Jack snorted, tossing Felix the spices. “Don’t use much, just a little.”
Felix sprinkled the small containers until Jack motioned for him to stop.
“So,” Jack said as he stacked the spices back on the shelf, forcing them to fit next to an old bottle of soy sauce and a packet of brand-name brown sugar. “You’re really serious about this shit. You said something about a cleaning guy?”
“Yep,” Felix said, stirring the sauce vigorously so he didn’t have to think about why he was doing all of this. “Gotta make sure my future roommates don’t kill me.” The pan spat oil onto the stove. Felix wiped it away with a dish cloth he was keeping next to the stove for this very reason.
“Huh,” Jack said, raising his brows. “That’s considerate of you.”
“You don’t have to sound so surprised.”
Jack laughed. He scrubbed a hand down his face, looking as exhausted as usual. “So who are you moving in with?”
Felix thought about Jacob turning him down again and again. About Shane inviting him to move in with him and his boyfriend so he could be a third wheel to their stupidly happy relationship.
“I don’t know yet,” Felix admitted, stirring so hard he had to stop and wipe up splashed tomato juice. “There was this guy. But that’s… that’s probably not happening.”
Jack grunted, slinging a dish towel over his shoulder much like he’d done back at The Last Call. “This guy. Boyfriend?”
“No,” Felix said, too sharply.
“Okay,” Jack muttered. He scratched at a dried stain on the countertop. “Did that have anything to do with the guy you were glaring at last night? The one who isn’t allowed to have other friends?”
“He’s allowed to have other friends,” Felix said, wincing. He couldn’t believe he’d said that. That was strictly an inside thought. He stirred the pan harder, the dented metal rattling with the force. “It’s nothing. Seriously. He’s told me a million times he’s never moving in with me. I should really get over it. Ishould.”
“Okay,” Jack repeated, looking like he regretted bringing it up.
But Felix was on a roll. He looked up from the pan, which he was stirring so hard drops shot out and coated the stove he’d just wiped. “But we’d been planning this since we werekids,” Felix insisted as the metal pan rattled below him, wobbling dangerously close to the far right of the element. “You know? Our whole lives. Get out of town, go to college, move in together! This was theplan!”
“Um…” Jack said, eyes on the pan.
“And he’s just throwing it all away,” Felix hissed. “Because what? Because I’mmessy? My nickname is literallyMess, he gave me that nickname! He said we’d drive each other crazy, I thought helikedthat about our friendship! And he waited until the semester we were supposed to go looking for apartments! I don’t even know if I’m going to tell him about any of this shit atthis point. I mean, what’s the point? If he doesn’twantto live with me?—”
“Felix!”
But it was too late. The pan skidded off the element, careening toward the floor.
Felix reached out. He meant to grab the handle. But he was so desperate to save his stupid nachos, flailing blindly for whatever he could reach.
One of his hands closed around the burning bottom of the pan. Even through the blinding pain and mess of meat that followed, Felix couldn’t help but think:
Guess you don’t know as much as you thought.
CHAPTER 14
Jacob’s head snapped up as soon as he heard Felix’s distinctive footsteps.
Felix strode out of the nurse’s office, his bandaged hand hanging awkwardly at his side. He nodded at something the nurse was saying, accepting the creams she handed over. Then he turned, pausing when he noticed Jacob.
“Hey,” Felix said. “You’re here.”
“Of course I’m here,” Jacob said, affronted.
Felix shrugged. “You have class. This isn’t a big deal, man. Not worth the ER trip. I told the guy not to order me an Uber.”
“Guy,” Jacob repeated. “What guy?”
“Jack the Hot TA,” Felix said. He held up his good hand in a scout’s salute. “I’m not fucking him, Your Honor. I swear. He’s straight.”
