The Opposite of Nothing by Slade Shari

Author:Slade, Shari [Slade, Shari]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: friends to lovers, new adult, awkward, angst, unrequited love, catfish, crushes, college romance
Published: 2014-03-19T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Tayber lugged the last box up the narrow stairs. The first two were already stacked in the corner of Callie’s “living nook.” She seemed to think her place was embarrassingly tiny, but it wasn’t much smaller than the apartment he’d grown up in. Add one bedroom, and it would be damn near palatial. The box landed on top of the pile with a thunk.

“Is that it?” Callie asked from her perch on the futon. She had her legs tucked underneath her and a pencil shoved into the twist of hair on the top of her head. She’d offered to help, but he’d refused. He could carry his own crap.

“Yeah, I’ll get it all squared away soon. Don’t worry. I won’t spread out everywhere.”

“It’s fine. There’s room for stuff in the pantry, too.” She kept her head down, focused on the notebook open on her lap.

He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out the envelope he’d stuffed there earlier. It wasn’t anywhere near half the rent on a place like this—close to campus, clean—but it was something. He’d been scraping together a housing deposit. Now, he’d give that to Callie. He held it out to her, extended it like an olive branch. “Here.”

“A present?”

“More like a down payment.”

Her mouth dropped open in shock and she shook her head, that ridiculous pencil bobbing with every movement. “No, no, no. Save your money. I told you my mom paid for the whole year in full.”

“For you. Not for me.”

“Doesn’t matter. Paid is paid.”

“Take the damn money.” He dropped it on top of her notebook, and she knocked it off like it was a hot coal.

“No. Buy some groceries if you want. Stock the fridge with beer. Put some gas in your car. You need the money more than I do.”

He could hear the blood rushing in his ears, and his neck flushed. He ground his back teeth together. “I’m not a charity case.”

She looked up then. Finally. All pink cheeks and wide blue eyes. At least she wasn’t giving him the sad, I-feel-sorry-for-you face. “I don’t think that. I just want to help.”

“Not charging rent is more than help. You’re already doing enough.”

“I can do more.” For a second he wondered exactly what more could be, blood rushing much lower than his neck, and then shook it off. He wasn’t here for that. Callie wasn’t for that. He picked up the envelope and shoved it back into his pocket. He’d find a way to give it to her later. Groceries weren’t a bad place to start.

“I’ll go shopping tomorrow. Any requests?”

She flashed a wobbly smile. “Twizzlers. And I’m almost out of Oreos.”

Did she ever eat real food? I guess I’ll find out.

* * *

“Is something burning?”

Callie jumped at the rumble of Tayber’s voice. He could have whispered it, and she’d still have heard him through the paper-thin walls. She’d spent the last few nights trying very hard not to hear him breathing on the other side of that wall. Pounding her pillow into submission, her nipples tight against her sleep shirt.

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