“But now that I’ve given you my blessing…”

“Oh, it’s going down now.”

She laughs and wipes at her own tears. “There’s my girl.”

More wine is poured into her glass. She shakes the bottle my way, but I decline. “Driving,” I tell her.

“Right. So how are things in the roommate department? You know, other than you wanting to get down and dirty with him.”

“They aren’t bad. He spent a lot of the first couple weeks being gone all the time, but things are settling and now he’s home a lot more. That part has been amazing.”

“And the bad parts?”

“He uses all my body wash and he always conveniently forgets to wear shirts. Oh, and he cockblocked me the first night we went out.”

“Back up—why were you on the prowl if you have the hots for Caleb?”

“Well, I wasn’t on the prowl, but an opportunity arose, and he deemed it his duty to make sure I didn’t go home with anyone but him.”

“That so?”

“Yep. That was the first night we kissed.”

“And has it progressed since then?”

“Emotionally? Sort of. I mean, I like him more than I did that night, but I’m scared, you know?”

“Scared of what?” she asks. “Of Caleb?”

“Not like of him, more of what he makes me feel, makes me want…something stable and normal.” I send her an accusatory glare. “This is all your fault.”

“Mine?” She reels back. “What in the hell did I do?”

“You had to go and fall in love and shit. Seeing you and Zach together made me all mushy inside. I’ve had a horrible track record with dudes, and that’s why I’ve always been more of a friends with benefits kind of girl, but ever since you got all googly-eyed over Zach, I’ve wanted more for myself. I want what you two have.”

“I want that for you too, Zoe. It’s the most amazing and infuriating feeling in the world.”

“Infuriating?”

“Well, at least with Zach. Dude is exhausting sometimes.”

“You know I can hear you two, right?” His voice trails up the stairs leading to the basement.

“Quit eavesdropping, you turd!”

“Quit talking so loud, you really good best friend!”

Delia gets that goofy grin across her face again. “See? He’s impossible.”

“He’s a good guy.”

“He knows!” Zach calls.

I ignore him and continue. “And he’s not wrong. You really are a good best friend, Delia, like the best of the best. Someone needs to get you a trophy.”

“Oh, a trophy! I like shiny things.” She claps her hands together. “But in all seriousness, Zoe, I don’t think you have anything to be afraid of. When you fall in love—”

I hold my hand up to stop her. “Hey now, no one said anything about falling in love.”

She mutters something. “Fine. When you really like someone, and the universe or fate or whatever you want to call it says you two go together like cheese and bread—”

“Uh, what?”

“Grilled cheese. Keep up.”

“Right, right. Continue,” I tell her.

“Then everything will work out. You’ll have your ‘aha moment’. Things will start making sense and you’ll start feeling a whole lot less scared about what lies ahead. So just let it ride, you know? See where this thing with Caleb takes you. Have your moment, Zoe. You deserve it.”

I have the urge to bite at my nails, which isn’t something I’ve done since I was a little kid, but my insides are all twisted right now. What Delia’s saying is making sense.

I just have to see where this takes me, see if there’s a future with Caleb, and that’s something I won’t know until I give him a shot, give us a shot.

I take a deep breath and let it out. “You’re right. You are definitely right. You sure you’re—”

“I swear, if you ask me if I’m okay with this one more damn time,” she warns.

“Fine, fine. Message received.”

“Good.” She gives me a warm, genuine smile. “I’m really happy for you, Zoe.”

“Yeah?” She nods. I sit back on the couch for the first time since arriving, finally feeling relaxed and almost ready to take on the world. “Good. Me too.”

Fifteen

Me: Question.

Caleb: Answer…maybe.

Me: What are you doing for spring break?

Caleb: Is that still a thing?

Me: Um, YES. Now answer me.

Caleb: Nothing? Because I didn’t think that was still a thing.

Me: How do you not know that’s still a thing?! You’re in college!

Caleb: Well if you’re talking like, you know, going to the beach and being all spring break-y, then I did not know that was still a thing.

Me: I’m talking just taking the week off.

Caleb: Pose your follow-up question then.

Me: Me + you + Outer Banks = fun?

Caleb: One, OBX is EXPENSIVE AS SHIT. Two, please see my first response.

Me: HA! That’s where I have you. My parents actually live in OBX. Free room and board.

Caleb: So we’re spending spring break with your parents?

Me: Nah. They’ll be out of town visiting my grandma. We’d have the place to ourselves most of the time. What do you say?

Caleb: What exactly does “most of the time” mean?

Me: They’ll be there for the first day, but they are leaving super early the next morning.

Caleb: I HAVE TO MEET YOUR PARENTS?!

Caleb: Why does that make me so nervous?

Me: It shouldn’t. They’ll love you.

Caleb: Are they cool with you living with a dude?

Me: YOU’RE A GUY?!

Me: Yes, you loser. They trust me, but my dad did threaten to cut your nuts off if you tried to “get fresh” with me.

Caleb: He said that? Get fresh?

Me: I love that it’s THAT part you focus on and not the potential harm to your nuts.

Caleb: Only because I know they’re safe. I’m not that kind of guy.

Me: Fair point.

Me: So, you in?

Caleb: I’ll have to put in the time off of work…

Me: Don’t forget to mention you’re not above pimping yourself out.

Caleb: YOU’RE not above pimping me out. I am.

Me: Semantics.

Me: I’m tired. Help me stay awake.

Caleb: DOWNLOAD ATTACHMENT

Me: Wow, a picture of our living room. How neat.

Caleb: Look closer.

Me: Omg. Dying. Why is he hiding under the couch?

Caleb: Because I sat on the remote and accidentally turned the volume up REALLY high during a loud scene and he just took off scared as shit. Now he won’t come out.

Me: Aww…I feel so bad for him.

Caleb: DOWNLOAD ATTACHMENT

Caleb: Did I mention he was sitting on my stomach when it happened?

Me: That’s a tiny scratch. You just wanted to send me a picture of your abs.

Caleb: Guilty.

Caleb: Aren’t you supposed to be working right now?

Me: I am…kind of. We’re dead tonight, so I’m bored. That’s what happens when it’s a slow movie release week—no one here wanting to dine and watch.

Me: I wish they’d just cut me already.

Caleb: That’d be nice. Then you could come tend to my wound.

Me: There’s a box of Disney Princess Band-Aids in my bathroom in the medicine cabinet. #nurseout

Caleb: Your bedside manner needs a lot of work.

Me: Opinions are like assholes, Caleb.

Caleb: Sassy AND mean tonight. Noted.

Caleb: Keep it up and I’ll make you sleep on the couch.

Me: Did you just threaten to kick me out of my own bed?

Caleb: It’s OUR bed.

Me: No, that is MY bed. I just let you sleep in it.

Me: Speaking of, we really need to get you your own. I’m tired of waking up to the smell of your farts in the middle of the night.

Caleb: Those are YOUR farts waking you up. Trust me, they wake me up too.

Me: I hate you.

Caleb: You can’t.

Me: I can, and I do.

Caleb: You can’t, and you don’t.

Caleb: Now come home already. I’m getting bored myself. I’ve already watched three movies and started and stopped two shows.

Me: So you’ve been a bum on the couch all day.

Caleb: Hey, I get like one good day off every couple weeks. I’ll be lazy when I can be lazy.

Me: Okay, okay. You got me there. I’ll allow it.

Caleb: *rolls eyes* I’m SO glad I have your permission to relax.

Me: Yeah, me too.

Caleb: DOWNLOAD ATTACHMENT

Me: Is that your masturbating hand?

Caleb: Well, yes.

Caleb: But it’s also my right hand…

Me: Cool?

Me: WAIT.

Me: You got your brace off! YAY!

Caleb: Kind of. I have to do physical therapy.

Me: Seriously? Well that part blows.

Caleb: Tell me about it.

Me: What did we learn from all of this?

Caleb: Fracturing your hand isn’t a good idea.

Me: True. And what else?

Caleb: I know you want me to say not to fight, but it was a necessary evil.

Me: Are you ever going to tell me the story?

Caleb: You don’t want to hear this tale.

Me: You don’t get to tell me what I do and don’t want, Caleb.

Me: YOU’RE NOT MY REAL DAD.