I mute the strings with my palm. “I’ve got you covered. There’s more than one place for you to sleep in my dorm when I get back to Texas.”

“More than one, huh?” she says, amused. “Are they all in your bed?”

“Beside me, on top of me, under me…”

She laughs. “So many options. How’s a girl to resist?”

A deep “Remington” barely picks up on her mic. The guy’s walking toward her on the sidewalk, coming from the direction of the coffee shop. Dark gray winter coat unzipped with a lighter shirt underneath. Tall, short beard, and a wide-ass smile aimed her way.

“Roman.” A softness in her tone wraps his name, and fuck, that feels like jealousy nudging at my chest. “Uh, I’ve got to go talk to someone.” She tacks on, “He’s a friend.”

“Yeah,” I force out, watching him stop a few feet away to wait for her.

And yeah, I am jealous. Not necessarily of the guy—although it does feel like he’s grinning at my girl—but because I want to be that close to her. Closer.

“Night, Remi.” I lean forward for my phone.

“Hey, Foster?” Mine’s wrapped in something else, warm and raspy. The camera lowers to the sidewalk. “Thank you.”

“For what?” I ask.

“For being.”

One side of my mouth lifts, and I decide the way she says my name is better. “Anytime. Feel free to show me when you get out of your skirt.”

She sighs, ending the call. But by the time I drop back in the chair with my phone, she sends a text.

Maybe I will.

Jesus, how am I supposed to not trip over this girl? I never planned to bail on Chase, but right now, I wouldn’t mind standing on a sidewalk somewhere else.

Trying to distract myself from … everything at this point, I fuck around with the song from earlier for a bit. My heart’s not in it, though, so I trudge inside, more unsettled beneath the surface than when I went out.

I snag a beer and stand against the counter in the kitchen, figuring out my next move. Where in the city I haven’t explored that might do the trick. Or even somewhere I have but will look different at night.

Mid-sip, my gaze lands on the keys. Both are still there. Sighing, I shake my head and take a longer swig. Chase stays in after starting a war with me over it. Up until last week, I would point it out. Up until last week, we wouldn’t have gotten here either. Something’s going on with him. I just have to wait for him to be willing to tell me what it is. Otherwise I need to go roof shopping. He wouldn’t dare tarnish the sanctity of a roof. But I guess he kind of already did.