Page 57 of The Love Playbook

“We’re just being polite,” Ellie insists.

Even Dani snorts at that one, burying her face in her phone again.

“What?” Ellie protests. “We’re pausing the show so we can welcome our guest. Isn’t that the polite thing to do?”

“Suuuure,” Dani mutters. “If you weren’t actually doing it so you can spy on what he and Autumn are doing.”

“We’re just organizing,” I insist.

Because we are. Wednesdays are for Jackson’s lessons. Today is him paying me back. “He’s the one who wants to help me out, and that’s how he can help me best.”

Piper hides a smirk behind her hand, and Ellie leans her chin on her hand propped on the arm of the couch, a goofy grin on her face. “Uh huh. You mentioned that. I just can’t quite believe you’re lettinganyoneorganize your stuff. Didn’t you once tell me that chaos is your preferred organizational method?”

“Are you really just gonna leave him waiting on the front porch?” Dani interjects.

“No.” I point at Ellie and Piper. “You two leave him alone. If you make him blush—”

Piper snorts. “What, like that’s hard?”

Ellie smacks her. “Be nice,” she hisses. “Otherwise he’ll never come back when we’re around.”

I ignore whatever Piper says in response and open the door, because Dani’s right. I don’t want to leave him waiting.

For some ridiculous reason, I’m nervous right now, my heart racing and my skin prickling with awareness as I pull the door open.

But as soon as I see Jackson’s genuine smile at the sight of me, all my nerves melt away.

“Hey,” he says, his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. A faded heather blue shirt stretches over his chest and across his shoulders, hanging loose around his waist.

“Hey,” I return, feeling more unkempt than usual in my knit lounge shorts and threadbare tank top, my hair piled on top of my head in a messy bun. We’re cleaning and organizing, right? I didn’t think I should dress up. Plus, this isn’t a date. It’s a return favor. And we’re not going to touch each other. At least not anymore than necessary when in a cramped space together organizing my belongings.

Bending, he picks up a stack of plastic totes I didn’t notice before. “I brought some supplies.”

“Oh, wow.” I blink a bunch of times, stepping back numbly and holding the door open for him. “You didn’t have to go to that much trouble.” I’ve priced those kinds of totes. They’re not cheap. And we’re all on poor college student budgets here.

He shrugs. “It’s no big deal, I promise. I’ve done some gigs moving furniture for Mrs. Kilpatrick recently.” His cheeks pink a little when he says that. Interesting. “So I had some extra cash. Plus, I got them on sale. How are we going to get you organized if we don’t have any kind of system?”

“Good point,” I murmur, at a loss for anything else to say.

Piper giggles, and I turn a confused look at her.

“Hey, Jackson,” Dani says as he comes in. At leastshe’sable to be normal about him being here. Because Piper and Ellie are staring at him like he’s some kind of zoo exhibit. Or like we’re putting on a dinner show, even though it’s only three in the afternoon.

“Hey, Dani,” he returns, glancing at Ellie and Piper in confusion when they continue staring avidly at us.

“Ignore them. They’re high.” I ignore their gasps.

Jackson nods in understanding, clearly unfazed by the idea of me having two high roommates in my living room. “That makes sense,” he murmurs as we head down the hall to my room.

Pushing the door open, I make a Vanna White gesture for some reason.

Jackson laughs and heads in, setting his tote full of smaller totes and who knows what on the bed. I linger in the doorway, watching him survey my room with his hands on his hips, his brows pinched together.

Seriously, how is it that no one has managed to claim this boy yet? He’s the sweetest guy I’ve ever met.

He claps his hands and rubs them together. “Alright. Let’s get started.” He picks up a small tote and holds it out to me. “First off, put all the things that you need to have out in this tote. Phone, charger, um …” He waves a hand around. “I dunno. Chapstick or something. Whatever you use every single day, preferably multiple times a day. Some things you use daily, but they can still be put away somewhere convenient. Like deodorant or makeup or”—he makes a circle around his head—“you know, hair stuff or whatever. You get it out, you use it, you put it back. And just by doing that your space will be neater.”

“Right, but toiletries all live in the bathroom.”

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