"He's not my—" Stop, because he is. Boyfriend. The word is still strange, but it's good. "Yeah, he is."
Drew takes a sip of his hot chocolate. "Haven't seen you this happy in...well, ever, actually."
Risking a glance at him. "What do you mean?"
"Come on, James. You've been in the frat for three years, and this is the first time you've participated in something that wasn't mandatory or charity-related."
"That's not true. I went to the Halloween party."
"Only because Gavin ambushed you into going." Drew sends me a knowing look. "You used to practically live in the computer room. Now you're out here, drinking hot chocolate and looking at him like he hung the moon."
Heat floods my cheeks, and it's got nothing to do with the hot chocolate. "Is it that obvious?"
"Only to someone who's known you for years." Drew claps a hand on my shoulder. "It's good, man. He's good for you. And honestly, he's been good for the frat too."
"How so?"
"Did you know he's been tutoring all the freshmen through their intro to law class? They were all freaking out about that final until he stepped in. Now half of them are considering pre-law."
Wait, what?Caleb, grumpy, leave-me-alone Caleb, has been tutoring the freshmen? The same guy who complainedfor twenty minutes about "intellectual mediocrity" last week? Except... that tracks, doesn't it?
And he did help fix Jaren's essay structure without making him feel stupid. All those times he disappeared after dinner. He wasn't avoiding people, he was... helping them? Something he never mentioned.Typical.
Drew continues, "Plus, he's got that whole terrifying efficiency thing going. Got the alumni database organized in like three days."
"Yeah, he's..." I watch Caleb explain something to Emily, waving his hands around, his face all lit up. "He's something else."
By our seventh stop, a small bakery offering "Mexican Hot Chocolate" with chili and cinnamon, the bus has become so much louder. The sugar high is hitting everyone hard, and the ratings are becoming more creative.
"This one's worth at least eight thousand Instagram followers," Taj declares, snapping photos from multiple angles.
"I'm giving it five candy canes for sugar rush potential," Elijah announces. "I can already feel my pancreas crying."
Emily is documenting everything, her phone constantly out. "This is going on the frat Instagram," she tells me. "Best engagement we've had all semester."
Caleb takes a sip of the spicy hot chocolate and makes a sound that can only be described as inappropriate for public consumption. His eyes close, and his head tilts back slightly.
"Oh my god," he groans. "This is... this is..."
My blood rushes south as my dick responds immediately, and my jeans are getting tighter.Fantastic. Public arousal in a bakery. Very dignified.
He opens his eyes and catches me staring at him, my cup forgotten. But instead of embarrassment, his lips curl into a knowing smirk. The bastard actually winks at me, then takesanother deliberately slow sip, maintaining eye contact the entire time.
Jesus Christ.My jeans go from tight to painful. He knows exactly what he's doing.
Drew and Emily exchange a look before bursting into laughter.
"Someone's enjoying their hot chocolate a little too much," Drew teases.
"Shut up," Caleb says with no heat. "It's good, okay? The heat from the chilli balances the sweetness perfectly."
"Uh-huh," Emily says, wiggling her eyebrows. "I think James might need a moment after that reaction."
Heat crawls up my neck like I'm being boiled alive.Great, at this rate, I’ll have no blood left to run my brain."I'm fine."
"Sure you are," she says with a wink. "Your face is naturally that color."
We step outside between shops, and I find myself walking beside Caleb as the rest of the group surges ahead toward our next destination.
