Did I Mention I Need You? (The DIMILY Trilogy Book 2) by Estelle Maskame Page B

hovering by the sink, pouring himself a glass of water. He watches me as I approach.
    “Where’s Stephen?” I ask. The apartment is quiet, nothing like it was last night. The only sound I can hear is the faucet.
    Tyler nods to the closed door next to his room. “Sleeping. He probably won’t get outta there until the afternoon.” He switches off the faucet and presses the glass of water to his lips.
    “He’s in college, right?”
    “Yeah.” He takes a sip and licks his lips, leaning back against the counter. “Studies computer technology. Networks. Something like that. He graduates next summer.”
    “He doesn’t seem like a college kinda guy,” I murmur. Last night, I vaguely recall him shoveling two whole slices of pizza into his mouth at once with a beer in his other hand. And the longer I think about this, the more I realize he’s exactly like a college student. I’ve got a lot to look forward to. “I’m taking a shower.”
    Tyler nods and steps to the side, allowing me to squeeze past, which I do as gracefully as I can manage. But I still end up nudging his glass of water, spilling a few drops over his shirt. He rolls his eyes and walks away.
    I shower quickly, drying my hair with my towel, and then pull on my denim shorts and a blue vest. With no motivation to haul out my hairdryer from my suitcase, I simply throw my hair up into a damp, messy bun and decide to stay clear of makeup for the day. Rachael wouldn’t approve, but thankfully she’s not here to frown at my lack of effort.
    I grab my things and make my way back through to Tyler’s room. Snake still isn’t awake. Tyler’s watching the weather forecast on TV, so focused on it that he doesn’t even notice me as I pass behind him, disappearing back into his room, which is now mine.
    I ram my stuff back into my suitcase and then pat the pockets of my shorts. Empty. I don’t recall the last time I had my phone. It could have been at Times Square last night, where I remember taking pictures. My eyes scan the room until they land on my jacket, still curled up in the corner. I reach down and check the pockets, breathing a sigh of relief when I pull my phone out. It’s completely dead.
    Right then, I realize I haven’t spoken to Dean since I left. I was supposed to call him when I landed. And before I went to sleep. And when I woke up. In fact, I’m supposed to talk to him throughout the day, every day. That was the deal. Yet I haven’t even sent him a single text.
    “Are you ready?”
    I jump at the sound of Tyler’s voice behind me. I spin around and he’s staring back at me from the door, a baseball bat in one hand, a ball in the other. He tilts the bat up and smiles.
    “Yeah,” I say quickly. It’s only taken me twenty minutes to get ready, not an hour, but there’s no point in waiting around. With the time to spare, I know I could call Dean, but my phone is dead. And I know I could just borrow Tyler’s, but after our conversation last night I don’t think asking Tyler if I can borrow his phone to call my boyfriend is appropriate. It’s kind of like slapping them both in the face at the exact same time.
    God, I’m awful. So, so awful.
    “One sec,” I tell Tyler. I grab my backpack and rummage around inside, sifting through all the crap I’ve thrown into it until finally I yank out my charger. Finding a socket, I plug in my phone to allow it to charge while we’re gone. I’ll call Dean when we get back. Hopefully he won’t be too mad at me.
    “Now?” Tyler asks. He’s leaning against the door frame, and I throw him a quick nod over my shoulder as I slip on my Converse. My new pair. The ones from him. The ones that tell me to not give up.
    “Yep, good to go,” I say. I straighten up and hook my index finger around the loop of my shorts, eyeing the baseball bat challengingly. I might not know how to play, but I know that I want to kick ass. “Are you sure you want to teach me?”
    “Definitely,” Tyler says. He steps