Page 5 of Built to Fall
“Perfect!” Eden beams. “He can help hang this!”
Meredith feigns enthusiasm. “Yeah,youcan be the one to convince him of that.”
“Not like it would be hard,” Eden replies.
She’s got a point. Last week, Meredith texted him asking for a gallon of peanut butter half-baked ice cream on behalf of the four of us, and he did it with practically no questions asked. I’ve heard he has a twin sister, so it makes sense.
As if on cue, there’s a knock on the door, and I watch in amusement as Eden’s face lights up before she dashes to the door. Meredith looks like she considers rushing after her but lets out a hopeless sigh instead.
“Braxton! Just the person I was hoping for!” echoes through the entryway, and I look toward Meredith and laugh.
Whether she doesn’t want the painting hung because she doesn’t like it or because she wants Braxton to herself for the night, I have no idea. But even she quirks a small smile, not being able to deny how funny it is.
There’s a bit more chatter before the door shuts again and a blur of red hair comesskippingback into the living room.
“Where’s Braxton?” Meredith asks.
Eden smiles victoriously. “He’s going back to his apartment to grab some tools and to ask his roommate to come help him because I told him it wasreally heavy.”
“I’m not sure how heavy it will be for a two hundred pound man in comparison to you, but sure.”
“Wait.” Meredith pauses. “Did you say hisroommate?”
“Yeah. Grant,” Eden confirms. “Or maybe Cam… but I would assume Grant.”
It makes Meredith look over at me. “You’re going to die when you see him.” She says it as if it’s a simple fact.
“What?”
“Oh my gosh, you’re so right!” Eden squeals. “He’s exactly your type, Lina—tall, dark hair, kind of brooding. The exact kind of guys Gage wouldhatewhenever you would bring up your celebrity crushes.”
A chill runs up my spine at the mention of my ex-boyfriend. So much for hoping they would forget about him in the same way I’ve been trying to. Then again, they barely know anything that went down between Gage and me.
“Perfect,” I murmur under my breath.
“You won’t have to worry about him,” Meredith says, and if she didn’t sound so dry, it might be comforting. But I’ve learned over time that it’s her natural tone. “He’s a notorious playboy.”
“Yeah…” Eden trails off, clenching her teeth. “I wouldn’t get your hopes up.”
“Yes, because that was totally my plan,” I joke as I head toward the kitchen. “I was actually going to start preparing for my future husband to walk through the door.”
I reach up to grab a glass from the cabinet above the counter right as I hear the door to our apartment reopen, and then two male voices filter through the entryway.
As he comes down the hall, I hear Braxton. “Alright, let’s see this painting.”
Meredith is already glaring at him by the time he makes it into the living room. His eyes immediately flit toward her, andhis expression sours when he sees hers. “I’m sure it will only take us a few minutes,” he says, trying to assure her.
He approaches her, sets the toolbox he’s carrying on the coffee table, and reaches out to rest a hand on her shoulder. She nearly flinches.
Something about their relationship isweird. I cannot figure out what.
My attention is pulled from them right as he leans in to whisper something in her ear.
“Lina, this is Grant.”
I turn back toward the hallway that leads from the living room to the front door. Standing in the opening is exactly the type of guy Meredith and Eden described.
Well above six feet, messy dark brown hair, broad shoulders, and tanned skin. He even has a few tattoos on his hands and trailing up his wrist. I can’t see them entirely because of the long sleeve he’s wearing, but it’s enough to intrigue me.
