The apartment is silent when I finally force myself to get out of bed. I heard Cory come in about an hour after me. Alone. But I expected that. She’s not one to sleep with a guy unless she really trusts him, and one night’s not enough to know that.
Considering she’s not normally such a night owl, I wonder if she’s sleeping or if she still got up bright and early to start her day.
Cory and I share a decent-sized apartment, compared to some student accommodations. It boasts a full-size kitchen, separate living area, and two bedrooms each with their own en suite. It’s rare to find something this big on our budget, so we were beyond excited when we secured this lease. The excitement was short-lived. Sure, the apartment itself is great. It’s a converted warehouse with oak floorboards, modern appliances, plush carpets in the bedrooms, and a red brick feature wall. But what we didn’t know was that the entire building next door was about to be renovated and would take years to complete. The noise alone is enough to annoy anyone in our building, but we have the bonus of a lovely view of the construction from every window. You win some, you lose some.
I drag myself to the kitchen in search of breakfast. When I’ve finished pouring my cereal and contemplating how to cope with no coffee, I hear the keys jingle in the lock.Guess that answers my question.
“Good morning,” Cory practically sings as she opens the front door and enters the kitchen, coffees in hand. “Or is it already afternoon? I don’t know. Anyway, here is your coffee.”
“God, I need that.” I greedily take the cup she holds out. “Thank you, angel woman.”
“You are welcome.” Cory smiles and waits patiently for me to take my first sip, knowing she’ll get more conversation from me once I’m caffeinated.
“Ah, that’s the stuff.” I exhale. “Now, I need all the details.”
“Oh Sum, he’s perfect. Charming, attentive, fun. And his eyes! Summer, have you seen them?”
“I have looked at him. Yes.”
“God, they are the most amazing hazel color and…” She sighs.
She’s right. He has nice eyes. That’s not a lie, but I haven’t really thought about them much. Instead, icy-blue ones flash through my mind.Dammit.
“I had the best night, and he wants to take me on a date,” Cory continues to gush.
“Ahh! I’m so excited for you. Where is he taking you?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Very romantic.”Or he has nothing planned. God, I’m cynical.
“I know.” She smiles giddily.
“If he was so perfect, tell me—did he bring you home?”
“Yes, Mom.” She rolls her eyes but smiles. “He even walked me to the door and kissed me good night.”
“Swoon,” I say and flutter my eyelashes.
“Shut up. Itwasswoon worthy,” she counters, clearly thinking I’m being sarcastic.
Maybe a small part of me is, but I’ve never had the feeling Cory has right now. That new romance, will-he-won’t-he, what’s going to happen, giddy feeling. I’ve known exactly what to expect from every guy I’ve been with. No questions, no exciting buildup, and definitely no feelings. In, out, and done.Ew, that wasn’t meant to sound so literal.But it’s the truth. So, while I don’t get it, I am extremely happy for my friend, the beautiful soul standing before me.
“I can’t wait to get to know him,” I say.
“I can’t wait for that too. We spoke about you.”
What?
“And Thomas.”
Shit.
“It seems they’re all pretty close to your brother. They think he’s a pretty good guy. And they know who you are. I’m sorry, Sum.”
I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at this information. Come to think about it, I don’t remember actually telling Dylan my name, and yet he knew it. Thomas probably had a “do not touch this girl” poster in the house somewhere. With my eyes focused on my coffee cup, it takes me a second to realize Cory’s are glassy.
“Oh, Cory. He’s allowed to be a good guy,” I say, truly meaning that. I actually never thought otherwise. My brother was one of the best people I knew when we were growing up. I’d always looked up to him. He’d been good to me. Until he wasn’t…