Griffin looks over at me, and before I can settle into the awkward tension building in my spine, he chuckles and slings his arm around my shoulders.
“Relax,” he says, pulling me in like it’s the easiest thing in the world.
I let myself lean into him. His side is solid and warm, and the way his fingers rest against my shoulder makes my chest ache in a stupid, good way.
We sit like that. Not saying anything.
Just breathing in the view.
24
Griffin
Sabrina: I’m sorry for how I reacted.
Sabrina: Please don’t throw away what we have.
Staringat the texts and realizing that I feel nothing for Sabrina anymore is a major fucking relief.
I had felt like a colossal disappointment after cheating on her. I still feel shitty about it because that’s not the kind of man I want to be. But I also realized that my desire to be with Jake was a lot higher than it had ever been with her.
I don’t know if that says something about sexuality as a whole or if it just means that I never really felt a connection with her to begin with. That’s honestly not something I feel like diving into without a bottle of Jack Daniels and maybe Mack as a sounding board.
I’m trying not to completely implode over the fact that I might really want something real with Jacob. Our date had been…the best date I’ve ever been on.
And we didn’t even do anything other than kiss and hold hands like high schoolers. And yet, I felt more connected to him than I had to Sab even after two years spent together.
It was eye opening.
I’m walking past one of the science buildings when I catch a glimpse of Hughie halfway down the sidewalk with his backpack slung over one shoulder.
So of course I jog to catch up with him.
I’m huffing slightly by the time I get next to him. When I close the gap, Hughie turns and looks at me with that expression that saysyou’re interrupting my existential peace for what, exactly?which I ignore because, again, it’s Hughie and weird is his baseline setting.
“Hey,” I say, breath still slightly brisk like I just sprinted instead of lightly jogged across the quad. “How’re you doing? What are you up to?”
He shrugs and narrows his eyes at me. “I’m heading home for the day. Morning skate tomorrow, so figured I’d take the evening and actually rest.”
And then he pauses like he is waiting for me to say something, he shoots me this side-eye that could slice through steel.
“You wanna come over and play video games?” he asks, in a casual tone.
And I jump at the chance like someone offered free pizza becauseyes,I want to be anywhere that isn’t my own head right now. Video games with Hughie are basically emotional duct tape with a controller attached.
“Hell yeah,” I say, maybe a little too eagerly, because I’m a disaster, but also because the idea of sitting on a couch with Hughie feels exactly like what my brain desperately needs and then some.
He nods like this is a normal request and we start walking together toward his place.
Oh and there’s the obvious perk that he lives with the guy I’m currently obsessed with.
We getto Hughie’s place with the pizza box smelling like fucking heaven and my stomach grumbling with excitement. My hands are also choosing to sweat because I’m so obviously nervous. Which is something I refuse to think about too hard.
Until we walk in and I see Jacob.
He’s at the table with his textbook open, glasses on, and hair still damp like he just got out of the shower. He’s holding a pen between his lips with his brow furrowed, totally locked in like he’s about to rewrite the damn textbook himself.
And I just… stop.
