I glance up from my phone to see Nikki buttoning up her shorts. “Oh, it’s just Max’s roommate, Oliver.”
Nikki’s nose scrunches in confusion. “Why?”
“He hangs out with us in Max’s dorm a lot, so he’s becoming one of my friends, too. We’re also in the same psych class, so we’ve partnered up for a project.”
Nikki’s expression morphs into irritation. “Is he straight?”
“I think so, but he’s never said.”
“So that means yes.”
I frown. “No, it doesn’t.”
She scoffs. “Babe. It does.”
Bemused, I shake my head. “Okay, so, let’s assume he’s straight. What does that matter? I’m gay.”
“But does he know that?”
I open my mouth to reply, then it hits me. “Wait, are you jealous?”
Now she looks angry. “Of a straight man? Absolutely not.”
“Good, because he knows I’m only into girls. I know because we talked about it.”
“You talked about it, and yet you don’t know if he’s straight?”
“It was a weird conversation that involved a lot of people, so, no, I don’t remember if he ever definitively?—”
“Jude, honey, that’s fucking weird. Please tell me you can see that that’s weird.”
“No, you just weren’t there, so you don’t know the context. He’s actually a really sweet guy.”
Nikki barks a sarcastic laugh. “Oh, baby, no, he’s already tricked you.”
“Nikki, you’ve never even met him?—”
“I don’t need to meet him! He’s a straight man. That’s all I need to know to know he’s a selfish, disgusting piece of garbage.”
I gape at her. “Okay, wow. What the hell?”
Nikki glares at me. “I thought we were on the same page. You told me your story, and I’ve told you mine. We’ve both fallen victim to?—”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean that all men are evil pigs!”
“Are you seriously ‘not all men’-ing me right now?”
My jaw hangs open as I struggle to think up a reply, but I come up empty.
After a beat, Nikki takes a deep breath. “Shit. Well, this subject is clearly a trigger for me, so I think I’m going to head out.”
“Nikki, wait.”
Her eyes meet mine, and she stills.
“I’m sorry,” I say, reaching for her hand. “I didn’t mean to upset you.”
Nikki pulls her lips tight, closes her eyes, and squeezes my hand. “It’s okay. I’m sorry I reacted so defensively.”
