those years between us

[02] MOVING IN

"I COULD BE anywhere in the world right now, and here I am, helping you move in. I think I deserve an ice cream for this, Salome."

"We can negotiate that later, Cami."

My best friend Camille and I stood outside my new apartment, watching as the moving-in guys helped push my boxes of stuff through the door. Camille had come over a few days earlier than me, since she was moving into the school dorms. She'd decided to feel helpful enough to come help out, though all that had amounted to so far was a lot of chatting.

I casted surreptitious glances at Orion's apartment. 2D. Right across mine. It was a Saturday, so I wasn't sure if he was in or not. But surely if he was he might have heard the commotion, glanced out and said hi to me by now? He probably was out with his friends for the weekend.

"I'm going to visit you so much," Camille sighed. "Can't wait until I can move out to an apartment too."

"How are you going to do that when you can't even cook or take care of yourself?"

Camille shot me a glare. "Well, I'll be sure to live near you so I can come and eat your cooking every night, then."

I glanced at her with mock outrage. "Or just learn how to take care of yourself, Camille Tsang!"

"Why would I do that when I have you around?" Camille asked, pulling her fingers through her long curls.

I'd met Camille in fourth grade, when we were still both studying in Hong Kong. We became fast friends, and really got closer in the early years of secondary school. She went to my boarding school two years after I'd already gone, and we attended sixth form together in England. And now here we were together, at university.

She knew Orion. I'd told her that he was my neighbour again. She knew I'd known him since we were kids, but I'd never let her in on my crush either.

Too embarrassing.

"Because I can't be here for you forever?" I retorted, raising a brow. "I really hope you're not expecting me to stay by your side forever and cook and clean for you all the time."

"No," she pouted, "but I thought you could help me long enough until I find someone else who can do it for me."

"Get rich. Then you can hire a nanny."

"A nanny?"

"If you're such a big baby, they'd be the best people for the job."

She punched me on the shoulders. I laughed and stepped back into the apartment. Most of the large furniture was already in place. The movers told me they were going to get back downstairs to grab the boxes of smaller stuff, and I nodded my appreciation.

Camille tilted her head at me. "You want a drink?"

"I don't have anything bought."

She rolled her eyes with a scoff. "Of course you don't. You've just moved in. There's a Co-op right around the corner, I can grab something for the two of us. Apple juice for you?"

"Yeah." I grinned. "Thanks. I'll stay here for the movers."

She nodded and went to grab the elevator, and I stayed in my apartment, the door still open, pacing around.

Then, I heard the sound of a creaking door and glanced up at the source of the noise, which just so happened to be the door right opposite mine. A door whose opening I'd been rather dreading.

"If you'd told me you were moving in today I'd have helped."

And in that moment I realised I'd been lying to myself. How did I ever think I was over him? How did I ever think I'd moved on? Because as I stared into the figure of Orion Ip, a charming smile on his face, leaning against his doorway, stance relaxed, my heart started pounding.