Ugh, I really did miss his stupid voice. “I hope not. It’d be such a waste of a good hair day.”

“Skeevy. Are you really having a good hair day?”

I yank out a curl and let it bounce back. “Can you not just let me have this, please?”

“Never.”

Never. That one word seems to inflate like a balloon until it’s taking up all the space in my brain. Is it playful? Cruel? A harbinger of romantic doom? A hint that he knows why I’m calling and he wants to cut me off at the pass before I embarrass myself?

Or, you know, is it just the logical next word in our conversation? Who can say, really??

“Skeeves? You there?”

“Whoops, sorry! Yes, I’m here.”

“So what’s up?”

Oh, right, I called him. I have to actually say something. This is so much worse than talking face-to-face somehow. There is no chance on earth I am doing this right now. Is it too late to pass this off as a butt dial?

“Um, nothing. I just…” Just what? How do I possibly finish that sentence? “Wanted to make sure you hadn’t burned Rumson down in my absence.” God, that was pathetic.

“Can promise I have not burned the dorm down. Can not promise I haven’t been using your private bathroom.”

“Salem!”

“Your shower is so much bigger than ours!”

Cool, cool, Salem’s been naked in my room. That’s fine. I am definitely not picturing it. Definitely not thinking about how he looks without a shirt on, now that I possess that information. “Don’t get used to it,” I manage to choke out. “I’ll be back tomorrow night.”

“Got it. Morning shower it is.”

I am simply going to die on the spot. “I better return to a spotless bathroom, Grayson.”

“You know you didn’t leave a spotless bathroom behind, right? Your hair shit is everywhere.”

“Because it’s my bathroom! But feel free to make yourself useful and neaten it up.”

He snorts. “You haven’t made me that good, Peach.”

My teeth find my lip and bite so hard I nearly draw blood. I have to get off this phone call. Now. “I gotta go ice my ankle. I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”

“Try not break anything else before you get here. But if you do, I totally claim your room.”

“Oh, screw you.” I hang up over the sound of his laughter and fall back onto my pillow.

Yeah, I don’t think romance is in the cards for us.