Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 112892 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 564(@200wpm)___ 452(@250wpm)___ 376(@300wpm)
“I was wrong yesterday,” Diego began.
“Just yesterday?” I couldn’t help asking, and Aaron snickered.
Diego gave us a mock-stern glance that was honestly kind of hot. “Wrong about a lot of things, but especially about saying you had to choose. College is about exploring your options, figuring things out. I shouldn’t have tried to get you to lock into one… path forward before you were ready.”
“You were just looking out for us,” Aaron said. “I think we all can agree that we don’t want any of us to get hurt.”
“Of course,” I said. Then I didn’t know what to say next. There was a strange tightness in my chest. It wasn’t panic or pressure. It was just… anticipation. As if we were on the path to something very important to me, but I wasn’t sure if we’d stay the course or veer off on a side road.
“Looking out for us is one thing,” Cody said, and we all stilled, listening intently. “But you have to make sure the person wants to be looked out for.”
He was probably thinking about how Diego had indicated he was most worried about Cody getting hurt at that messed up lunch yesterday.
Cody leveled a look at Diego. “Mia deserves to know, are you here because you want to be with her or because you don’t want anyone to get hurt?”
Wow. How did Cody manage to be more direct than all the rest of us? My heart thumped painfully in my chest as I waited for Diego’s response.
“I definitely don’t want anyone to get hurt,” he began, “but—”
This time I put my hand on his. “Just tell me, please.”
“I want to be with you. If that’s what you want.”
Wow. That was very straightforward. My pulse quickened as I met his dark eyes. “It is.”
“So it’s unanimous,” Aaron said. “Not to ruin the moment, but how does this work?”
“However we want it to,” Cody said. “Mia?”
Okay, I hadn’t thought this far ahead. “I’d like some time to get to know all of you better.”
“Together or separately?” Diego asked.
“Both?”
“It’s not going to be easy,” Diego said. “I get it, you don’t want me to be overly protective of you three, there are the others to consider as well. We have to make sure not to exclude or ignore Jenna, Raymond, and Evan.”
“Or scandalize them,” Cody muttered, and it almost made me laugh.
“I had one idea,” Aaron began, speaking slowly. ”Does anyone have plans for next week?”
We had the whole week off for Thanksgiving break. “Just working on my video presentation.”
“Yeah, class stuff for me, too,” Diego said, while Cody nodded. “Why?”
“There’s this condo in Chattanooga that’s free. It’s big. It’s got multiple bedrooms. You’ve seen it, Mia.”
Diego and Cody both looked sharply at me, and I quickly clarified. “We changed there before his grandparents’ anniversary party.” I didn’t want them to think we had gone there for a quickie or something.
“Anyway, we can study there as well as here, and it’s a nice place. I thought maybe we could spend a few days up there. The four of us,” Aaron said. “Might be nice to get away from the house.”
“And the roles we have to play at the house,” Diego said.
“Aren’t you going to celebrate Thanksgiving with your family?” I asked Aaron. As far as I knew, he was the only one of us who had family left to celebrate the holiday with. Sara was still in the rehab center.
“There’ll be so many people at my grandparent’s’ home they won’t miss me,” he said. “Or we could all go together. They like meeting my friends.”
None of us looked too pleased at that thought, especially Cody. As for me, I already knew the expectations his family seemed to have about the two of us, and I wasn’t thrilled to reopen the rumors. But I didn’t say so. “I’d like to spend the holiday with you all.”
Cody smiled. “Team Mia takes a field trip.”
“If everyone wants to,” Aaron added.
I thought the holdout was going to be Diego, but he was direct. “I’m in if you’re sure you want to stay with the three of us.”
“Yes,” I said. I looked each of them in the eye. “I am.”
30
CODY
“Hi.” Mia sounded slightly shy on Monday after chem class when she found me. Or I found her. We kind of met in the middle between our rows, actually. For the first time, it felt natural and almost… easy. Even though dealing with other people rarely felt that way for me.
“Hey.” For a moment, I’d almost said ‘hey gorgeous,’ but I didn’t say things like that. That was more of an Aaron thing to do.
We talked about nothing in particular on the way to the music building. I got the sense that she wasn’t ready to talk about our date on Saturday. Or, more accurately, her date with three men. I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of that, so it was no surprise if she didn’t either.