It took Dom a moment to realise what was missing.
Dom: Do you even know what month it is?
Dom: Where’s your tree?
He’d seen Henry admire all the decorations at the holiday park, so he knew he liked them. Why didn’t he have any of his own? It was the middle of December. Dom was just about to ask when he saw the tell-tale dots telling him Henry was replying.
They disappeared and reappeared a few times before an actual message came through.
Henry: We just haven’t got round to getting it yet.
Dom: We?
Dom stared at his phone, an uncomfortable feeling growing in his belly. Was he back with his arsehole of an ex? Surely not in the short amount of time since they’d got back.
Unless it was all a lie and Henry hadn’t broken up with anyone?
Fuck.
Dom felt a little sick at the thought it had all been an act.
Thank fuck, I didn’t—
Henry: I share a house with three of my mates.
Oh.
Dom felt ridiculously relieved, then confused.
Dom: You gave me the impression you lived on your own.
Not that it mattered either way. Buying a house or renting on your own was fucking expensive. Dom had been lucky he’d bought his from family at a much cheaper price than he’d have otherwise got. But he was curious as to why Henry had never mentioned it when they’d talked about nearly everything else.
Henry’s reply took a long while to come, and Dom was about to go back to work when the notification appeared on his phone.
Henry: I know. I was embarrassed. You have a great job and bought your own house. I can’t seem to get the job I want and still share a house with my mates at 26.
Dom stared at his phone, unsure how to reply, but some things began to slot into place.
Not to be big-headed, but Dom had known Henry liked him, and not just as a holiday fuckbuddy. Dom had his own issues and reasons for not asking to see Henry again, but if he was being honest, he’d fully expected Henry to bring it up.
And the fact that he hasn’t is disappointing.
It was.
Hypocritical too, because he’d spent Friday night telling his friends just why seeing Henry again was an epically bad idea, yet it hurt that Henry didn’t seem to want to see him either.
Maybe that was why.
It occurred to him, belatedly, that he’d left Henry hanging after he’d admitted to what must have been a huge thing for him. God knew what must be going through his mind at Dom ignoring him.
Bollocks.
Dom: You’ve only just finished uni. Might take time to get your dream job. Hang in there. And there’s no shame in living with your mates. Housing is expensive these days.
He wanted to say more to convince Henry that there was no need to be embarrassed, but he didn’t want to risk sounding like a patronising arse. He quickly reread the message he’d sent, hoping he hadn’t come off like that.
“Dom?”
