Chloe, telling her to be ready in five minutes. He already knew she’d be up, since she didn’t usually sleep-in. Putting his phone back in his pocket, he continued towards Willow building and was standing outside Chloe and Riley’s room in under five minutes.
Knocking on the door, he stood back as he waited for an answer, taking a sip from his own cup, the boiling liquid scorching his tongue.
“Just coming.” Chloe’s voice called out, followed by a crash as if she’d knocked something over. “Bloody hell!”
Stifling a laugh, he moved closer to the door, so that he could hear as she swore and muttered to herself. A few seconds later, the door flew open and Chloe stood there looking flustered; wearing shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt, her face was flushed and her hair still sleep ruffled. As he watched, she scraped her fingers through the unruly strands, pulling them into a ponytail that hung down her back.
“Did I wake you?” he asked, suddenly worried that he’d been wrong.
“No, no,” she rushed to assure him, “I was in bed reading.” Stepping back into the room, she gestured for him to follow, saying over her shoulder, “Come in, I just need to put on some sun cream.”
He smiled to himself at that; he didn’t think he’d ever put sunscreen on in his life, his parents definitely hadn’t bothered when he was a kid, but then her skin was so pale that it was like she’d never seen the sun.
Inside the room, Chloe was crouched on the floor, scrambling to retrieve various bottles and tubes that had rolled under the bed. Putting both cups down, Parker stooped to pick up what looked like a tube of lipstick next to his foot, he placed it on the desk beside other toppled containers of its kind.
Glancing over at him as he began to straighten the mess, she grimaced, explaining, “I banged into the side of the desk and it all went down like a house of cards.”
Once they’d finished picking everything up, Chloe disappeared into the bathroom and he took the time to look around the girls’ small room. It was easy to figure out which side belonged to who. Whereas Riley’s side of the room was filled with girly shit – makeup on every surface, fluffy pink pillows on the bed, pictures plastered all over the wall – Chloe’s side was sparse. Stacks of schoolbooks were on the desk, beside her closed laptop, there was a framed photo on her bedside table and a ratty looking teddy bear sat on top of her neatly made bed, next to a hot water bottle of all things. He supposed it would have been hard for her to bring all her home-comforts with her, like most American students did, because of luggage weight restrictions.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Chloe closed the door quietly behind her, then just stood there for a moment, twisting a strand of hair nervously around one finger.
“Fancy a day out?” he asked, handing over her cup of coffee.
Instantly, a smile spread across her face. “Yeah, where are we going?”
“I was thinkin’, you’ve been here a month and you’ve barely stepped off campus yet. San Antonio ain’t too far if you want to take a drive.”
Something flickered across her face, but she masked it before he could figure out what and the excitement in her eyes was real.
“That would be great. I did a bit of research about San Antonio when I was looking at the Uni. The Alamo’s there and the Mission San Jose, the Botanical gardens…” She trailed off, lifting a hand to her face as she blushed, “Sorry, I’m talking your ear off. What did you have planned?”
Gesturing for her to follow him out of the door, he replied honestly, “I hadn’t got that far. We’ll do whatever you want.”
“Well, I’m sure we’ll find something.”
Closing the door, they headed off along the hall and down the stairs. It was kind of awkward to begin with, neither of them really knew how to act, but once he realized that being in a relationship was pretty much the same as being friends,
Knocking on the door, he stood back as he waited for an answer, taking a sip from his own cup, the boiling liquid scorching his tongue.
“Just coming.” Chloe’s voice called out, followed by a crash as if she’d knocked something over. “Bloody hell!”
Stifling a laugh, he moved closer to the door, so that he could hear as she swore and muttered to herself. A few seconds later, the door flew open and Chloe stood there looking flustered; wearing shorts and a short sleeved t-shirt, her face was flushed and her hair still sleep ruffled. As he watched, she scraped her fingers through the unruly strands, pulling them into a ponytail that hung down her back.
“Did I wake you?” he asked, suddenly worried that he’d been wrong.
“No, no,” she rushed to assure him, “I was in bed reading.” Stepping back into the room, she gestured for him to follow, saying over her shoulder, “Come in, I just need to put on some sun cream.”
He smiled to himself at that; he didn’t think he’d ever put sunscreen on in his life, his parents definitely hadn’t bothered when he was a kid, but then her skin was so pale that it was like she’d never seen the sun.
Inside the room, Chloe was crouched on the floor, scrambling to retrieve various bottles and tubes that had rolled under the bed. Putting both cups down, Parker stooped to pick up what looked like a tube of lipstick next to his foot, he placed it on the desk beside other toppled containers of its kind.
Glancing over at him as he began to straighten the mess, she grimaced, explaining, “I banged into the side of the desk and it all went down like a house of cards.”
Once they’d finished picking everything up, Chloe disappeared into the bathroom and he took the time to look around the girls’ small room. It was easy to figure out which side belonged to who. Whereas Riley’s side of the room was filled with girly shit – makeup on every surface, fluffy pink pillows on the bed, pictures plastered all over the wall – Chloe’s side was sparse. Stacks of schoolbooks were on the desk, beside her closed laptop, there was a framed photo on her bedside table and a ratty looking teddy bear sat on top of her neatly made bed, next to a hot water bottle of all things. He supposed it would have been hard for her to bring all her home-comforts with her, like most American students did, because of luggage weight restrictions.
Stepping out of the bathroom, Chloe closed the door quietly behind her, then just stood there for a moment, twisting a strand of hair nervously around one finger.
“Fancy a day out?” he asked, handing over her cup of coffee.
Instantly, a smile spread across her face. “Yeah, where are we going?”
“I was thinkin’, you’ve been here a month and you’ve barely stepped off campus yet. San Antonio ain’t too far if you want to take a drive.”
Something flickered across her face, but she masked it before he could figure out what and the excitement in her eyes was real.
“That would be great. I did a bit of research about San Antonio when I was looking at the Uni. The Alamo’s there and the Mission San Jose, the Botanical gardens…” She trailed off, lifting a hand to her face as she blushed, “Sorry, I’m talking your ear off. What did you have planned?”
Gesturing for her to follow him out of the door, he replied honestly, “I hadn’t got that far. We’ll do whatever you want.”
“Well, I’m sure we’ll find something.”
Closing the door, they headed off along the hall and down the stairs. It was kind of awkward to begin with, neither of them really knew how to act, but once he realized that being in a relationship was pretty much the same as being friends,
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