Isobel smiled. “Hi, Lucas.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Why do you need a room?”
“My place got flooded. Fucking neighbors.”
My eyebrow came crashing back into place. “Wow. I’m sorry about that.”
He ran a hand through his shaggy black hair that curled around his ears. “Why are you sorry? Did you make them leave their tap running all night?”
I let out a small grunt. “You know what, I’m not sorry.”
Lucas’s light-blue eyes shone with delight. I bet he’d been crowned Boulder’s Most Annoying Person back in high school. “What’s your room number, Ness? 105, right?”
I crossed my arms. “Why?”
“Just want to avoid bunking in the same room.” He winked at me. “Liam would have my balls in a vice. Shit. Sorry, Mrs. W.”
Isobel smiled. “I’ve heard worse, son.”
Lucas leaned forward to see the computer monitor. “Room 106 free by any chance?”
“It is. Let me get you the key.” Isobel disappeared into the back office.
I crossed my arms. “Did your apartment really get flooded?”
He shot me a cocky grin.
That answered my question. “You’re here to babysit me, aren’t you?”
“Babysit you?” Lucas snorted. “What an idea.”
“Oh my God, you are!”
He waggled his eyebrows.
“Did Liam put you up to this?”
Metal clinked in the office as Isobel sorted through the rows of keys.
“No one put me up to this. I’m doing it out of the kindness of my heart.”
“Your heart isn’t kind,” I volleyed back.
Matt snickered whereas Lucas scowled.
I wheeled on Matt. “Your mother’s not here for cooking lessons, I suppose?”
He slung a big arm around my shoulder. “The pack takes care of their own, Ness.”
My wide gaze ping-ponged between the two males crowding the lobby.
“Are you crying?” Matt asked.
I touched my cheek. Sure enough, my fingertips came back damp.
“Is it that time of the month… again?” Lucas offered, sporting a smile that made me want to punch his throat.
I flipped him off a second before August’s mother popped out of the office, jingling a key. I dropped my hand back to my side, praying she hadn’t caught my vulgar gesture.
Lucas’s lips quirked in a taunting grin as he pocketed the key, but then fell flat as his gaze landed on a spot over my head. I sensed August stood behind me, sensed it in the pit of my stomach which writhed as though the invisible rope that connected us had been cranked.
“On your way to off all the baddies?” Lucas asked.
“I’ve postponed my trip.” August slowly wiped his palms on a pair of jeans blemished with grease smears and wood stain. “Two of the lightbulbs on the living room chandelier need changing. You know where I can find some, Ness?”
“Yeah.” I ushered him toward the supply closet. The room smelled of laundry detergent, cool metal, and dusty cardboard. “Lightbulbs are over there.” I pointed to the shelf that sat underneath a hatch window, and he walked over and riffled through the rows of bulbs until he located the ones he needed.
“I’ll get those screwed in before I leave.”
Something occurred to me then. “Does Liam know you’ve postponed your trip?”
He stopped in front of me. “Not yet.”
“So your mom coming over to help, that was your idea?”
“Not just mine. My parents didn’t want you to be alone. So Mom called Kasie. I suppose Matt called Lucas.”
“Going to go unpack, roomie,” Lucas said to me while staring at August, who stood inches from me.
I backed up until the base of my spine hit the doorframe. “We’re not roomies, Lucas.”
“Almost. Hey… you got an extra pair of ear plugs in there? Wouldn’t want to overhear any moaning.”
My body went completely rigid.
Glass broke. I shot my gaze down to the boxes of lightbulbs clutched in August’s fist. Without saying a word, he went to grab new ones, staying next to the shelving a minute, surveying the piece of sky visible through the hatch window.
“Anyway, if you find me a pair, slide them under my door, will ya?” Lucas said, starting down the hallway, humming some chirpy tune. Before turning the corner, he called out, “Hey, August, you should stop by Tracy’s. There’s a certain waitress who’s going to freak the fuck out when she learns you’re single.”
The muscles in August’s back bunched up.
“I have to go check on”-I swallowed-“on the laundry. Thanks for all your help.”
And with that, I hurried away from the supply closet, feeling my navel throb as the distance between August and me grew and grew.
I stayed in the laundry room a long time, sorting through dirty sheets and towels, and also through my emotions. After three loads of washing and drying, and two hours’ worth of ironing, only the inn sheets were neat. My insides were still a complete mess.
I wanted to drop everything and head to the gym to punch my way to a clearer mind, but there was still too much that needed to be done before I could clock out. I returned upstairs to check on Isobel, praying I wouldn’t run into anyone else.