I smirked at him, proud of myself.“But am I wrong?”
He took in a breath only to start again when his phone buzzed and he looked down at the response.
“Oh man, I’m screenshotting this and sharing it with the guys,” he mumbled, wiping at his face.
I pretended not to notice the tears that were falling, knowing it came from more than just laughing too hard.It was all his emotions that had been bundled up too long finally finding a release.
We drove in silence for a while.The roads were empty, the world hushed.Streetlights flashed over us in intervals.Bryan was staring out the window, his head resting against it.I almost thought he even fell asleep until he grabbed his phone and responded to something.I had no doubt it was from his parents.
“Want to tell me what happened?”I asked.
He let out a slow breath.“Early applications.”
“You got accepted into one.”
“Well, there’s more.All submitted by my parents.Some of them I didn’t even know about.And two of them said yes.”
I blinked.“That’s...Bryan, that’s huge.”
“It’s not what I want.”His voice cracked slightly.“I didn’t apply to those schools.I don’t want anything to do with my parents’ plans.I did get into the school I do want.I got into the cybersecurity program.It’s perfect and it’s close enough to here.My parents dug through my stuff and they know.They were threatening me, said if I accept that one, they’re cutting me off.No funding.No car.No nothing.”
I glanced at him, my heart heavy.I was lucky.I didn’t have anyone I had to report to anymore.No parents waiting to check my grades to make sure they were perfect or make sure my choices aligned with theirs.But Bryan had always lived under that kind of scrutiny, that constant control disguised as love.Most of the time, his parents didn’t care what he did unless it affected their reputation and the family name.Then suddenly, his whole life became their business plan.
“So what are you going to do?”I asked.
He grabbed his glasses and focused a little too hard on cleaning the lenses.“I don’t know.I just need to breathe.”
“You can stay at my place tonight.”
“Cadence, I didn’t mean—”
“I know,” I stopped him.“It’s okay.”
Back at my house, Bryan stepped inside and dropped his bag by the door, his eyes roaming over the familiar space like he was seeing it for the first time.
He’d been here plenty of times before with the movie nights, study sessions, random hangouts, but tonight, he stood there a little longer.His shoulders loosened, the tension in his jaw easing as his eyes swept over the quiet living room, the dim light spilling from the lamp, the faint hum of the heater.
It hit me then.
He looked at my house like it was safe.
That realization was strange because this place had never really been that for me.It had been a shelter, sure, but not a safe one.Especially after when the Ryder gang broke into my house and forced me to jump out the window and escape to Seth’s house.Bryan redid my entire security system afterward, but it never felt the same.When I needed that feeling of comfort and safety, I had always stayed at Seth’s house instead.
But now Bryan stood there like the weight of the world that had crashed on his shoulders had eased just a little.
He exhaled slowly.“This is the quiet I’ve been looking for.”
I didn’t know what to say to that.My throat tightened, my chest warming in a way I didn’t know how to handle.“You’re always welcomed here.As long as you need.”
He gave me a crooked smile.“You look tired.”
I let out a small laugh.“It’s nearly two in the morning.Let’s get some sleep.You aren’t looking so good yourself either.”I nodded toward the stairs.“Let’s make sure you don’t break your neck trying to sleep on the couch.”
Before going up, Bryan made sure I was properly locked up and the lights were off.Upstairs, my room was dim, the blanket tossed back from my scramble out of bed.Bryan stopped by the doorway, looking around like the space was new to him.
I realized he’d never been in my room before.Not really.Not like this.
He hesitated, suddenly shy.“You sure this is okay?”
