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4

TJ

“Aw, come on. That’s a bullshit call,” Tyler hollered at the TV, throwing his napkin down in disgust. We’d grabbed lunch and were currently watching the Chiefs play preseason football in the Student Union. Several other tables were also occupied by football fans, all facing the big screen, making it a fun atmosphere to watch the game, even if it was still the preseason.

“Looked pretty questionable to me,” I said, agreeing with his assessment of the pass interference call. Unfortunately, the ref wasn’t inclined to agree and play continued. Thankfully, there were only five seconds left on the clock, allowing for just one more play before halftime. The Bears quarterback dropped back for a long pass, but before he could get it off, our defensive tackle burst through the line, leveling their quarterback and ending the half.

Tyler stood, grabbed our empty plates, and tossed them in the garbage. He returned after refilling our drinks, turning his chair to face me and giving me an assessing look.

“So, you gonna tell me what’s the deal with your roommate?”

I sighed, honestly surprised he’d held out this long before asking. Part of me wanted to keep Jimmy all to myself, and part of me was dying to talk about him with someone.

“His name’s Jimmy. He’s from Astaire.”

His brows shot up at that last bit. “Is that how you know him?”

“I don’t know him. Not really.”

“You don’t usually send people into a panic at first sight of you. I’d actually say it’s usually quite the opposite.”

“Aw thanks, baby brother!” I flashed him a shit-eating grin.

He rolled his eyes. “You called him sunshine, and then he backed away from you like you had eight legs. Seems like there’s a backstory there.”

I shrugged. “Our paths crossed randomly five years ago when we were out visiting Gram. I’d gone for a walk in the woods and ran into him. He looked…sad. I spent several hours with him and then parted ways when it started to rain. I never saw him again until yesterday.”

“Several hours in the woods, huh?” He waggled his eyebrows.

“It wasn’t like that, dick. I think he just needed to get out of his head for a while.”

“And you really never saw him again?”

“We didn’t exchange names. I didn’t know how to find him.”

“Wait…five years ago…” He appeared to be thinking. “I actually think I remember that day. You came home sopping wet, and then every time we visited Gram’s for the rest of that summer, you’d disappear as soon as Ma parked the car. You were looking for him, weren’t you?”

“Yup.” There wasn’t any point in denying it. I wasn’t sure what had possessed me to pull Jimmy along on my little adventure that afternoon. I’d stumbled upon him in that clearing looking so lost, so absolutely heartbroken, that I’d wanted to do anything to take his mind off whatever was troubling him.

I hadn’t counted on thoughts of those blond curls haunting my dreams for the next five years. How often had I wondered about him? About the boy with sad eyes who’d given me the honor of his first kiss. Had he kissed other guys since? I frowned at the thought. I didn’t like it. Not at all.

“What? What’s that face for?”

I shook off the thought, rearranging my features into something I hoped was more neutral. “Nothing. What’s your first class on Monday?”

“Nope. Uh-uh. You are not changing the subject on me. So, what was his deal last night? He didn’t look nearly as happy to see you as he should, based on that little story you just told me.”

It had been a little disconcerting to have him react that way, but I’d been around enough dancers with anxiety that I could recognize a panic attack when I saw one. My first priority had been his well-being. It had only been later, when we’d turned out the lights for bed, that I had time to think about why he’d reacted that way. I’d replayed the scene in my mind and could honestly say I wasn’t sure what exactly had set him off. But I’d offered to change rooms and he’d asked me to stay, so I had to have faith that he ultimately wanted me there.

“I’m pretty sure he was having a panic attack. I don’t know what triggered it, but I was able to talk him down—told him the story about you splitting your pants at the dance recital as a distraction—and he seemed okay after that. He was pretty quiet the rest of the evening, but I think he’s just a quiet guy.”

“I’m never gonna live that story down, am I?”

“Of course not. What kind of big brother would I be if I didn’t keep that story alive?”

“You’re such an ass.”

“Like you don’t use every opportunity to tell people how I scored an own goal in three separate games during my one and only soccer season.”

He grinned at me but returned to the topic at hand. “So what are you going to do?”

“Do? About what?”

“About Jimmy. You’re obviously into him. Do you think it’s a good idea to continue being roommates with him?”

I thought about his question. Was I into him ? I’d certainly been attracted to him that afternoon, but now… Mostly, I was just intrigued by him. Curious. He seemed like he could use a friend.

“I think you’re reading too much into this. I’m gonna get to know him like I would any roommate and hope we can be friends.”

“I hope you know what you’re doing.”

“Don’t be so dramatic. It’ll be fine.”