only getting older…” Henry says.

We all look at Tweetie.

He raises his hands, flipping us off. “Fuck you all.”

I raise my hand. “Don’t worry. I got this handled.”

“You better.”

I let the topic go because I can tell Henry whatever I want, but it will be my actions that speak the loudest.

And I sure as shit don’t want to tell him I’m a tad worried myself. I really hope Eloise doesn’t wear skimpy pajamas or anything like that.

Thankfully, we hitched a ride back to the condo with Tweetie, Kyleigh, and Rowan. Coming back to the apartment alone with Eloise could have been hella awkward if we both just sat there in silence, digesting the arrangement we both just agreed to.

“If my brother’s being an idiot, I’m just upstairs,” Kyleigh says as Rowan tugs her toward their condo.

“Can you play darts?” Tweetie asks Eloise, walking backward up the stairs.

She shakes her head. “Afraid not.”

“That’s one thing you guys have in common then.” He laughs and jogs up the stairs to his condo.

“Jade said you weren’t very good at darts,” Eloise says to me.

I key in the passcode for my lock. “I can hold my own. She and Henry are on another level.”

Unlocking the door, I push it open for her to go first and grab the small bag to bring in for her. She walks in and looks around.

“This is very masculine,” she says and twirls around, holding her hands in the air. “No judgment though.”

I take her bag to the bedroom that will be hers. “You can judge. I’m a bachelor. This is your room. You have your own bathroom as well.”

“So, I don’t really have to see you, huh?” She joins me in the bedroom.

“Very boyish because this was Bodhi’s room.”

She spins in a circle, taking in what will be her space. “Would you be upset if I painted?”

I chuckle and put her bag on the bed. “It’s yours to do what you want with.”

She unzips her bag, and I head over to the door.

“Should we go over the bills now?” she asks.

“No. Get settled. If you need anything, let me know. I’ll be around.”

She stops taking clothes from the bag but digs into a pocket and unfolds a piece of paper. “I guess I don’t need to hide this from you.”

After walking over to the corkboard Henry didn’t take with him, she pins it there. I push off the doorframe and walk over to read the list.

“I thought you were crossing them off?” I ask, seeing stargazing still on there.

“Oh yeah.”

I leave the room and return with a pen, which I hand to her.

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