“Just breathe.”
“You’re okay.”
I know they’re all meant to soothe Lexi—it’s why he’s saying them aloud. And yet, as he holds my gaze, I can’t shake the strange feeling that he’s trying to convince himself of them too.
I’m lounging on my bed, three episodes deep into my rewatch ofAttack on Titan, when my phone starts buzzing on the mattress. At first, I assume it’s Cam calling to say he’s on his way home from the conference tournament at Cornwall, but instead, I find a FaceTime notification from Bailey.
A smirk pulls at my lips, and I quickly accept and wait for him to appear on the screen.
“Hey, B. What’s up?” I ask the second he’s in frame.
From the looks of it, he’s on his bed in his dorm room, wearing a hoodie and blanket around his shoulders.
He blows out a breath. “Oh, you know. Living the dream and freezing my damn ass off. Remind me again why I decided to spendwinterin Norway?”
I purse my lips before offering, “I think you said it had something to do with the auroras. Or maybe it was the way Scandinavian architecture looks in the snow.”
“I was being facetious, dickhead, but thank you for that,” he grouses indignantly. “How’ve you been, though? I’ve been meaning to check in, but—”
“No, I get it. It’s been busy here too.”
We haven’t spoken a whole lot since he left for Norway over winter break, and that’s partly on me. I’ve been so wrapped up in Cam and school, I’ve completely neglected to check in with how he’s doing too.
“Well, catch me up, then. Things have to be far more interesting there than they are here.”
Interesting is definitely one word for it.
Especially since, the last time we spoke, things were still very much in the pretend realm with Camden. Yet dropping thatparticularchange in status quo feels like jumping off the deep end, and I’d much rather tread into waters carefully.
I release a long breath before a wry laugh slips out.
“Well, where to start? Willow is Willow. Still a pain in the ass, and she definitely broke that vow of celibacy, if her frequent sleepovers away from the house are any indication.” I tap my fingers on my bed, racking my brain for other safe, non-Camden related updates. “Uh, let’s see. My classes this term have been smooth sailing, thank God. Lots of reading, but it’s pretty easy, so I still have plenty of time to draw both for my studio course as well as for myself. Lexi is doing okay, despite the break up, and she’s been going—”
“Hold the fuck up,” he cuts in, holding his hand in front of him. “Lexi and Wyatt broke up?”
I bite my lip and nod. “Yeah, right before spring break.”
“Spring break! But that was almost two weeks ago!”
“Yeah,” I say slowly, not sure where he’s going with this.
He gawks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Yeah! So why the hell am I just hearing about thisnow?”
“Uh, because you’re like six hours ahead in Norway?”
“That’s not an excuse when the phone still works in fucking space, Logan!” he exclaims, pinning me with a heated glare that could put the sun to shame.
I cross my arms over my chest, and shrug. “Well, it’s not like it’s my news to tell.”
“It is when you’ve been pining after the girl since I’ve met you,” he counters, cocking his head. His brown eyes widen, and his hands fly to the top of his head. “Oh,shit.So what does that mean for your whole fake relationship thing with Camden?”
My brows knit together, genuinely confused, before I ask, “What do you mean?”
“Are you gonna end it to pursue Lexi?”
It’s my turn to be wide-eyed with shock by his insinuation.
I’d been more concerned about easing him into the idea of Cam and I being…well, not as fake as originally planned. I hadn’t even considered he’d think I would immediately end that arrangement to chase after Lexi.
