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Turning back to hiree With this job and you providing rooh for the first semester I’ll probably have to take the second se process and all that"

Zack gives a slight nod, starts to turn away, and then looks back again "What did you graduate with?"

"Well, technically I haven’t graduated graduated," I tell hiers "The cereree in child psychology"

So filters into Zack’s eyes…maybe it’s a little bit of respect, or maybe it’s just the sudden realization that I’reed to hire as a nanny I turn away again to open the car door and he says, "What day is your cereet hbor to watch him if necessary"

I don’t bother to respond iet the door open, because at the rate he keeps asking questions, I may not make it into Mark’s house this century As I step out, I turn back and lean in to look at hi to the ceremony, so no worries I’ll be back in a second It’s just a suitcase and a couple of boxes, so it will take hten up and close the door before he can stall me further, then turn to trot up the broken sidewalk littered eeds browned by the winter cold Mark’s at work, and his roo He’s a

Mark was a classht as friends, and when I got booted out of the doret oni any rent I had only about two hundred dollars left infor food items only over the past feeeks Now that I had this job, though, I was going to leave Mark about fifty bucks as sort of a thank-you for his hospitality

I unlock the door and swing it open, i room, where my suitcase lies packed up next to the TV My only other belongings are two medium-size boxes filled with all of ured ra with us?" I hear fro in the doorway

"Is this where you live, Kate?" Ben asks as he runs over to the coffee table and grabs the Xbox control sitting there "Can we play a ga to corab her things"

I walk over to the suitcase and pull the handle up It’s big and thankfully has wheels, so I can easily move it "Just those two boxes," I say as I point to theet the other"

Zack doesn’t acknowledge me but walks over, bends at the knee, and easily picks both boxes up He’s wearing a long-sleeved black sweater that fits him like a second skin, and I can actually see thewith the effort Wow…um…just

He turns toward the door and calls for Ben: "Let’s go"

Ben trots after hi into my backpack for my checkbook I write a check out to Mark and a quick note of thanks, pro to catch up with hi

When I get back out to the Range Rover, Ben is buckled securely in the back and Zack is standing at the rear with the tailgate opened I drag my suitcase over to hi it in "Thanks," I say quietly, and turn to head toward the front passenger door

"How coraduation?" he asks, and it catchesabout Zack Grantha a remote curiosity about me

When I look back at him, his eyes are impassive, as if he truly doesn’t care what the answer is

"Can’t afford to," I tell hiown They’ll justI suppose I’ll get it fraet settled into a place of my own"

Zack merely nods at --et in Not sure what’s so confusing about my story It’s not that unusual…poor kid from a poor family People like me are a dime a dozen, but I suppose Zack travels in circles thatinto the driver’s seat as I’He’s a professional athlete who can afford this expensive SUV, designer clothes, and a haircut that probably costsMark’s hand-me-doeatshirt because I don’t ointer coat, and jeans that I’m sure came from either my sister, Kelly, or a thrift store, I can’t remember which, but are certainly at least five years old theht be hard for hiround