a hottie. I bet you have a lot of sex.”
“You can’t talk about sex in front of people you just met, Malcolm,” I said, grimacing. “At least give them a few days.”
“Thanks, I suppose?” Dax laughed and put his hand out. “Sorry, I didn’t say hi before. Guess I was distracted. You’re Remi’s brother, Malcolm, right? She told me about you.”
Hartford stiffened at that.
Malcolm shook his hand. “Yes, and to clarify, if this arrangement works out, I’ll be staying over sometimes. My mom works nights as a manager at a potato chip factory. Pringles. It makes her smell funny, but she had to go to work after my dad died. We used to have money but now we don’t as much. Remi likes to watch me because I wander off. Not too far. Just to the store and back but it drives her crazy. I also like to eat pickles and drink lemonade. I like your house. It’s bigger than the rat-hole apartment we found above the dry cleaner on 5th Avenue. It had roaches and people were doing drugs out by the dumpster. Hartford said we couldn’t stay there. He and Remi were going to get married, but he dumped her and now he wants her back. She’s sad. I talk. A lot. Does it bother you that I’m autistic?” Language development had never been Malcolm’s weakness. If it’s true that autistic people have a special gift, his was gab.
Dax grinned, the first genuine one I’d seen. “Not at all. It’d be nice to have another guy around. Do you like to play Xbox?”
“I will kick your ass at Halo.”
“Language,” I said but no one seemed to notice.
“You can try,” Dax snarked. “And, by the way, I love pickles too. There’s a whole jar of dills in there right now that my step-mum, Clara, brought me. She canned them herself.”
Malcolm took that in. He adjusted his wire spectacles and focused on me. “He’s cool. You should totally live here.”
“Yeah. What he said.” Dax gazed at me, his tongue dipping out to dab at his lower lip. He bit it, and I tore my eyes off him. Jesus. What was he doing?
As if directed by a part of my brain I had no control over, my right hand toyed with the small strand of pearls I’d put on with my sundress.
Dax inhaled sharply, dropping the papers he’d been holding on the floor between us. Bending down from his chair, he reached to snatch them, his eyes snaking over my legs. I crossed them and he flinched, a flush rising in his cheeks as he sat up and put the paper on the table.
I dropped the pearls and twisted my wrist. What was wrong with me? Why was I baiting him?
I glanced back at him to see that his face had whitened. I followed his eyes, realizing he’d seen the engagement ring on my finger.
I stared at the rock that symbolized everything I wanted. Hartford had asked me to wear it again, and I’d finally agreed the day we landed back in Raleigh. Part of me had wanted to make my mom happy and keep Malcolm from worrying about me. The rest of me was ambivalent as hell.
Hartford’s impatient voice brought me back. “We’re losing daylight here on the search for an apartment, Remington.”
Instead of answering, I focused on Dax. His eyes caught mine, and bit-by-bit, everyone else in the room disappeared.
“I’m going to live here,” I said, turning my gaze back to Hartford.
His face reddened. “You can’t mean that—”
“I do. The rent is right, there’s a place for Malcolm, and it’s minutes from campus. It’s everything I want.”
“Except it’s a guy you’re considering living with,” he said, his voice sharp.
“I have nowhere else, Hartford.”
And you’re the reason I’m in this predicament, my eyes said.
Had he so easily forgotten?
“I’m choosing where I live. No one else,” I added firmly.
He flicked his eyes to Dax and then considered me, a look of distaste on his face as if he smelled something rotten.
Dax cleared his throat. “Uh, I can give you a few moments alone . . .”
“No, that’s not necessary. I want the room. Right, Hartford?” My lips tightened. If he didn’t agree with this. . . .
A few tense moments ticked by until finally he exhaled, leaned over, and put his hand over mine. “I’m sorry to be a pain, babe. I just want what’s best for you, and this isn’t it. With that said, I’ll support whatever decision you make.”