Welcome to New Haven by Dawn Doyle Page A

were showing me.”  
    “I think they just like to over complicate things sometimes. More than necessary.”  
    Dev completed a few more problems, under Holly’s guidance and she was grateful for Holly’s help.  
    “Ok señorita, vamos a trabajar en su español”   Dev said.  
    “What?”   Holly hadn’t understood what Dev had just said.  
    “I said, ‘Ok, miss, let’s work on your Spanish”  
    “Oh”   Holly got out her book and pad of paper.

    Alex had been listening in his room for a while.   He hadn’t gone up to his room straight away, just in case the girls suspected he was spying on them.   He intentionally left his door open so that he could hear them talking.  
    His room was opposite Dev’s, and her door was slightly open, allowing him to hear the girls talking. He knew he shouldn’t be listening in, and if he heard any ‘girl talk’ he’d promised himself that he’d shut his door and not listen.  

    He could hear Dev asking Holly some questions and there was a pause before Holly answered.   He loved the sound of her voice, her accent too.   God, he could listen to her all day!   It made his body go all…’funny’.  
    He imagined what it would be like to have her in his room with him…  
    Where are these thoughts coming from?
    He’d never had a single hint of wanting a girl in his room before.   Now, he was imagining Holly there.   Alex pulled himself out of his haze and listened in some more.  

    “Me llamo, Holly.” He heard her say.  
    “You can also say “Mi nombre es.”   Dev said.  
    “Ok.   Um…Tengo una hermana.”
    Oh my God, she’s so adorable!
    Alex grinned enormously.  
    “Dónde está…um.”  
    “Come on, Holly, you know this!”  
    Alex put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from laughing.   Not because Holly didn’t know any Spanish, but because he was so happy.  
    “You know the words to some Pitbull songs, for Christ's sake.”   Dev was giggling at that point.  
    “Yeah, but I have no idea what I’m saying!”   Holly replied.  
    She was just too cute.  

    Alex knew that Holly would probably be leaving soon, and he wanted to catch a glimpse of her now and before she had to go.   Maybe he should knock…He got up.
    Dev opened the door and Alex saw Holly sitting on the floor, legs crossed, looking down to her writing pad.   She looked up at him but as soon as their eyes met, she quickly looked down again.   He thought that he could see her blushing so he turned his attention to his sister.  

    “Can I get you guys anything?”  
    “Holly do you want anything?”   Dev turned to ask Holly.  
    “Um…No…thanks”   she almost whispered.  
    “Nah we’re good, but thanks for asking.”   Dev said with a smile as she caught Alex looking at Holly.   “Did you want something?”   he heard the amusement in her voice.  
    “No…I’ll see you at dinner.”  
    Dev shut the door, tight.  
    “Sorry about that.”   He heard Dev say, through the door.
    ”No worries”    

    Alex didn’t know whether Holly meant that it was Ok that Alex had interrupted or that he’d been a pain in her ass and Dev was apologizing for it.   His head was messed up.   Five days!   He’d known her for five days, not even had a full conversation and he was in a mess over this girl.   He took a deep, calming breath and went downstairs.

    Holly couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach.   Alex had been there, right at Dev’s door, asking whether they’d needed anything.   He’d also looked right at her.  
    Holly could feel the heat travelling up from her neck to her face, yet again, as thoughts of Alex’s eyes, his lips, his voice…  

    ”He normally just shouts through the door if he wants to ask me something.   He’s behaving strangely.”   Dev shook her head and shrugged her shoulders.   “Let’s get back to it.”  
    Holly was relieved to have the subject, of Alex, changed.   She’d heard