Kate winks at me, giving me a knowing look. I haven’t even told her about him yet. “I found this hottie sitting in the driveway when I got home. I couldn’t very well let him sit out there by himself,” she says with a smile.
“I bet you did,” I mumble.
“What was that?”
“I said thank you.”
Rhett’s grinning when I sit on my usual stool at the island which happens to be next to him. He reaches over and rests his hand on my thigh like he did in the car on the way home last night. I didn’t realize how much I liked it until he did it again, just now.
“Sleep well?” he asks, as he pops a piece of banana into his mouth.
“I did once I finally fell asleep.” I leave out the part about Carson walking in on me half naked. I don’t think he’d appreciate that too much—neither would Kate.
Kate slides a bowl of oatmeal in front of me and sets a plate of scrambled eggs in front of Rhett. She doesn’t normally make me breakfast let alone cook much at all. She’s pulling out all the stops this morning, and I’m thankful for her—for making us seem like we have a normal routine like every other family in America.
Rhett digs into his food, moaning around a mouthful. “These don’t taste like my mom’s rubbery eggs.”
“That good, huh?” Kate asks, smiling.
My stomach growls as I take another big bite of my oatmeal. Rhett looks at my stomach, laughing. “Sorry, I’m starving.”
“Don’t apologize. I’m stoked you eat. I swear chicks think it’s a turn off to consume food.” He takes another bite of his eggs, and then continues. “You didn’t eat much yesterday though—probably why you’re so hungry today.”
I stop with my spoon halfway to my mouth. “I ate. I had a salad.”
“You didn’t eat much of it.”
Kate looks up from the sink where she’s washing dishes, doing her best not to pry her way into our conversation, but I know she’s listening to every single word. At least he didn’t start talking about kissing me in the car. I don’t think I’d be able to handle explaining that to her this early in the morning.
“We should get going.” I stand up and hand my empty bowl to Kate. She takes it and kisses me on the cheek. As she does, she whispers in my ear, “He’s hot, and he’s into you.”
“I know,” I whisper back. “We’re sort of together.”
She covers her mouth with the back of her soapy hand. “Really?”
I nod my head. “Really.”
“I want details later. All of them.”
“Okay. We’ll catch up this weekend. Get some sleep.”
Rhett hands his empty plate to my sister with a huge smile on his face that matches hers. “Thanks for breakfast, Kate.”
“You’re welcome, anytime, Rhett. Just take care of my little sister. She’s pretty important to me.”
Rhett grabs his keys off the counter, and then slings my backpack over his shoulder. “I intend to,” he says, adorably.
We walk hand in hand out the front door, and as I turn to walk down the stairs, I notice Carson at the bottom with two grocery bags in his hands, waiting to come up. His head is tilted to the side, like he’s pretty sure this might be the same guy from last night. “Who’s your friend, Kinsley?”
It’s awkward, for a number of reasons, but I have no choice other than introducing the two. “Rhett, this is my other roommate, Carson. He’s one of Wyatt’s friends.” I wouldn’t need introductions if Carson had gone to school with us, but his parents were strict growing up, placing him in the lone Catholic school in the area instead of public. “Carson, this is Rhett. A friend of mine.”
The two size each other up, why I don’t know considering there’s no competition between them. “Can I talk to you a second, Kinsley?” Carson asks.
“Sure, but I don’t have long. We have to get to school.”
“It’ll just take a second.”
I turn to Rhett. “I’ll be right over.”
Rhett nods his head, and walks to his truck, glancing over his shoulder a few times before he gets there.
“What’s up?”
Carson sets the bags on the stairs, and turns toward me. “I didn’t realize you were seeing Rhett.”
“I told you last night.”
“We didn’t get into specifics, you were a little under dressed for that, but I’m not sure it’s a good idea—especially now that I know it’s him.”
“Why not? What does it matter who it is?”
He exhales before continuing. “Because even I know your brother isn’t a Rhett fan. He’s been with a lot of girls. I don’t want you to end up a number in a long line of has beens. Plus, Wyatt would kill me if I knew what was going on and didn’t try to stop it.”
“Carson, you promised. You told me you’d let me tell him when the time was right. Rhett’s a good person, and Wyatt won’t like anyone I date anyway. It doesn’t matter if he knows him or not.”
He cocks an eyebrow. “I don’t know about that. He wouldn’t have a problem with you dating me.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re his best friend, so you don’t count.”
“Gee, thanks, Kins.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose, wishing we weren’t even having this conversation. Why can’t he just be happy for me? Everyone always has to challenge my decisions. “You know what I mean.”
“I’m not sure I do.”
“Carson, come on. You can’t go back on your word now. If you care about me at all, you’ll let me live a little. This is senior year. I’ll never get another one.”
He stares at Rhett’s truck, and finally, I can tell I have him on my side. At least for a little while. “Fine, but I still don’t like it.”
“You don’t have to like it, but I want you to respect it.”
Carson picks up the bags on the step. Before he walks away, he says, “When he breaks your heart, I’ll be here for you. Just remember that.”
I stare at his back as he walks up the rest of the stairs and into the apartment. I’m pretty sure I can trust him, but he’s right. My brother will kill him if he finds out he didn’t tell him about Rhett as soon as he knew, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take. For now, anyway. Wyatt can’t always control me the way he thinks he can.
Rhett walks around his truck to help me inside when he sees our conversation is over. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, we’re cool.” I spare him the details. He doesn’t need to know what Carson thinks of him. It’s mostly a stereotype anyway considering they’ve never spoken two words to one another. He’s going on what he thinks he knows, not what he actually does.
Rhett doesn’t say much for most of the drive, and he doesn’t reach for my hand like he usually does whenever he’s next to me. “What’s wrong?”
“Carson wasn’t what I was expecting,” he says, truthfully.
“What were you expecting?”
“I don’t know. The way you talked yesterday, I assumed he was Kate’s boyfriend for some reason.”
There’s a five year age difference between the two, which isn’t crazy or anything, but Kate and Carson definitely don’t have a romantic spark. I never said they were together, but Rhett must have assumed. “No, he’s just a friend.”
Rhett nods his head, still not saying much. It only eats away at me more. I can’t seem to please anyone this morning. “What’s bugging you? Just say it.”
“You introduced me as your friend.”
“You can’t be serious right now.”
He says nothing in response.
“I wasn’t even thinking when I introduced you. It just came out that way. I told Kate we’re together—she knows. Her opinion matters way more than Carson’s.”
“It felt like you were trying to spare his feelings, or something, and I guess I didn’t realize he was our age—or that he had a thing for you.”
“Rhett, please. You’re making a big deal out of nothing. I promise.”
“Kin, I saw the way he looked at you. I’d know that look anywhere because I’ve felt it, too.”
“How did he look at me?”