Page 11 of Built to Fall
“Do you want to go lie down?” Eden asks, glancing back at the clock on the stove. “It’s a little early for bed, but hey, no judgment.”
Lina shakes her head, standing from the bar stool as she runs both hands down her face. “No. I want to eat dinner.” She turns to look at Eden. “You ordered it, didn’t you?”
“Yup! It should be here any minute,” Eden says.
“Thank God.” She falls backward on the couch, looking relieved.
I toss the last of the glass from the pan into the trash can. Right as I feel myself move to turn back toward Lina, to catch another glimpse of her, I feel Braxton’s hand come down on my shoulder.
“You good?” he asks.
“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”
He gives me a look. The type that says,“Don’t play dumb with me.”
Before I can say anything about it or try to come up with an excuse for why I’ve been so fixated on Lina, there’s a knock that has Eden rushing toward the front door. “Food’s here!”
And I’m thankful as hell for the distraction.
Eden takes the bags of food over to the coffee table, and we all scatter ourselves between the couch, armchairs, and the floor surrounding the coffee table.
The girls’ apartment has an interesting layout because of the way it goes straight from the hallway to the kitchen and living room. There isn’t anywhere for a dining table to sit unless you count the island countertop. Whereas, Braxton’s and my apartment is one of the corner units, making it so that there’s a breakfast nook in the corner of the kitchen.
I slide into a spot on the rug, leaning against the couch in between Lina and Eden from where I sit on the floor.
Lina’s arm reaches over my head, grabbing one of the takeout boxes and pulling it onto her lap. She must notice the way my eyes follow her movement, because she looks toward where I am below her and asks, “Did you want some?” while pointing at her takeout box.
“No, no. It’s all yours.”
“Good, because I wasn’t going to share,” she replies, a hint of teasing in her tone.
For the next few minutes, takeout boxes are passed around the table while everyone takes a bit from each. The only person who kept one completely to themselves is Lina, and the only thing she’s eating is the sweet and sour chicken. That must be why Eden ordered two of them.
Meredith turns on the TV from where she’s sitting on the armrest of Braxton’s chair. His arm is around her, keeping hersteady. I notice how every time he goes to take a bite, he offers it to her first.
Lina stands and heads for the kitchen. When she returns, she has a plastic water bottle in hand.
I only decide to say something to her when she goes to set the bottle on the coffee table, extending her arm out and making it so her face is level with mine.
“You okay now?” I ask her quietly.
She gives a half-smile. “I don’t like being surprised by my own reactions.”
“You were fine,” I tell her. “Better than most.” It’s not the full truth, but it’s what I think would make her feel better to hear.
“I broke a cup and forgot how to speak.”
Shrugging, I say, “So?”
She doesn’t reply, only leans back on the couch, her lips lifting in a small, closed-mouth smile. Even with how little I know her, it doesn’t seem real.
It’s not typical for me to linger this long, or to notice someone in the way I’ve noticed her, yet here I am, watching her, wondering what could be different about her.
CHAPTER THREE
LINA
Afew days after my less-than-ideal glass-dropping incident, I’m getting into the elevator of my apartment building after class when a familiar face joins me inside.
