Page 90 of Fade into You

I close my notebook slowly and wait before looking up at her, needing a moment to prepare myself for whatever her reaction might be. She could think it’s stupid. It could be too simple or too lofty or, or—

“Bird,”she says through a sigh. When I look up, she has her hands clasped together over her heart. “I don’t… I don’t even know what to say.”

“Because… you… liked… it?” I ask, hopeful.

“No,” she says, shaking her head. “I loved it.” She looks around and then leans across the seat and kisses me so sweet and small and soft. Her lips taste like honey from the fruit. “No one’sever done anything like that for me. I know I don’t know anything about poetry, but I feel it.” She takes my hands. “And I feel exactly the same way about you… and about that night.”

“Good,” is all I can manage to say in return.

With our detours and stops, we make it to Charlie’s campus with a few hours to spare before the concert. I park in the student housing lot like he told me to, and Jessa’s so confused about what we’re doing. I keep laughing and telling her she’ll see, while I lead the way, trying to act like I know where I’m going or what I’m doing.

JESSA

She leads the way pasta common area where a bunch of people are standing around talking and laughing.

“Now I’m completely clueless,” I say, starting to get slightly nervous. “Are we doing a college tour?”

“No, I promise your surprise is not a college tour!” She laughs. “Do you still think I’m that boring?” she teases, reaching for my hand to pull me up alongside her in the hallway.

I open my mouth to answer her, but just then some guy shouts, “Hey, Nardino!”

Bird stops short.

“Elizabeth Iris Nardino…” the voice calls out from the crowd of collegiates. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he says, now right in front of us, taking up the whole doorway.

I look at Bird, and as she spins around, she’s smiling like I’ve never seen her smile before. She crosses in front of me, drops her bag on the floor, and throws her arms around his neck. And he hugs her back, squeezing her so that her feet lift off the ground,as he swings her side to side. Who the fuck is this attractive, sort of muscly older guy who’s hugging—no, embracing—mygirlfriend?

“Wait, wait,” she says, pulling out of the hug, that glowing smile still lighting her up as she turns to face me again. “Jessa, this is my brother.”

Oh thank fucking god,brother. Brother. Thank you, sweet universe, for brothers.

“Charlie, this is Jessa,” she says, “Jessa, Charlie.”

I want to throw my arms around him too, just for the fact that he’s not one of my girlfriend’s ex-boyfriends. But I just take his outstretched hand.

“Hey, Jessa. It’s great to meet you; I’ve heard all about you.”

“Yes, yes,” I repeat, wondering what all he’s heard. “Me too. I mean, I’ve heard a lot about you, too. It’s nice to meet you.”

He’s radiating big-brother energy as he introduces us to the group in the common area, standing between us with a hand on each of our shoulders. People are watching TV and eating from takeout containers and playing Ping-Pong, but look up as soon as he announces, “Yo, everyone. This is my sister Birdie and her friend Jessa. They’re staying overnight. Don’t tell anyone and nobody fuck with them.” He pauses. They listen. He has a very chill yet commanding presence—sort of the way I wish I could be but never feel like I manage to pull off.

“Okay,” he finishes. “Carry on.”

Some say “Hey” or “What’s up?” or just nod in our direction.

But they listen to him. Must be nice.

He takes us up to his room, stopping at the floor below his totell us that this is the girls’ floor and we should use the bathrooms down here. “Just trust me, the ones on my floor are not safe for humans,” he says.

“Okay, we’ll take your word for it, Charlie.” Bird is so relaxed with her brother. I like seeing her this way, confident and proud. It’s cute seeing her in the little-sister role, one I haven’t gotten to play in a while.

“I’m bunking a few doors down. My roommate’s away, so the place is yours.”

“Thanks, Charlie.” She gives him a quick hug and flashes me a mischievous smile and an adorable wink, which makes heat rush to my face.

After we drop our stuff off in his room, he takes us to the dining hall and treats us to a veritable buffet of all the world’s cuisines in one place.

We sit down with our trays and samplings of different food, and Charlie asks, “So, what time do you need to leave tonight?”