y! God!" Her cackle rang through the apartment as she swung the door open wider. "Ohhh, Nyell

oat. That sinking feeling slammed into me ag

his earbuds were gone now. Standing in the doorway

sweltering heat. My first instinct was to dive behind the nearest stack of boxes, but it was too late, his eyes had already flicked over, pausing

ehow, made

t it nearly knocked over the lamp, clutch

on the frame like she was auditioning for a rom-com. "You her

enched teeth, glaring at her,

food's here." H

ted across it. He extended the bag toward me with an unreadable expression. "The delivery

Controlled too, no fumbling like mine

bag from him like it was some kind of lifeline. "T

ugh to swallow the moon. "

in. If he noticed the blanket and the frantic

walking back down the hall without s

ward me like she was winding up for a performance. "Lloyd,"

o the blanket

man was a walki

stop t

swear, if I die of heatstroke, it won't be the

the blanket, glaring.

. "And you'

light up the whole room. The image of him, the casual confidence, and the wa

anket, wishing I coul

fee table. " The man could open jars for me any

ed with mortification, c

If I weren't already drowning in finals and didn't have an amazing b

lds of the blanket just

tered, though my voice was

lcome. Someone has to say what you'

otter, and I squee

irk. "Let me be real for a sec..." Her tone shifted into a serious one, enough to make me open my eyes.

out him, his detachment, and the way he barely acknowledged us

yourself tangled up with him, promise me you'll be car

diately regretted how defensive it sounded.

re. Keep telling

en us, and the smell of fried rice

pile of unopened boxes, chopsticks clicking as she hummed her approva

sauce from dripping on my only clean blanket.

he shot back, wavi

could catch it. For a few minutes, it felt like the heat, mess, and even t

cked like trophies, Mariah clapped

I muttered, pu

nd helped haul your ass up two f

ny times I wiped at it. Still, we pushed through, unpacking box after box, rea

d noise I didn't know I needed. Piece by piece, the apartment beg

tains, carrying with it the sound of distant traffic and the faint

making her look effortlessly put together. "Alright, my good deed is done for t

ar. For ev

ank me yet. Just remember what I said

ter the day's heat. The breeze carried a faint smell of fried food from somewhe

the battered little sedan she treated

if you start losing your

ured, pulling back

orial whisper, her breath tickling my ear. "Don't turn

ve in my

on the sidewalk with my heart battering itself against my ribs. I

, closed the door, and pr

he was leaning on the balcony railing, with an unread

thickened until I c

olt

e steps, nearly tripping over my own feet, fum

hut and pressed my back aga