Page 75 of Arctic Titans of Northwood U: Volume 2

“It’s a good thing you called,” she said, nodding firmly. The waiter arrived and took our orders. We sat in silence again, words welling in me despite the lack of courage. I was getting ready to tell her. I had to. I had to admit there was someone else.

Courtney asked me how things have been these days. I started talking about Sebastian slowly recovering from the shock and the betrayal, but the waiter stopped me when he brought our coffees. It seemed to work in Courtney’s favor. She took a long sip of her frothy latte, licked her lips, and looked into my eyes. She didn’t ask me to continue talking about Sebastian.

“I’ll be honest, Tyler, I was wondering if there was any point to even bother trying to patch things up,” she said. I couldn’t read her tone exactly. “Had you not asked to see me, I think I would have moved on soon. But…” She hesitated, and I realized that this, to her, was a making-up date.

My heart sank. I felt horrible in an instant. I’d hoped to break it to her without disappointing her, but she was getting ready to give us another chance.

My chest was so tight that I had an urge to grab it with a hand and still my heart. I opened my mouth to speak, but Courtney waved me shortly to silence. “I think, if you’re serious about this, that it’s good we’re here, talking, face to face.”

My heart lurched. I was such a goddamn coward.

“You have so much potential,” she said. “I know there’s more to you than just hockey and that weird brotherhood you think is sacred. But it’s just a team, Ty. It’s not a real fraternity and you’re better than that musketeer bullshit.”

My brow wrinkled before I could start looking for words.

“Here’s the thing,” she said matter-of-factly. She spoke like all of it was a given and I just needed to nod along. “I’m willing to work on it. I really am. But things have to change, Ty. I can’t keep sharing you with those guys. And I can’t keep sharing you with Sebastian. I know you think it’s important, but it’s just a break-up. He doesn’t really need you. So, if you want us to be together, he’ll have to go.” She paused, waiting for a response. When she didn’t get any, she leaned a little closer. “Who’s it going to be, Ty?”

“Oh, Court,” I sighed. “That’s a horrible position to be in.”

She cocked her head almost sympathetically. “I wouldn’t put you in that position if it wasn’t important.”

I blinked once, confused, then frowned as I shook my head. “No, I meant your position.” Her eyebrows rose a fraction of an inch. “You can’t really believe it’s a good idea to make me choose between you and him. I mean, it’s not a nice place to be, Courtney.” My temper was rising, but something else was there too. Relief? I felt liberated. It was like tight ropes loosening and my muscles remembering what it was like to be free. I took a deep breath. “I choose him.” The surprise on her face was horrible. It made me sad to do it like this. And dirty. Like I was getting away with a crime. “I’ll always choose him over anyone else, Courtney. Sebastian is the nicest guy ever and he’s my best friend. There’s no negotiating his place in my life. It’s everyone else who needs to fit in.” The idea that I would have to cut him out for anyone made me terrified. I couldn’t imagine a life without him, no matter what his role in it was.

Her eyes grew wide with shock. “Are you fucking serious?”

“Oh yeah,” I said. “I’m dead serious. Nobody gets between Sebastian and me. Not friends, not relationships, not even family.”

Anger tightened her lips. Her nostrils flared and she trembled with rage. “Are you two fucking?”

“No.” A distant, vague sense of longing passed through my chest. We’d flirted with the idea. We’d even kissed so passionately that fucking seemed like the only way to go, but we hadn’t actually talked about it. And we definitely hadn’t talked in length about the fact that we were two guys who had never been into men before. It was a huge leap and I wasn’t even close to unpacking these thoughts. What I told her was true even if I lied by omission.

“Fine. It doesn’t matter,” she said, softer. “I see that you’re a lost cause, Tyler. I tried to be someone to you. Someone to help you grow out of that frat bro phase. But you’re hopeless, Tyler. And I’m done putting work into this relationship.”

She pushed her chair back, the loud scraping filled the room and made a few people turn their heads in our direction.

“Wait,” I said.

She paused, standing and holding her head high. “It’s too late to change your mind, Tyler. You said what you said.”

I held a breath for a moment. “I don’t mean to change my mind, Court,” I said softly.

She stiffened her facial muscles and waited.

“I’m sorry I sidelined you,” I said. “I shouldn’t have dragged you along.”

Her mouth was pinched small for a few moments. Then, blinking, her expression softened a little. She shook her head. “You shouldn’t have.” And with that, she walked away. Her footsteps receded between the tables and melted into the background noise.

I slouched in my chair and stared at my coffee. That was tough as hell, but it was over. I had owed her that apology. This relationship had been my second priority pretty much since the beginning, but I hadn’t realized it until now. Yet it was a relief, too, having finished this.

In my mind, I could see him. Sebastian was in our room, choosing to isolate because that was who he really was, waiting for me to come home, to kneel, to tell him it was over, and to promise that I was free.

Chapter Nine

SEBASTIAN

Only when the door of our room opened and Tyler leaned against the frame, did I realize I had been pacing.

My nervous trot back and forth in the room came to a halt at a swooshing sound the bouquet of red roses made when he swayed it in front of him. “Is this weird?”