Now I See You | ✓

Six

Josie hears back from the head of the geography faculty at around midday the next day and she suggests they meet at 9 o'clock on Thursday morning.

With the promise that I'll be back in time the following morning to accompany her like we agreed, I head over to Aubin's apartment late on Wednesday night, as planned, after Josie's left for her shift at Smith's.

Manal gives me a lift to Aubin's place this time, because she's already heading out in her car with some friends anyway. She's always been impeccable with timing, but I accidentally held her up today, to her mild annoyance.

On the way over, my phone vibrates, showing that Manal's not the only one annoyed at my poor timing.

Aubin: You coming or what?

I can just picture him, sitting in his apartment with a petulant frown on his face, irritated that I'm making him wait. I do feel bad, but it still makes me laugh a little.

Judah: Yessir 🥵 Be there asap

Aubin: Hurry up or 🖐🍑

My abdomen tugs viciously and I can't help the flush that spreads across my cheeks. I'm suddenly pretty grateful that Manal's eyes are on the road, rather than my phone screen.

Judah: 🧎🏼‍♀️

Even though I'm running late, I'm all ready to boast that I didn't walk there, but when I get to the top of the steps, it's actually one of his roommates, Saori, who opens the door for me.

She smiles brightly at me as she lets me in and her eyes twinkle a little, as though she's about to make a joke with me, but before she can say anything, Aubin appears from behind her.

"Judah," he smiles at me in greeting, but I notice a glimmer behind his eyes. "You're late."

Time keeping has never been my strong suit, unfortunately.

I nod, suddenly feeling a little awkward. "Yeah, Manal gave me a lift on her way somewhere else, and everything, but that actually just made her late, too. Sorry."

Saori snorts, grinning at me. "He's been griping for the last ten minutes, glaring at his phone because you're not here. Needy man."

Saori has only ever been lovely to me since I met her and even now, I can't detect a hint of anything other than a teasing jibe at Aubin in her words.

Aubin glares at his roommate, hip-checking her tiny frame out of the way so that he can reach me. "I'm glad you got a lift," he says instead, choosing to ignore her words.

Not really knowing exactly what she means, I decide to follow Aubin's lead. "Yeah, well, I didn't really want you to have yet another go at me and Manal was headed out anyway."

"I wouldn't have a go at you, sweetheart," Aubin protests, but quietens immediately at the disbelieving look on both mine and Saori's faces.

His roommates have been around enough to hear him chew me out for walking over rather than getting a lift many times.

"Whatever," he grumbles, hand settling on my hip as he drops his head to kiss my temple.

His sandalwood cologne surrounds me and I feel the back of my neck heat up already.

"Judah!" A third voice enters the fray and I look up to find Aubin's final roommate, Jaden, standing on the threshold of the living area. "We were just finishing up an episode of The Good Place, if you want to join."

Just like Saori, Jaden has always treated me very well whenever I've come over. The only reason that I don't know either of them that well is because I've always felt that eventually, Aubin and I will break it off. I've not really wanted to invest myself more than necessary in a friendship that would end along with mine and Aubin's arrangement.