My god, I want it to be tomorrow already. Putting me and Callum together in a secluded house for four months with no responsibilities is my idea of a good time, and I’m not known for being too patient.
From the bedroom, I hear the lock click, and my heart jumps into my throat.
Is he back already?
I dart into the living room, ready to launch myself at Callum, and barely stop myself from lunging when I realize that it’s Nick.
“You thought I was Callum, didn’t you?” he asks, and heat rises up my neck.
“How’d you guess?”
“Please.” Nick scoffs. “You have a dreamy look in your eyes, and I’d be a little concerned if you were making it for me.”
“Aww, itcouldbe for you,” I tease. “Callum and I might want a third.” For effect, I drag my fingers along his exposed forearm, and he swats my hand away.
“Man, fuck off,” he says with a grin. “There’s no way you’d share, anyway.”
“You aren’t wrong.” I rest my shoulder against the wall. “What’s up?”
“Nothing much, just thought I’d stop by before warmups later.” He slips his shoes off. “I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”
“Nah. I’m just packing for the lake house.” Heading for the couch, I notice Nick isn’t following me, and I turn back. “You okay?”
He jerks his head up, blinking as he walks over. “Yeah, yeah. I, uh, forgot you’re leaving tomorrow.”
I sink into the couch and motion for Nick to sit next to me, and he lets out a huge sigh as he does, his tall body creating an indent in the center and almost making me lose my balance.
“It sounds likesomeoneis gonna miss me.” I shake him by the shoulder, and he chuckles weakly.
“I kind of already do. Games aren’t the same, and… Damn, it feels like I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Oh, shit. I snap to attention and let sincerity take over. Nick isn’t wrong—it’s been weeks since the two of us properly hungout, and I don’t want to be that friend who disappears after getting into a relationship.
“Yeah, I’m sorry, bro. I?—”
“It’s not you. Don’t think that.” His eyes widen. “You and Callum are dealing with the legal shit, and I’m sure finals are kicking all of our asses. I’ll be fine.”
He’llbefine? I tilt my head, prompting him to continue.
“I’m kinda lonely,” he blurts out. “But that’snotyour problem?—”
The fuck it isn’t.“You’re my buddy. It kind of is.” I give Nick a hug, one of the too-strong, bro-y kinds, and he chuckles into my chest. “You still have an open invite to my family’s lake house, just saying.”
“I’d be intruding on you and Callum, no?”
I punch his arm gently. “Dude, no. Never. You’re always welcome.”
He shrugs. “It’s whatever. I’m gonna be here for most of the summer coaching high schoolers at baseball camp anyway.”
It seems the guys I’m close to have some kind of aversion to “imposing” on me or whatever. At least I don’t mind being the one to break through that.
“That camp won’t last for the whole summer, and I’ll want to see you. Callum and I both will,” I insist. “Please come over sometime. I’ll drive back here and pick you up if I have to.”
He presses his lips into a soft, lopsided smile. “You’re the best, man. I mean it.” Nick bumps his shoulder against mine, and I’m about to reply with some sappy line of my own when he smacks his hands on his knees. “Right, that’s enough moping for me. Let’s do something else.”
Okay, casual Nick is back.I point my thumb at the TV and reach down to turn my console on. “For sure. Do you want to beat each other up on a screen?”
He nods, I toss him a controller, and then I proceed to pound a virtual version of Nick into a pixelated pulp, over and over again.
