“I’ll mention it,” Jacob said. “He’s very busy.”
There was a staccato knock on the door.
Jacob sat up, frowning. “Okay, I gotta?—”
His mother cut him off. “And how’s Felix going with his house search? He must have found someplace by now, right?”
“Don’t let him sleep on your couch if he can’t find a place,” his father added. “Even if he begs! Give him an inch and he’ll take a mile. We’re so glad you’re finding other friends, Jakey.”
“Even if you won’t give us their contact information,” his mother muttered.
The door swung open. Felix strode in, eyebrows raised in a way that meant he’d heard every word since he knocked. He looked different, but Jacob couldn’t tell why.
Jacob sighed. “Oh no, that’s David. I have to go, love you guys, bye!”
“Bye-bye,” his parents chorused.
Jacob placed his phone on his meticulously dusted nightstand and stood, ignoring the butterflies that erupted in his stomach whenever Felix showed up nowadays. “What are you doing here? I thought I was coming to yours.”
“Trust me, you’ll becoming.” Felix winked badly. He could wink well, but he hammed it up to be annoying. Jacob wished he wasn’t so charmed by it.
Felix shrugged. “Shane and Nate are being annoying and romantic in my dorm. Is your roommate home for the next few hours?”
“He’s at his girlfriend’s place.”
“Cool.” Felix kicked off his shoes. Then, in a surprising act of decency, he lined them up next to the door with Jacob’s. “Someday you’re gonna have to tell your parents to fuck off. You know that, right?”
“I’m not going to tell them to fuck off,” Jacob protested. “I just want them to believe that I’m anadult.”
Felix grinned. “Andthat they’re boring, judgmental people and you don’t want to talk to them several times a week!”
Jacob huffed a laugh. Then he paused, taking in Felix properly. Therewassomething different about him: the bandages on his hand were gone.
“They let you take them off,” Jacob said, taking Felix’s hand and twisting it to examine the healing burn. “They didletyou, right?”
“Yes,mom,” Felix drawled. “You can even call them and check. It’s been weeks, dude. I’m fine.”
Jacob’s stomach squirmed uncomfortably. Shit, was he being like his parents? Did Felix want him to get off his back?
“I know you’re an adult,” Jacob said hastily, still examining the burn. The skin was fading from bright red to pale pink. If they were lucky—and Felix remembered his burn cream—it would barely scar.
“I would hope so,” Felix said. “You’ve fucked me, like, three times this week.”
Jacob flushed. “I just mean… you know. I respect you, or whatever. You can tell me to fuck off and I’ll do it.”
Felix’s confused expression opened up to understanding. “Dude, I wasn’t saying you’re your parents.Unlikeyou, I do need someone on my ass reminding me to take vitamins and listen to doctor’s orders. I should be thanking you.”
Jacob stared at him, shocked. He always assumed Felix was just entertaining him when he pulled this shit. He never thought Felixappreciatedit.
Felix cleared his throat, flexing his fingers against Jacob’s. “So are you gonna let me go or do we hold hands now?”
“What? Oh.” Jacob let him go, eyeing Felix’s burned fingers carefully before looking him up and down.
“You look good,” Jacob said. Then, when Felix raised his brows again: “I mean healthy. You’ve looked kinda tired lately.”
“Tired?” Felix snorted, avoiding Jacob’s eyes. “We’re coming up on the end of the last semester, man. Everybody’s tired.”
A faint alarm bell rang in Jacob’s head. Felix only avoided his eyes when he was trying to keep something from him. But Felix was, as always, damn good at distracting him.
