Page 24 of The Hookup (Firsts and Forever #13)

Hal

My first morning back in San Francisco, I awoke way too early to a dead phone. I packed it and my charger into a gym bag with a change of clothes, got dressed in workout wear, and slipped out of the house as quietly as I could, to avoid waking my housemates.

It was about an hour before dawn, and the city was foggy and quiet. I shivered and zipped my jacket, and then I took off down the street at a brisk pace.

Of course, my thoughts immediately turned to Ryder.

Our time together had been magical. There was no other word for it.

Okay, yes, things had started a bit rough for me, because ranch life was unlike anything I’d ever experienced.

But I’d adapted, and then I’d started to enjoy it.

By the end of the week, I was feeding goats, brushing horses, and had learned to tell one nearly identical chicken from another.

I still had progress to make, though. Ryder had to be disappointed that I hadn’t been willing to go horseback riding—not that he ever said that.

Instead, he was as kind and patient with me as he was with his animals, including Barbie, the giant, wild creature that looked like he belonged to one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

That horse was something else. He wouldn’t let me or Dwight anywhere near him, but he perked up whenever he saw Ryder.

He even leaned into his touch. It was really beautiful, and it told me the horse knew the same thing I did—that Ryder was a genuinely good man.

He was someone who cared deeply and would never hurt a soul—except on the rugby pitch, which was apparently where he released his aggression.

He'd shown me a recording of one of his matches, and admittedly, it had been hot. It showed me Ryder was this incredible juxtaposition of softness and strength. When I’d mentioned that, he’d told me it sounded like an ad for toilet paper, which had made me laugh.

I was grinning at that memory as I pushed open the door of my gym and crossed the lobby to the front desk.

Everfit was really something. It was beautifully designed, sparkling clean, and completely state of the art.

If it hadn’t been owned by a friend and his husband, who’d given my housemates and me free memberships, I never would have been able to afford it.

The woman behind the counter greeted me with a smile. “Hey there, Hal. You’re in awfully early today.”

“I don’t know why I’m awake at this hour, but I figured I should get to it. I was on vacation last week, so this week is all about getting back into my routine.”

“Did you go anywhere fun?”

“A ranch outside Austin, Texas.”

“That’s about the last place I would have guessed for you,” she said.

“I went there for a man,” I admitted. “A big, sexy cowboy, who showed me a very good time.”

She grinned and nodded. “Now it’s all making sense.”

“For the record though, I was crushing life on the ranch. Not at first, but by the end of it I was right at home with the horses and goats and chickens.”

She looked legitimately surprised as she murmured, “I can’t imagine.”

I was still thinking about her reaction as I stashed my bag in the locker room and started my workout.

Was it really that far-fetched to imagine me in the country?

I knew I didn’t look rugged and outdoorsy, but I’d done a pretty good job of adapting to that very new environment.

I was going to keep getting better at it too, since I planned to spend every vacation there from now on.

That thought made me pause and sit up on my exercise bike. Was that really all Ryder and I would ever have? One or two weeks a year, while I worked sixty or seventy hours a week and tried to get ahead in my field? It wasn’t nearly enough, considering how much he meant to me.

He and I had to figure this out, but first, I needed to finish school.

I started to feel panicky when I thought about how much I needed to do over the next two months, starting with designing and producing my final collection.

I also had to update my portfolio, complete assignments for three classes, finish my internship, and more.

It was a lot of pressure, and pretty overwhelming.

But then, after all of that was out of the way, Ryder and I would have time to talk about our relationship. I was planning to go see him as soon as I finished school. Once we were face-to-face again, we could come up with some sort of solution to our limited time together.

I had no idea what that would be. All I knew was that something had to give, because I needed him in my life, and being apart from him for fifty weeks a year was heartbreaking.

After my workout, I showered and got dressed, then checked my phone out of habit before remembering it was dead. I left the gym with my bag over my shoulder and walked to the nearest transit stop, where I fidgeted until a bus arrived.

It was still very early—a few minutes to seven according to the clock at the gym—so the city was just starting to wake up.

I barely noticed it as I reviewed today’s mental to-do list. I’d done a lot of thinking about my collection during my week off, and now I really needed to make a decision and get going on it.

I had about three hours before class, so I headed to the studio and let myself in with my key. Surprisingly, the light was on, and the aroma of freshly brewed coffee hung in the air. Apparently Kit was getting an even earlier start than I was, although there was no sign of him.

I went to my worktable, put down my things, and plugged in my phone. As soon as it came back to life, I sent Ryder a text: Good morning, Ry. My phone died last night, but I wanted to thank you for humoring me and sticking around while I fell asleep.

It rang a few moments later, and when I answered the video call, Ryder said, “Hi, baby. You’re up early.”

“You don’t know the half of it. I’ve already been to the gym, and now I’m in my studio on campus.”

“Impressive! For the record, I didn’t just stick around while you fell asleep last night. I’d planned to keep my phone on all night and watch you drool on your pillow, but when I woke up this morning, the connection was dead. Now I know why.”

“Next time we virtually spend the night, I’ll remember to plug in my phone. Also, I don’t drool.”

“No, but it could happen. If it does, I’ll be sure to grab a screen shot,” he teased, with a big grin.

“That’s so mean.”

“I know.” He was still smiling.

Just then, something across the room caught my eye, and I murmured, “Oh, no.”

“Is something wrong?”

The big sheet Kit used like a tablecloth was folded up and back, revealing a bed underneath his worktable.

“I think my friend Kit has been living in our studio. He could get expelled for that because it’s totally against the rules, so I don’t think he’d do it unless he lost his apartment.

” Suddenly, the way he’d personalized the studio made a lot of sense.

“If your friend’s in financial trouble, let me know how I can help. It can be hard for someone to get back on their feet if they’ve become homeless.”

Of course Ryder’s first thought was about how to help, even with a virtual stranger. “That’s really sweet of you. I’m going to go find out what’s up, and I’ll text you soon.”

After we ended the call, I crossed the studio to investigate.

Sure enough, Kit had made himself a cozy little hidden bedroom.

Besides a nest of blankets and pillows on an air mattress, there was a stack of books, a half-empty water bottle, and a flashlight.

There was also a little teddy bear sticking out among the bedding, which made my heart go out to him.

A key clicked in the lock just then, and I straightened up and turned toward the door as Kit entered. His hair was damp, and there was a backpack slung over his shoulder.

He froze when he saw me, and I blurted, “I didn’t mean to snoop. You left the sheet folded back like this.”

“You’re really early.”

“Kit, have you been living here?” He hesitated, but then he nodded. “For how long?”

“Since the start of the school year. Please don’t tell anyone.”

“I won’t, but what led to this?”

“I sprained my ankle last summer and missed too much work, so I lost my job. Then I got behind on my rent and couldn’t catch up, so I got evicted. I thought this would only be temporary, but I haven’t been able to find a place I can afford.”

“How have you been getting by?”

“After I got evicted, I sold most of my possessions and used some of that money on a discounted gym membership. It’s right off campus, and I go there to shower. I also got myself a student dining pass, and I rely on the cafeteria for my meals. Those two things have been a huge help.”

“Wasn’t the cafeteria closed over spring break?”

“Yeah, but I’ve learned how to get by without much money. One of my favorite tricks is heating up water in the coffee maker and using it to make ramen,” he said. “That stuff’s really affordable.”

“I feel awful.”

“Why?”

“Because you’ve been struggling, and I was totally oblivious.”

“I made sure to hide the fact that I was living here, so please don’t feel bad,” he said. “It seemed unfair to ask you to keep my secret. Now I guess I don’t have a choice.”

“I want you to come live with me. I’ll ask my landladies if it’s okay, but I’m sure they won’t mind. My room’s a little cluttered, but I can move some stuff around, and we’ll make it work.”

“That’s sweet, but I’m pretty broke. I wouldn’t be able to pay my share of the rent.”

“You’ll be my guest. I don’t expect you to pay anything.”

He looked hopeful as he asked, “Are you sure about this?”

“Absolutely.”

“That would be amazing! Trying to hide the fact that I’m living here has been pretty stressful. I was so afraid I’d get expelled if anyone found out.”

“You’re going to love the pink Victorian. Everyone is really nice.”

Kit threw his arms around me and whispered, “I can’t thank you enough for this.”

“I’m happy to help.”