Shane shakes his head. “Now that is a laugh. Fletch is my best friend, but he doesn’t listen to me. I’m his personal project. He actually thinks that by the time we graduate, he’ll have made a responsible adult out of me. But the joke is on him.”

“The joke?”

“I’m not made to be a responsible adult. Life is too short. I like living on the edge, but Fletch likes balancing in the center. Someday, I’ll live in the garage apartment of his house. His kids will call me Uncle Shane, and I’ll still be his personal project.”

I frown. “Or you could get your own house and your own kids.”

“Nah. Not for me.” He carries his mug to the sink. “But don’t feel bad for me. I’m not going to be unhappy one single day. My life is going to be a non-stop party.”

“Sure.”

He laughs. “What about you? You look like the type that has it all mapped out already, even though you just turned eighteen.”

“I’m almost twenty, actually. I couldn’t start school until I was six for medical reasons.”

Shane use his hand to signal carry on. “And your life map?”

“I’m going to be a biochemist.”

“You figure you’ll marry at thirty, pop out a kid at thirty-two.”

I shake my head. “I don’t think I’ll ever get married.” I hadn’t ever thought of kids. But I’m guessing, based on the late timing of my hormones, my biological clock might not rear its head for a long, long time.

“You’ll get married.” He stops in the doorway and does another two pull-ups. “Maybe I’ll live above your garage someday.”

“I wouldn’t want to break up the wonder team. What would Fletch do without you above his garage?”

He just winks at me and leaves me there. I let out a shuddery breath and wonder how long I’ve been holding it.

Chapter Three

I’m stumped.

It’s my night to cook dinner, and I have rudimentary kitchen skills. At best. The sauce smells good, but I’m going to chalk that up to my excellent jar opening skills. I peer into the other pot where the water is roiling pretty well, and the noodles are snaking around. But how do I know when they are done? I’m not even sure why I’m still here. Why I have “my night to cook dinner.” Why I didn’t just call my parents and go home.