Felix turned to look at him. Jack was in his usual bartending uniform: a tight white tee with a rag slung over his shoulder. He looked hot. Felix was too miserable to appreciate it.
We’d drive each other crazy,Jacob had insisted. Felix thought driving each other crazy was a feature of their friendship, not a bug. Apparently, he was wrong.
Jack gestured at Felix’s empty glass. “Hello? Do you need more or not?”
Felix sighed. “Fill ’er up, barkeep.”
Jack poured another two fingers of the cheapest whiskey available and turned to go.
Felix grabbed his arm, barely able to enjoy the muscle underneath it. “Hey! You know I’m paying someone to teach me how to clean?”
“You were serious about that?” Jack snorted, rubbing the bags under his eyes. “Who’d you rope into that shit?”
Felix waved dismissively and took a swig of whiskey. It was his fourth glass, which meant he was reaching the point where he didn’t want to gag as it went down. It also meant that he was reaching that pleasant hazy zone which meant he shouldn’t drink any more. Not that he paid much attention to that last part.
“Some loser who owns a house,” Felix said. “He’s not even thirty! Who the fuck owns a house before thirty?”
“People with rich parents,” Jack deadpanned. “You need anything else?”
Felix shot another look at Jacob. He looked happy. A little out of his depth, but happy. Why couldn’t Felix be happy for him? Maybe it was natural for childhood friends to grow apart in college. But he never thought it would happen tothem.
He waited for Jacob to look back at him. He always did that during group conversations, wanting Felix to save him or, failing that, drag him away so they could get away from these people. They never needed anybody else. Until Jacob decided he wanted to be ‘new Jacob,’ who apparently had other friends and didn’t need Felix to save him from conversations anymore.
Fine, Felix thought grudgingly.You don’t need me? I don’t need you.
“You know what Ineed?” Felix said, turning back to Jack. “I need to getfucked. You down?”
Jack didn’t even look surprised. He just stood there, dead-eyed, like this wasn’t even the third weirdest thing he’d heard today.
“Even if I wasn’t your TA,” Jack said. “No.”
Felix scoffed. “Rude. I’mgreatin bed.”
“And I don't bat for your team,” Jack said flatly. He dragged a bowl of peanuts in front of Felix. “Do everyone a favor and eat something before you puke in the corner.”
“That was one time,” Felix argued. He grabbed a handful of peanuts and stuffed them into his mouth. Garbled, he continued: “You know he never wanted to talk to anyone? Now look at him.”
Jack glanced over at Jacob, who was still surrounded by those losers from stats class. “Okay. Good.”
“Not good,” Felix insisted.
Jack sighed. He looked like he wanted to walk away, but there was no one else to serve. “Why?”
“He’s my best friend.”
“So? He can have other friends.”
“He’s neverwantedother friends,” Felix said desperately. “Just me.”
It sounded pathetic. But Felix couldn’t help it. He should want Jacob to have more friends. To move wherever the hell he wanted. Togrow, for fuck’s sake.
Felix did want him to grow. But he also wanted to keep Jacob for himself. They had always belonged to each other, Felix and Jacob, their names spoken together so often they ran into each other.FelixnJacob. Jacob always bitched about coming last,which Felix adored. He would listen to Jacob bitch for the rest of his life, if Jacob let him.
Fuck,wouldJacob let him? Or would they drift apart like childhood friends were supposed to?
“Go home,” Jack told him. “Drink some water.”
“Youdrink some water,” Felix muttered. He downed the rest of his terrible whiskey and spun in his seat, scanning the bar.
