Bad Romeo (Starcrossed #1)(88)
Author: Leisa Rayven

Hell, I’m all in already.

The next day, Holt practically throws me out of his apartment. Not in a nasty way. Just in a one-of-us-should-be-going-to-class way. When I call him that night, he sounds much better. His voice is coming back, and he tells me the coughing fits have become less frequent.

The following day is crazy busy, and it’s not until I’m dozing in bed that my phone buzzes.

I look at the screen and smile when I see the caller ID.

“Hey, sicko.”

“Hey.”

It’s crazy that one tiny word from him can make me almost dizzy with happiness. And it’s not even a special word. Just a boring old one-syllable greeting, yet I can feel a stupid grin plastered all over my face like cheap wallpaper.

I thought things might have gotten weird between us, since he told me he was adopted, but it hasn’t. If anything, it’s like telling me has removed a burden.

He still hasn’t said anything about getting our relationship back on an intimate footing, but I’m grateful we’re not staying away from each other.

“Why aren’t you sleeping?” I ask.

“I have been, all day. Now I’m wide awake.”

“Take some cough medicine. That’ll knock you out.”

“I have, but it hasn’t kicked in yet. It’s probably not a good idea to be talking to you right now. I tend to say stupid things under the influence of that stuff.”

“Not stupid. Just stuff you wouldn’t tell me normally. I love that cough medicine. I’ve learned more about you in the past two days than I have all year.”

“And yet, you’re still talking to me.”

“It’s a burden, but someone has to do it.”

He laughs. Such a beautiful sound.

He’s quiet for a second, then he says, “Listen, Cassie, I’ve been thinking—”

“Uh huh.” I can feel his nervousness through the phone line.

“I … I know that I was a dick about it the other day when Mom called, but … I want you to come to Thanksgiving.” His voice gets softer. “I don’t think I can go all those days without seeing you. I called Mom and asked her to get the spare room ready.”

I’m stunned. And unbelievably touched.

“Ethan…”

“You haven’t made other plans, have you?”

“Well, sort of. I did buy a frozen turkey dinner for one. I don’t know if I can possibly give that up on such short notice. It has ‘cranberry-flavored’ sauce.”

“Oh. Well, yeah. I mean, that’s some delicious frozen food. Do you need some time to think about it? Not to sway you or anything, but you know that Maggie runs a gourmet catering company, right? No pressure.”

I laugh. “Well, when you put it like that, I’d love to come.”

It’s not lost on me that this is sounding suspiciously like a date. I resist jumping out of bed and doing a happy dance.

“Good. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night. Where will you be?”

“You’re not coming to class tomorrow?” My stomach drops knowing that I’m not going to see him in the morning.

“No. I just need one more day to kick the last of this cough. Also, I’m going to need all my strength to survive the weekend with my father. So where can I pick you up?”

“Well, tomorrow afternoon we were all getting together at Jack’s place for pre-holiday drinks.”

“Okay, I’ll come there. We’ll drive to New York for dinner with Mom and Dad, and come back Sunday night.”

The thought of spending four days in New York City is dizzying enough, but knowing I’ll be living with Holt for that time? The word “ecstatic” is the only adjective that even comes close to how I’m feeling.

“Holt, should I be concerned that you’re being all … nice … all of a sudden?”

He laughs. “Maybe. It’s certainly scaring the hell out of me. Be careful what you wish for, Taylor. That’s all I can say.”

“Pfft. Pinocchio wished to be a real boy, and that turned out okay.”

“True. But he was then forever devoid of permanent wood. Think about it.”

I laugh, and a few seconds later when he yawns, I join him.

“Go to sleep,” he says. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“Okay, sure.”

As we hang up, I feel like one of those paleontologists who works with a tiny brush and spends years slowly clearing away grains of dirt to reveal a precious relic or treasure. I don’t think Holt would approve of me calling him a relic, but I’m smiling nonetheless.

By the time six o’clock rolls around the next night, most of my classmates are well on their way to being extremely hammered. Some have gone home to visit family, but for the most part, everyone is waiting until Christmas, like me. Thanksgiving is really just an excuse to be drunk for four days.

Ruby sits beside me on the sofa, sipping an industrial-strength margarita and bobbing her head to the music. I sit next to her, and my leg bounces nervously as I wait for Holt to show up. Ruby orders Jack to get me another drink to help chill me out, but I couldn’t chill right now if I were dressed as a polar bear and dipped in liquid nitrogen.

I’m watching Mariska and Troy burn up the dance floor with some impressive swing-dance moves, when they pull apart to reveal Holt in the doorway.

Oh. He’s here.

There’s a huge roar as people see him and crowd around like he’s a long-lost mythical creature. People ask how he is and tell him they’ve missed him. Zoe hugs him. Jack claps him on the back. And even though he smiles and responds, throughout it all his focus is on me.

I can hardly breathe.

“Whoa,” Ruby whispers beside me. “Did Holt have some weird version of bronchitis that increases his sex appeal? Because … damn. Boy is looking fine.”

He’s dressed in black jeans and a dark blue V-neck sweater. His hair’s chaotic, and his jaw is freshly shaved. I can’t turn away. He looks a little tired, but far less pale than when I last saw him. I have the strangest urge to walk over to him, wrap myself around his torso, and cling to him like a limpet.

Of course if I did that in the miniskirt I’m currently wearing, I’d look like an extremely slutty limpet. The kind the other limpets would shun and talk about behind her back.

I stand up and move toward him. I need to be near him.

When I stop in front of him, Jack’s in the middle of a story about how Lucas simulated masturbation in acting class today, and how Erika had surprised everyone by praising him for being brave.