Page 65 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 2

I had to run to catch my bus, then speed-walk as the temperature dropped on my way to the team house. There, the house was mostly deserted. Sawyer had already moved away last semester and the other guys were probably out. There was a frat party down the street, so I assumed most of my teammates were there. If I thought dragging Sebastian into a big crowd would do him any good, I would have done just that. But I knew better.

As I passed through the kitchen, I lifted a six-pack from the back of the fridge and carried it with me to our room.

The door was unlocked when I gently twisted the knob, so I pushed forward and found my friend sprawling on the bed, facing away from me.

“Ty?” he said in a quiet, sleepy voice.

“Did I wake you up?” I asked.

“Wasn’t sleeping,” he said. “You were supposed to be out.”

I shut the door and went around the room to turn on the lamps. “I bring gifts,” I announced as I set the six-pack on the floor and folded my legs under my ass.

Sebastian slowly lifted his head and turned to face me. “I thought you were seeing Courtney.”

I sighed. “I was. I did. She’s fine. Now, let’s celebrate the first day of new opportunities for you.” I tried to smile, but even I heard how lame that was.

My best friend listened, though. He got up and then sat in front of me on the floor. We had sat like this countless times in his attic or Dad’s garage after he was done assembling the train set for the day.

I scanned Sebastian’s face as he reached for the can. His darker complexion and black hair that matched his impressive eyebrows and dark brown eyes made him the most attractive guy on campus. There was no mistaking it. Even I could tell he was a hot piece. He wouldn’t have a problem catching another girl’s attention.

A feeling I didn’t know what to call appeared in me. It surfaced abruptly. Something about it made me think I was afraid. Of what? I had no idea. But the thought of Sebastian nosediving into another relationship made me want to squirm.

We cracked our cans open and took a long sip each. Sebastian managed a little smile. “Now you caught me.”

“I kinda knew already,” I said. I wasn’t bragging.

He shook his head. “Sometimes, I wish you didn’t know me so well.”

I laughed at that. “That’s my cross to bear, dude. I knew you’d go to bed. And if I let you be alone for however long you wanted, you’d just watch your life go by.”

He was quiet for a time. As he breathed, his broad, round shoulders lifted and fell. Even slouching, his pecs were defined and hugged tightly by the T-shirt he wore. When he spoke, he was hesitant. “I’m so sick of dating.”

I said nothing.

My silence prompted him to continue. “For real. Every time I fall for someone, they just reveal a new flaw in me.”

“Bullshit,” I offered politely.

Sebastian’s thick eyebrows contorted.

“We both know where this is coming from,” I told him. “And I don’t blame you. It was a shock what happened last night. But it’s you who chooses to look at it as your personal failing. I’m telling you, it’s not you.” I didn’t want to psychoanalyze him to his face. Not here and now. But his parents had never lifted him up, never let him fly on his own, and the result was a cripplingly low opinion of himself. On good days, Sebastian let his sense of humor shine, and he was friendly to everyone, and he laughed at everything. But not all days were good.

“You keep saying it and I keep telling you that you’re wrong,” Sebastian said.

“Oh yeah? Well, I know you better,” I insisted. “Remember when we were eight or nine, when you saw my old man sitting on the curb, head between his knees, leaning against the trash can? It was starting to rain.”

He frowned a little.

“You took his hand and basically dragged him inside the house. He told you to leave him alone. He said you were disturbing his peace. But you took him inside and put him on the sofa. And Dad then hugged the pillow and dozed off. You could have gone home after that. Hell, you could have listened to him and just given it up. Remember what you did?” I tilted the can and poured some beer into my mouth. It prickled my tongue and left a mildly bitter aftertaste.

Sebastian spoke after swallowing his sip. “I came to find you. God, you were angry. You were furious.”

I had been. Dad had mostly kept his lows private and indoors, but he hadn’t listened to me when I’d begged him to go inside. ‘I’m trash. And trash belongs on the street.’ I will never forget those words. So when Sebastian discovered just how bad it could get, all my pride was gone.

“You hugged me,” I said.

He took another sip, a small smile curling the corners of his mouth.