Page 21

21

PLUS, NO MORE GHOSTIES

QUINN

The midday sun beats down on the campus, and my building looms ominously, a relic from another era with its ivy-clad, cracked stone exterior. The feeling it sparks in my chest is the only reason I feel sad about leaving it behind. I would have moved out in a few months anyway, so it’s not like this wasn’t inevitable, but the small pang of sadness I feel is there nonetheless. I pull the door open and trudge up the stairs that lead to my dorm, dragging my unfolded packing boxes behind me.

This is likely one of the last times I’ll climb these stairs, and while I know how I feel about that, Kruz is another story.

She’s already waiting by my door when I arrive, and she shivers as we enter the room. Jack was more accepting of me doing this without him because I wouldn't be alone. I insisted he stay with Sienna, and he relented only because his mom already had other plans and he didn’t want to fuck with her bedtime routine.

If only he knew that Kruz is an absolute coward who will run hard and fast in the opposite direction if there’s ever a threat to our safety. I’m not sure she wouldn’t trip me and leave me for dead just to save herself.

Not that Jack really has a say in what I can and cannot do now, but it is kind of cute when he’s bossy in the name of my safety.

I hope he’s just as bossy in other areas of our relationship too. I suspect he will be. I’ll find out soon enough now that I’m shacking up with him for a while, and I am very much looking forward to it.

“Thank god we’ve finally reached the end of your tenancy here,” Kruz crosses her arms over her chest and rubs her hands up and down her biceps as if she can ward off the preternatural chill.

"Thanks for helping," I place a hand on her forearm. Ultimately, it does mean a lot to me that she faces her unfounded fears of the ghost that inhabits my dorm room to help me out whenever I need a hand.

I turn away from her and sigh. Unlocking my door and stepping inside, I chuck the boxes onto my bed. I catch my reflection in the mirror above my desk, my tension headache is evident on my face, and the dark circles under my eyes give away the amount of sleep I got last night.

"Of course," she answers, plopping down on the bed. "No way I'm letting you pack all this up on your own."

I sit down on the floor and start folding the boxes into their proper shapes, carefully creasing the flaps to make sure they hold together well. After a moment, she joins me, settling down beside me with a smile.

Together, we tackle the task, our hands moving in sync as we transform the piles of flat boxes into something usable.

The atmosphere feels lighter with her beside me, and I appreciate the company as we chat about everything and nothing while we fold, both of us avoiding the topic of all the things in my life I wish weren’t happening right now. It turns into a surprisingly enjoyable moment, just as every other moment I spend with my best friend.

I should probably not tell her that Jack also claims me as his best friend now too. She’d probably want to kick his ass.

Then again, maybe I would like to see her try that.

Ezra is supposed to drive the moving truck over and help us load it up once we are finished. I’m super curious to see how she reacts to meeting him.

A half an hour later the room is more of a mess than anything, with half-packed boxes and scattered clothes covering nearly every surface. Kruz is folding a pile of shirts, and I am actively trying to ignore the eerie feeling that always seems to hang in the air. It has obviously never bothered me before, but somehow feels more pronounced now that there’s an actual threat behind it.

"Are you sure you don’t wanna just move in with me?" Kruz asks for the millionth time since I called her and filled her in earlier today. She glances at me while she works. "I mean, moving in with your boss and all. It might be a lot." She gives me a loaded look.

My answer has been the same every time she’s asked. Moving into another dorm room mid-semester would be such a hassle, especially with all the paperwork and approvals involved. Kruz had a roommate, but they left after a few weeks, so there’s a vacancy, but it’s never as simple as just shifting into a new space.

She knows all that’s gone on between me and Jack, thanks to our constant stream of texts and nightly phone calls. I tell her everything, even though I knew she’d be smug as fuck with her I-told-you-so attitude.

She’s lucky she’s cute.

I pause, a stack of books in my arms. "I don't really have a choice," I admit, my voice tinged with anxiety. I try to suppress it for her sake, but at the same time I do want her to know exactly how I am feeling about this.

Besties endure their anxieties together, and I can’t protect her from life anymore than I can protect myself from it. It would be unfair for me to not be real with her about this.

"With everything that's been happening... I just can't stay here anymore.” I drop the books into a half-filled box. “In the dorms at all, I mean,” I add. “It doesn’t feel safe, and I especially don’t want to drag you into that. Besides, it’ll be easier with Sienna and Kronk if I’m there all the time. And the lack of commuting will be nice."

Kruz nods suspiciously, seemingly understanding the words I don’t say aloud; that I want to be with Jack too. “This is honestly a nightmare,” she groans. The sound is a great representation of how I feel about it. "Maybe the change in scenery will be good for you."

"Yeah," I reply, forcing a smile. "Plus, no more ghosties." I wiggle my fingers.

Kruz snorts. "You know I won't miss that. This place is creepy as hell."

She will probably find Jack’s house just as creepy, if not creepier.

I suppress the urge to hum The Addams Family theme song out loud and settle for just humming it in my head.

We work in companionable silence for a while, the room slowly emptying as we pack away my lame life. I can’t shake the feeling of being watched, but I push it aside, focusing on finishing and getting the hell out of here.

"Remember that time you forced me to try and have a séance in here with you?" Kruz asks, eyeing me with a small amount of contempt. "I’ve never been so scared in my fucking life."

I laugh at the memory and my mood lightens a smidge because it’s one of my favorites. "How could I forget? You nearly jumped out of your skin when the candle flickered."

"That wasn't just a flicker. It was definitely something from the other side," she protests, not seeing the same amusement in the memory as I do.

"Sure, sure," I tease, nodding my head.

"You should be glad I’m even here right now," she says, flipping me off.

I’m more glad than she’ll ever know.

“Maybe living in a haunted dorm finally caught up to me.” She gives me a flat look, but I smile. It’s a genuine, relieved smile. "Here's to new beginnings," I say, raising an imaginary glass.

"A new beginning with a hot dad," she echoes, and honestly she’s not wrong.

As we pack the last of the boxes, I can’t help but be a little giddy despite everything.

Jack

The sun has already set when the moving truck pulls up the driveway. Ezra offered to help them pack it up and drive it over, which made my life much easier because I didn’t have to wake Sienna from her early bedtime once the girls finished packing up.

I’m surprised when he steps down out of the truck and Stu doesn’t pop out the other side. He’s probably working late. No doubt he’d have been downright giddy to hang around Quinn without me there for an hour or so, if only just to annoy me.

Quinn and Kruz follow closely behind him. I know this is going to be an adjustment for her. My house is vastly different from her dorm. It’s much more modern—at least on the inside—with so much open space, and it's larger in every way. While her dorm likely feels cramped and temporary, my place has a sense of permanence that I quietly hope she latches onto.

Not to mention I’m here.

It won’t be an adjustment for me to have her here all the time, though.

I can’t fucking wait to have her in my space 24/7.

I just hope she will be happy with the change. It doesn’t have to be permanent but I’d be lying to myself and everyone else if I said I didn’t want it to be.

Am I getting ahead of myself? Probably.

Do I care? Not really.

“This place is huge,” Kruz says as she steps out of her car, slamming the door closed. “What a fucking upgrade from your moldy dorm.”

Quinn snort-laughs, getting out of her own vehicle. “Let’s hope it lives up to the first impression. I’m sure you’ll be spooked in no time.”

We start unloading boxes. “I appreciate your help.” I pass a heavy box to Ezra.

His typical eremitic demeanor seems to have taken a leave of absence for the evening, and I have a sneaking suspicion why. “My pleasure.” His eyes linger on Kruz as she carries an armful of sweaters still on their hangers up the front steps. A smirk plays on his lips before he rushes to open the front door for her.

“Thanks,” she replies coolly. I don’t know her well or at all, but I suspect this is a side of her she’s reserved solely for men she’d like to tell to fuck right off, but can’t outright for whatever reason. She steps over the threshold and continues up the stairs without missing a beat, her lack of interest in him is palpable.

Ezra raises an eyebrow, clearly unperturbed. “Not a problem, me amentia .” He says the words to her retreating form and if she hears him, she doesn’t let on.

I give him a dark look.

If he has his sights set on her, there won’t be anything I can say or do to deter him, so I leave it. Not that it’s any of my business, it’s just that she’s Quinn’s friend, and he’s, well… a little obsessive at times.

That’s probably an understatement.

His obsessive behavior has driven his success, fueling his complete dedication to anything he focuses on in both his education and his career.

It doesn't translate as well into personal relationships.

I’ve tried to reign him in too many times to count, but there are just some things that can’t be taught, and the ability to chill the fuck out happens to be one of them.

Quinn passes Kruz on the way back out, the smile on her face heart-stopping. I can’t help but wrap my arms around her and plant a kiss on her temple. There’s no one here who doesn’t know about us, and it won’t be a secret from the rest of the world much longer if I have anything to say about it.

She’ll be out of my class soon, and there will be nothing standing in the way of our relationship becoming a real, tangible, public thing. Wedding bells chime in my mind and god I need to calm the fuck down. What is wrong with me?

“Your room okay?” I’m humoring her brattiness for tonight, but this is the last night in my house she’ll spend outside of my bed. Still, I’m sure it will be good for her to have her own space here when she needs a little privacy or some time alone.

“Perfect,” she smacks a quick kiss on my lips and goes back to unloading.

We continue to dance around one another carrying boxes inside. I can’t help but notice Ezra continuously stealing glances at Kruz, who is completely unfazed by his presence.

“So, Kruz,” He tries again, his tone nonchalant. “What do you do?”

“I’m a student,” she replies curtly, not looking up. It’s funny to me that she couldn’t give a fuck less about his obvious interest in her. Most women fall all over themselves trying to get his attention. Maybe that’s part of her appeal to him; her disinterest.

He’s undeterred. “What’s your major?”

Kruz finally looks at him, her eyes appraising. “Same as Quinn’s.”

“Interesting,” is all he says to end the conversation.

“I think that’s pretty much everything,” I say, choosing to ignore whatever this little dynamic is brewing between them.

I have more important things to worry about than my best friend obsessing over Quinn’s best friend. However, someone should probably warn her.

Not it.

“Thanks, Jack,” Quinn says gratefully, wiping her brow with the back of her forearm. She turns to Kruz, a silent question in her eyes. Kruz nods, giving her friend a reassuring smile.

When the last box is finally placed in Quinn’s new room, we breathe a collective sigh of relief.

I clap Ezra on the back and thank him for his help.

He nods, his eyes still glued to Kruz. “Anytime.”

Quinn pulls Kruz in for a hug, signaling she’s just as ready for them to be gone as I am.

Ezra steps closer to the counter and fiddles with a bottle of sparkling wine that has mysteriously appeared from nowhere. There’s a mischievous glint in his eye that tells me I won’t be getting rid of him as soon as I’d like. “Up for a drink?” The question is for all of us.

Kruz meets his gaze as she pulls away from Quinn.

“Maybe another time,” she says, taking the bottle and making her way around the counter to stick it in the wine fridge, effectively making the decision for all of us. She seems to understand that saying yes would mean overstaying her welcome. I’ll have to buy her a thank you present for reading the room. “I’m exhausted.”

We say our goodbyes and Quinn walks Kruz out. She’s gone before Ezra even makes it back to the truck.

“Thanks again for dealing with that,” I dip my head toward the moving truck. I’m standing on the threshold of the door to see him off. Quinn comes back up the steps and sidles her way under my arm as Kruz’s headlights disappear out of the driveway.

“Not a problem,” he climbs in the truck, waving out the lowered window as he backs down the driveway and into the road.

Quinn rolls her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. “He’s such a flirt. Unfortunately for him, unlike me, Kruz is uninterested in fraternizing with a professor. She’s actually extra annoyed because she had her sights set on him to TA for next year and he’s all but fallen all over himself for her all evening. Makes things awkward, to say the least.”

I snort. “I’ll make that abundantly clear to him.” I leave out the part where I don’t think he’ll give a fuck. “But if he catches wind of that, he will likely do everything in his power to make it happen for her.”

That’s actually an understatement. And it wouldn’t be the worst thing for Kruz, because it’s pretty uncommon to snag a TA position at the masters level at Cypress.

Ezra can remain professional. It’s just a matter of whether he will or not.

“Let’s get you settled,” I say, nudging her into the house and closing and locking the door behind us.

I set the alarm system. I feel a sense of anticipation and I’m not sure if it’s anxious dread or excitement or a mix of both.

The next few days will be full of unknowns, but one thing is certain—life is about to get a lot more interesting.

I plan to make the best of whatever that ends up looking like.