I opened the fridge first thing in the morning and was greeted by neat rows of energy drinks and bottled water. That was it. No food. Just liquid caffeine and hydration staring back at me like they were mocking me.
I sighed and grabbed a water, shutting the fridge door as quickly as I'd opened it. Kenan hadn't been lying when he said he had nothing.
I twisted the cap off and took a sip, padding out of the kitchen. I'd gotten up earlier than usual, mostly so I could catch a ride with Kenan on his way to the hospital.
He appeared a minute later, dressed in navy-blue scrubs that somehow made him look taller. I watched as he darted from the living room back into the bedroom, then out again, then back in once more.
"Missing something, Kenan?" I asked, leaning on the counter.
"Yeah, my badge."
A smile tugged at my mouth. He could suffer for another minute, I decided. It was too good watching him wear a hole in the floor. Finally, when he came out for the third time, I took pity.
"I'm pretty sure I saw it on the kitchen counter."
He slipped into the kitchen, empty-handed, and came back with the badge stuffed into his pocket. I shook my head, biting back a laugh as we headed out together, down the hall and into the elevator.
On the ride, I scrolled through my phone, pausing at a new group chat that had appeared overnight. "Hey, what's this group chat we got added to?"
"It's for the assignment this week," Kenan said, eyes on the road.
Right. The lecture I'd completely slept through yesterday.
"Okay, and… what exactly is the assignment again?"
"We're volunteering in groups. We're group eight, so it's Saturday."
Of course it had to be the weekend.
"Volunteering where?"
"An orphanage, Ciro. Did you even read what they sent?"
I tapped the file in the chat, waiting for it to load.
"Right, you wouldn't know," Kenan added. "You slept through the entire lecture on my shoulder."
I ignored him and skimmed the PDF. Three pairs, nine to evening, finish whatever tasks the director gave us. Great. My weekend is officially gone. Not that I had anything planned but still mourn the loss.
The car fell quiet again until I broke it. "We should get groceries. Your fridge only has water and energy drinks. That's not a real balance."
"Oh? So you plan to cook then?"
I side-eyed him. "Oh? So you plan to do takeout every night then?"
"Basically. " he said flatly, turning the wheel.
I groaned. He wasn't joking either.
"Don't you get sick of eating out?"
"Not really. There's always something to try"
I rolled my eyes. "Anyway, I still want to get groceries."
I hated cooking, sure, but it didn't mean I couldn't. It just meant I had to carve out the time to bother.
Kenan drove straight to campus without stopping anywhere, his face calm but his pace just a little sharper, like he was rushing. He pulled up, and I hopped out onto the pavement.
"See you later," I muttered, watching him speed off. It was still weird, this whole arrangement of staying with him. Sharing a bed with him, even. That thought used to sound impossible, but here I was.
The day passed in lectures and idle chatter with Jacob. By late afternoon I was standing in front of the building, waiting. He'd messaged that he was picking me up, yet here I was twenty minutes later still standing.
Patience might've been my fifth name, but today I was neutral, half patient and half annoyed.
Finally, the sleek black car pulled up. I slid inside.
"Had to get a paper signed," Kenan said, "and the doctor took forever."
I nodded, buckling in. The drive was quiet, like always.
Back at the apartment, I dropped my bag and headed for the bathroom. I brushed my teeth, changed into nightwear, and went back in to rinse. That's when my eyes landed on it: a red toothbrush beside mine. An extra towel folded neatly.
My chest gave a heavy thump.
The kiss from before flashed across my mind, heat crawling to my ears. I bit my lip hard, shaking the thought away, and hurried back to the bedroom.
I crawled under the blanket and pulled it over my head like it might block out my own brain.
Kenan was still outside somewhere, doing who-knows-what. Not that I needed to know.
But my thoughts betrayed me, circling back to him. To that kiss.
Or to us.
What was I even doing in his apartment laying in his bed.
Ugh. What was I even thinking?
I pressed my face into the pillow, willing myself to stop. And eventually, with the blanket pulled tight around me, sleep dragged me under.