I shut the water off and grab the towel so I can dry off while my roommate is primping, wrapping the towel around my torso once I’m dry-ish.
Step out and smile at Lilly in the mirror as I pass her, leaving her to the counter so I can put my pajamas on.
Leggings?
No, too tight.
Sweatpants?
Perfect.
I yank a pair out of my dresser. They have bleach stains, but they’re my favorite and have been saved from the several times my mother has attempted to toss them in the garbage.
My phone pings as I’m sliding them up my hips.
There are 24 new messages, except…
Except my phone isn’t mine.
This one is huge. Newer.
It’s a black device I don’t recognize, with a wallpaper I did not choose, no case, no pop socket.
What the heck?
Whose…
I swipe on the screen and open the green message icon, staring down and reading the list of names in the contacts.
Ashley
Kaylee Rugby House
Mum
Caroline The Old Battle Ex
Oh god. This isn’t my phone; it’s Jack’s, and the last message he received is from…
Me?
It’s my number but clearly not one of his added contacts; still, he’s sent me a text to his phone.
Jack: Seems we mixed up our mobiles when we pulled my books out of your bag.
Me: How did your cell get in my bag to begin with?
Jack: I put it there when I was pulling things out so it wouldn’t get wet on the ground.
Does that make sense?
Kind of but not really. In any case, we have one another’s phones.
Me: Wait. How did you get my number?
Jack: Easy, I snuck a peek when Kaylee was in the loo.
Having a go in the loo? Does he mean in the bathroom?
Regardless…
Me: Shoot, we’ll have to swap them back.
Jack: Right. What are you doing right now?
Me: I just got out of the shower! I am not traipsing around at eleven o’clock at night for a phone. I think we can manage until tomorrow?
Jack: You just got out of the shower? You work fast—I’m still sodding wet.
Me: It felt amazing—you should get on that so you don’t get sick.
Jack: I’m not going to get sick because I’m in wet clothes.
Me: Suit yourself.
Jack: Fine, I’ll take a hot shower.
Me: LOL wow, you’re way too easy to convince.
Jack: I’ve loads of free time.
I begin towel-drying my hair and catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror; there’s a smile on my face that wasn’t there before. Setting Jack’s phone on the bathroom counter, I continue with my nightly routine, brushing my teeth and putting on moisturizer before returning to my bedroom to sleep.
His phone pings several more times. One message is from him, to me, and another is from my roommate to Jack.
I’m not quite sure what to do.
Me: I’m not prying, but you’ve gotten tons of new messages. My roommate has sent you about 9? Did you want me to reply, or… I know that’s forward, but she’s going to go crazy if she doesn’t hear back from you.
Jack: I’ll handle it tomorrow, don’t worry about it. But thanks for asking. Anyone else?
Me: Um, your brother?
Jack: What did he say?
I screenshot the messages and hit SEND.
Jack: LOL can you tell him I don’t have my phone—explain a bit, perhaps, and tell him I’ll shoot him a message tomorrow.
Me: Will do.
Jack: I already sent your roommate dick pics of my wanker. Hope you don’t mind.
Me: YOU DID NOT!!!
Jack: ’Course not, but can you imagine?
Me: I would actually kill you.
Jack: Ah, the petty threats.
Me: So you just want me to reply to your brother and that’s it?
Jack: Yes, please. Won’t do for him to think I’m dead over here. The chap worries about me.
I love that. Love hearing about his family, actually, something he hasn’t told me much about. I’m dying to know more, but I would never ask over text message—that seems tacky for some reason.
Me: Have you taken that shower yet?
Jack: You know I haven’t.
Jack: Oh, fun fact: I have a Darth Vader shower curtain.
Now he’s speaking my language!
Me: Ugh, you’re lucky—I share a bathroom and ours is pink.
Jack: I know, I saw it.
Me: When?
Jack: Took a tour last time I was there.
Ah.
There’s a tiny flutter in my stomach, a feeling I can’t put my finger on that feels something like…jealousy? Although I can’t fathom a single reason I would be jealous—Jack and I are newfound friends, not in a relationship. In fact, he’s more involved with Kaylee at this point than he is with me, so it doesn’t surprise me that she would give him a tour of our house.
After all, she won’t admit it, but she is trying to get him in bed…
I refuse to acknowledge his last text because honestly, I have no idea how to reply to it without sounding bitter.
Jack: Your room has lots of pink in it, too.
Me: How would you know?