Instead, I thought about what it meant on a more practical level, now that Brooklyn was gone. I was going to have to run the Santa Hop—the annual toy drive—with Dave. This would normally make me a very happy person (because who didn’t love delivering toys to kids?) if I hadn’t poured my heart out to Dave by text message on the very day that Brooklyn and he started a thing. How was I supposed to know that while I was having second thoughts about our breakup, they were hooking up behind the Stop and Shop?
I’d quickly realized my second thoughts had more to do with panic over being alone at the holidays than wanting to actually be with him again, so when I saw how much my roommate wanted to be with him and knew that them being together made way more sense than Dave and me did, I bowed out, trying to be the good friend. To both of them.
But then I got to give him that guitar on his birthday and pretend the text thing had never happened.
Right. At least Brooklyn didn’t know about it.
So yeah, now I get to work with him again while he inevitably pines over Brooklyn leaving.
I yawned and stretched as I thought about the best way to handle that. Maybe I could only talk to him by e-mail and text between now and then. Which seemed pretty childish and unrealistic.
What I really needed was to find a guy before that. Having a boyfriend would be the only way that working at such close quarters to Dave could be bearable.
But who? I didn’t exactly want to rub Dave’s nose in it by dating one of his friends (because that always got so complicated) and it’s not like I wanted him to be jealous. I just wanted him to know I had moved on and was good. Really good. No train wreck—nothing to see here.
Then a face popped into my head.
Rob Prescott.
Brooklyn’s brother who had stayed behind on campus, even though his father had suffered a heart attack.
It made me think he had the kind of complicated relationship with his parents that I had with mine. Brooklyn hadn’t really talked about it, but she’d been under a lot of stress when she’d left. So much so that she must have lost her phone somewhere because when I tried to text her to wish her safe travels, it was discontinued. At least that meant she knew she’d lost it and had canceled it right away, but it also meant I had no way of getting a hold of her while she was away.
Except through Rob, of course. Which just gave me more reason to seek him out. Legitimately.
Something in my chest lit up as I thought about him, which made me feel slightly guilty—he is Brooklyn’s brother, after all. But when you look at the big picture and see that Brooklyn was on the cusp of a relationship with Dave, my ex, well, maybe being with her brother wasn’t so off limits.
There was the possibility that him being off limits was part of the appeal, I had to admit, but there was something—no a lot of things—about him that made him especially appealing.
He was older, like twenty, so he was definitely more mature than most of the Westwood boys, although he could joke around with them, too, something I’d seen the day before at our Thanksgiving dinner.
Also, he was quite funny and Brooklyn said he was really smart, even though he’d flunked out of Yale. I had a feeling his flunking out had more to do with him partying too much than him actually not being smart enough.
And if I was being honest, he was smoking hot, too. Not something Brooklyn wanted to discuss, but as I grabbed my phone off my nightstand and scrolled through until I found the selfies I’d taken with him that day, my heart fluttered. Yes, definitely hot. Chelly, Celia and even Kaylee had agreed on that point.
Maybe I’d see what he was up to over the holiday. Even if he didn’t get along with his parents, he’d probably appreciate a distraction, right? He had to be stressed and I hated thinking about what he must be going through. I hated spending time with my family, but I’d be devastated if something like that happened to one of them. Maybe what Rob needed most right now was comforting.
I glanced at the clock and counted how long he’d been gone and figured he had to be back from driving Brooklyn to the airport already. Yes, I realize he was supposed to work on campus, but the dean couldn’t make him work all weekend. After all, it was Thanksgiving.
With a renewed sense of purpose, I threw back my comforter and got dressed, taking a page from Chelly’s playbook and putting on a pair of tight yoga pants and a slightly too-small tank.
Then I realized I had no way of getting a hold of him. I couldn’t exactly call the school switchboard and ask for him from an inside line. I guess he might have e-mail, but what if he didn’t check it?
Then I remembered the selfies; when I’d taken them, he’d given me his cell number to text them to him, which I figured had to be a good sign, that he’d want them. I sat on the bed and grabbed my phone, scrolling through until I found his number.
Are you back from the airport? I sent, telling myself not to expect an immediate response.
But I got one anyway. Yes.
Everything okay?
For now.
I paused, nervous. If I did this, there would be no turning back. Did I really want to pursue him? I couldn’t use my roommate’s brother just to make Dave jealous. Is that what I was doing here?
I opened up the picture of us together and felt my heart flutter in my chest as I looked at his handsome face. That flutter had nothing to do with Dave.
I took a breath and returned to the text screen. Want some company?
There was almost no pause before I got back: Very much.
My stomach did a flip and I was about to respond when he sent: Wait. You mean you, right?
I laughed and typed back: No, the dean is looking for someone to paint her toenails. I figured you were the man for the job.
Again? he sent back. And then followed with :)
Lounge. 10 minutes. I sent.
See you there, Em.
~ ♥ ~
Want more? Buy THIS POINT FORWARD
Also by Katrina Abbott
The Rosewoods
Taking The Reins
Masquerade
Playing The Part
Reading Between The Lines
This Point Forward
Making Ripples
Acting Out
Hitting the Target
Turning the Page
Crossing the Line
New Beginnings - The Rosewoods Series - Books 1 - 3
Fresh Start: The Rosewoods Series Prequel
The Rosewoods - Bonus Content
I'll Never Forget
Risking it All
The Rosewoods Rock Star Series
Along for the Ride
Going on Tour
Working for the Band
Watch for more at Katrina Abbott’s site.
Reading Between the Lines Page 20
