aunt lived there as kids. But it’s beautiful, and I needed this memory, with the estate being sold, to cover the rest of Aunt Mally’s never-ending hospital bills. My side is plain Jane in comparison to the color of Greenlyn’s personality coming out in droves. I’m boring with gray and navy blue without any other personal objects to show anything from my life.
When the door swings open, Greenlyn strolls in with a towel draped across her chest. This floor is full of guys, and she traipses down the hall in this? Oh, lord, help me. “Morning, Greenlyn,” I begin.
She twists her long angular head toward me, just this part of her body, wearing an expression between a sneer and a tight smile. “Morning, Malia.” Her words are quick and without affection.
“Listen, about last night…”
She waives me off. “I get it. I understand your reasons.” Oh, shit, it’s happened. It takes one little search engine and my name to find out the past I try to tackle head-on, yet run from at the same time.
“What do you mean?” I try to hide my anxiety in my innocent question, but the dizziness takes over, and though I’m sitting, I hold the wall for support
“I called my mom, telling her to get me a new roommate, and she had searched your name—remembered your family’s death. No wonder you don’t want anyone in here. I get it and will respect you. If I want to hook up with a guy, I can go back to his room. No biggie.”
She turns, dropping her shower caddy on the desk. “Oh, by the way, this was left outside the door for you.” She hands me the envelope and proceeds to drop the towel to get dressed, leaving her very naked self in front of me. I open the letter, thinking it’s the adjustment to my room and board by moving in early. It comes at a great time because I want to avoid my roommate’s nakedness. My eyes have to be the size of saucers as they widen at the words my mind can’t process. My mouth dries and my fingers begin to sweat, and with a large gasp, I drop the typed letter to the floor only after I read it.
Dear Malia,
Welcome back to the city. I’ve missed you in the past eleven years, but I’m sure we’ll become reacquainted with one another soon.
It’s not signed. Greenlyn’s eyes fall on me, and at least she has on underwear and a bra now.
“What’s wrong?”
I give her my phone, unlocking my screen. “Call this number and read the letter to him.” It comes on me quick, as it normally does. I cocoon into a ball, and though I’m wide awake, the entire world fades around me.
“Sweetie, it’s me, it’s Wells. I have you.” My woozy head pops up, from the safe cocoon I’ve set for myself, and he’s leaning up against the same brick wall I had been before the stupid letter. “That’s right, sweetie, come back to me.” He’s rubbing my back in large circular motions, all the same techniques Jules incorporated from yesterday.
With his presence in my space, a twinge of remorse floods over me with the regret of him seeing me like this. At the same time, he’s here, and in a tight smile, my reply is simple.
“I thought I’ve graduated to sweetheart.” This garners me a broad smile from Wells, a green outline tracing his silvery-blue eyes and his blonde hair styled in a wild tousled type of look. How I want to rake my hands through his gorgeous messy mop on his head. Is it thick? Is it thin? His muscled biceps peek out from under his simple white crewneck shirt.
“You’re going to be trouble, aren’t you?” His words electrify my skin with the question. Does this mean I’m going to be around him enough in which he’ll be able to answer his own question?
“I guess you’re going to have to stick around and find out.” It hits me, with my borderline comeback, what I truly mean. My fingers begin to tremble remembering the words left for me, earlier. “The letter?” I jump from the bed to the floor, and immediately miss being a part of Wells’s space.
“I have it in an evidence bag.”
“How did that sick son of a bitch know? I haven’t told anyone, not one person, I was coming here.” I’m pacing the space between Greenlyn’s and my bed.
He swings his long legs fully over the side of the bed