“My bad.”
After we finish our chili, I leave Jude to handle our dirty dishes and put the rest of the chili away in the fridge. When I return, Jude’s eyes are distant, their smile long gone, and their arms wrapped tightly around their legs. I join them on the couch, facing them.
“So, do you want to talk about what’s bothering you, or are you here for a distraction? Because I could load up the Switch or?—”
“Nikki and I broke up.”
I freeze. “Oh. Shit.”
Jude pulls their legs tighter against them. “Yeah.”
“I’m so sorry,” I mutter. “Did she give you a reason?”
“Actually… I dumped her.”
My eyes widen. “Oh. I guess I didn’t—I didn’t realize that you weren’t happy.”
Jude’s gaze lingers on the coffee table, but there’s a trace of a smile on their face. “I don’t think I realized it either.”
I study them carefully, trying to figure out the appropriate response. “So, should we be celebrating, then?”
Jude shakes their head. “No, it’s not really something to celebrate. At least, not yet. I feel pretty awful about how it all shook out in the end.”
“When did it happen?”
“Last night.”
“Really?” I don’t know why I’m surprised—I guess I expected Jude to tell me about something this big right away. But then again, that’s kind of a selfish assumption for me to make.
“Yeah, I needed some time to process it alone,” Jude continues. “I also didn’t want to interfere with your Friday lab because I know you’re prone to skipping it.”
My mouth hangs open, and I can’t decide whether I’m offended by the skipping lab remark or touched that they considered my schedule at all.
“Either way,” Jude continues. “I decided that I don’t want to be alone anymore.”
My chest aches, and every cell in me longs to hold them. “Well, I can definitely help with that,” I say instead. “What would you like to do?”
Jude shrugs. “I don’t know. What would you be doing if I weren’t here?”
I nod towards the TV. “I was probably just going to watch a movie or two. My traditional Halloween movies areBeetlejuiceandThe Nightmare Before Christmas, but really, any spooky movie will do.”
A smile creeps across Jude’s face. “I haven’t seenThe Nightmare Before Christmassince I was a kid.”
“Oh, well, it’s settled!” I reach for the remote, grinning widely. “We’ll start with that and see how we feel after.”
“Okay, I’ll go use the restroom really quick, and then I’ll be ready.”
As I queue up the movie, Jude stands and stretches with a groan, then winces, rubbing where their neck meets their shoulders.
“Are you okay?” I ask, springing to my feet by their side in an instant.
“Yeah, I think I just slept wrong last night,” they explain, grimacing in pain. “I’ll be fine.”
I peer at the couch. “I can move the couch so you can lie down the full length of it without turning your head,” I suggest. “I don’t mind sitting on the floor.”
Jude shakes their head. “No, I want to sit with you. I need–I mean, I…” They hesitate, looking away. “If you’re comfortable with it, I kind of need physical comfort right now. Nothing crazy, just… sitting close, holding hands, that kind of thing.”
My stupid heart practically somersaults in my chest. “Uh, yeah, that’s…yeah, that’s more than okay with me. We can make that work.” I scour my brain for a solution. “Oh, I have an idea!”
