Page 29 of Coastal Runaway

Nolan changed the name of the chat to “If I Was A Boy, and Luke”

Do you ever spend a night at home?

Nolan

Not if I can help it.

Aiden

It’s been a hell of a few days. Trojan?

Fine.

Nolan

Let’s gooooo. I love when we all get along.

Nolan

Rude.

We ordered an Uber to Trojan which was packed with college students. This bar was a staple at CCU because of their lack of vigilance towards fake IDs and insanely cheap drink specials. Nolan pulled a bar stool out for me and ordered a pitcher for the three of us to share.

He glanced around, assessing the crowd, “See anything you like?” He asked me, raising a brow.

“Not really.” I shrugged.

“Come on bro, I thought you were over the breakup.”

“I am,” I laughed. I was over the actual breakup with Kiara very quickly, what I wasn’t over was the feeling that I’d never get what I really wanted.

“Then why won’t you hook up with any of the girls I have been throwing at you?” He crossed his arms and pinned me with a stare that said no bullshit.

“Don’t know, I just haven’t been into them, I guess.”

“Please tell me this isn’t about that girl from years ago.” He dropped his hands and lightly banged his forehead to the table melodramatically, “one hook up at a party and you act like she was the love of your life.”

“It just felt different” I shrugged my shoulders and looked to Aiden for help.

He sighed, “not everyone wants to stick their dick into something new every weekend, Nol.” He nodded at me as I took a deep breath.

“Okay, I get that, but it also isn’t my fault that Keegan disappearing made his date leave too. It was an awkward morning and you could’ve called her.”

“I didn’t have her number.”

It was all lies. Nolan had no idea that he was talking about his own sister. He thought I shared a night with a total stranger who stood me up back then. I didn’t have the heart to tell him that the girl who actually stood me up shared his birthday.

“Well that’s your fault.” Aiden chimed in.

Traitor.

“Can we talk about something else now? How’s football going?” I pointed at Nolan.

“Fine, but we’re circling back to your fear of women.”

“Yeah, we’ll do that when we confront your fear of attachment to women.”