“That sounds kind of murder-y.”

I chuckle. “Then, I guess you’ll just have to trust me not to murder you.”

Her teeth chew on her bottom lip as she regards me. I hold my breath. She opens her mouth to answer and then closes it, thoughtful again.

“How about this?” Obviously, something about the situation is making her uncomfortable, and I really hope the murder-y comment was just a joke. “I’ll tell Terra where we’re going. She can help you pack then. And, of course, you’ll drive us, so when you get in the car, I’ll give you the address. You can text it to Terra or your brother. That way, all my horror-movie plans will be ruined.” I give a mock-frustrated scowl, which successfully pulls a laugh out of her. The sound has my gut clenching in pleasure.

“Well, don’t you have everything figured out? When were you thinking we’d leave and come back? I have some things to do Sunday afternoon.”

That sounds a whole lot like a yes.

“No problem. Friday to Sunday morning. When’s your last class tomorrow?”

“Ends at three.”

“Perfect. We can leave right after that.”

“What about your Saturday treatment?” She waves at the machine chugging away beside me.

Fuck this dialysis.

I hate scheduling my life around it. Luckily, I have more control than those who have appointments at actual treatment centers, so I can manipulate when I get mine done.

“I’ll hook up tomorrow after class and then Sunday when we get back.”

Holly considers me again, but this time, while she chews her lip, the side of her mouth curves up into a half-smile. Like she’s thinking good thoughts.

“Okay, Ben. I’ll go with you on a weekend adventure. But, if I wake up in a bathtub full of ice, missing one of my kidneys, I’m going to be really angry.”

“Don’t worry. I plan to steal your kidney at a later date.”

Holly sticks her tongue out at me, and my cheeks ache from the size of my grin. Maybe some guys would play it cool, act nonchalant about getting the girl they’ve been crushing on to agree to a weekend away. She asked me to give her the truth though, so I’m not letting my face lie.

Holly shakes her head at me like I’m crazy. Maybe crazy for her.

“Stop being weird and read. It’s your turn.” When she hands me the book, our fingers brush against one another, and if I’m not mistaken, her breath speeds up a bit.

Or I could be imagining things.

That’s the problem though. I’ve been having trouble figuring out exactly how Holly feels about me. If Jasper’s right, then she likes me but is worried about the exchange not happening if things start up with us and then go sideways. I doubt only hanging out with me during my treatment sessions is helping her forget those fears.

Time to get away from all these distractions.

Holly fishes some notebooks out of her bag, writes something real quick, and then puts it all away to focus back on me. “You gonna read to me or what?”