By now I’ve composed myself, and my eyes are dry, my body drained. Who would have thought explaining your love life drama could tire you out more than a football match?
“I wish he’d feel the same way …” I sigh. “I keep trying to theorise how everything might work out. But I’m deluding myself, just being pathetic.”
“You’re not, Noah.”
“Yes, I am.” I groan. “Okay, I’m not talking about this anymore.”
I turn to look through the window, the sky indigo. My parents will arrive home soon.
“Thanks for listening to me, though,” I tell Ben.
“Don’t thank me,” he says. “Are you going to tell Mum and Dad and Peter? They won’t judge you.”
“I know. I will. Soon. But don’t tell them, okay?”
“I know.”
I stand up and stretch my limbs before walking over to the windows to pull down the blinds. “You hungry?” I ask.
“I could eat. We’ve got leftovers from last night if you want that.”
I nod, and Ben gets up from the couch.
When I’ve finished with the blinds, I walk over to the kitchen where Ben prepares dinner. “It’s funny,” Ben says. “I swear I heard your friends say that you were dating Eve.”
“Everyone thinks that.” I wince, thinking of Henry’s words last night. What was wrong with me, to think that making him jealous was a good idea?
But I know exactly why I thought it was a good idea. I just didn’t realise how much Henry would care, how hurt he’d be. But why is he so jealous if he doesn’t want me?
“Does Eve think that?” Ben asks.
I shake my head. “She knows about Henry.”
Ben’s brows shoot up. “How did you guys become friends, anyway?”
I smile. “It’s a funny story.”
As I said to Ben, everyone thought Eve and I were dating. Kaito and Tiana knew Eve slept in my bed. We were quiet at breakfast. Tiana saw Eve and me hugging. It wasn’t romantic in the slightest — but perhaps she saw it that way. People saw Eve kiss Oliver, but I took her home, an arm around her to hold her up. They must have guessed she was spending the night with me. Maybe they thought we spent that night making it up to each other.
I don’t know what the logic was behind the rumour. But as I was about to go to bed, my phone buzzed, and my heart leapt because I thought it was Henry.
It wasn’t. It was Declan.
Declan: Damn, man. I heard you scored last night. Now u can’t lie about Eve anymore.
Noah: What are u talking about?
Declan: You fucked Eve last night.
Noah: WTF no! Why did u think that?
Declan: Sana told me.
Noah: How the hell would Sana know?
Declan: IDK, that’s what she told me.
Noah: I didn’t. Don’t believe her. She’s lying.
