“I just don’t want us to be apart all summer. That’s a long time.”
He picks my hand up to stop the circling. “So what are you suggesting?”
I hesitate, unsure how to answer. Why isn’thesuggesting something? Why is he asking me?
And then I finally get it. He wantsmeto be the one who finds a way for us to be together. Because ifhedoes it, he knows I won’t be as committed to whatever he suggests. I’ll come up with an excuse for why it won’t work. Damn, he’s good. He knows me way too well.
The old Jade would be stubborn and refuse to admit what she wanted. But now, my stubbornness is losing out to my strong desire to be with Garret.
“I was thinking we could share an apartment this summer.” There I said it. For once I finally asked for what I want. “We could test out living together. If we decide it isn’t working, we’ll just stay in our dorm rooms next fall.”
He sits up, forcing me to sit up with him. “That’s an interesting idea.” He acts like he needs to consider this, totally getting me back for all the times he’s asked me to do stuff and I’ve turned him down.
“Never mind. It was a stupid suggestion.” I wait for him to protest and tell me how it’s a great idea and that we should definitely do it.
“Then forget the apartment. I’ll just try to fit in a couple trips to Iowa this summer.”
He starts to lie down again, but I yank on his shirt.
“Garret, what the hell? Are you saying you don’t want to spend the summer with me?”
He’s trying not to laugh. Seeing me work this hard to be with him is apparently funny.
“Jade, are you asking me to get an apartment with you this summer? Because I really can’t tell.”
I take a deep breath, setting aside my tough girl, doesn’t-need-a-guy attitude. “Yes. I’m asking you to get an apartment with me this summer. Are you happy now?”
He pulls me into his chest and kisses the top of my head. “Very happy. And my answer is yes. I would love to get an apartment with you this summer.”
My heart practically leaps for joy. Like it actually skips a beat I’m so happy. What the hell is wrong with me? I never in a million years thought I would act this way over some stupid boy and now here I am, asking said boy to share an apartment with me for an entire summer.
“So do you want to get a place close to Frank’s house?”
Garret’s question knocks me out of my euphoric high and back to reality. “Well, no, I wasn’t planning on going back to Des Moines. I mean, I’ll go visit Frank and Ryan in May when school’s out, but I don’t want to live there.”
“Really? Why not?”
“That’s my old life. I want to try something new. I never planned to go back there after college. Frank and Ryan know that. They’ll understand if I don’t spend the summer there.”
“Then where do you want to live? Here in Connecticut?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we should pick an entirely new place. Maybe a town near a beach. Some place that attracts tourists. I’ll get a waitressing job. People always leave big tips when they’re on vacation.”
“You don’t have to get a job. You have the rest of your life to work. Let’s just have fun this summer.”
I lift my head off his chest and look at him. “I’m getting a job, Garret. I need money.”
He shakes his head but moves past the topic. “West Coast or East Coast?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you wanted to live on the beach. Do you want to live on the Atlantic or the Pacific?”
“I wasn’t saying we’d liveonthe beach. Just near the beach.”
“You can’t be that close to the ocean and not live on the beach. We’re living on the beach. I’m deciding that right now.”
“I can’t afford a place on the beach. I need someplace cheap.”
