Page 155 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

He was staring at the ceiling, his gaze blank.

“You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to.”

“I shouldn’t have asked you to come.” His voice came out low. “You should go.”

“I’m not leaving.” She shook her head. “Not when you’re like this.”

He turned, finally looking at her. “I’m all alone again.”

“You’re not.” She leaned closer. “I’m here.”

That wasn’t what he meant.

No one could give him what Ody had. No one could make him feel like that. The laughter. The quiet. The way everything else disappeared when he was with him. No one had ever reached that deep.

His eyes filled again. He turned away, curling in on himself, pulling his knees close as the tears came back.

He’d known since Serifos. It wasn’t right. But what he felt for Ody had been stronger than anything else. Stronger than guilt. Stronger than logic.

Until he saw Anna outside the gym. Until it finally hit him how much damage they’d done.

Everything had twisted into something unbearable.

Ody, torn in two.

Anna, pretending not to see what was right in front of her.

And him, standing in the middle of it.

How much worse could it get?

If they’d never gone on that double date…

If he’d never met him…

None of them would be hurting like this.

Back at Ody’s place, Steve set a glass of orange juice on the table. “Drink.”

“I don’t want it.”

“You’re dehydrated. Did you eat?”

Ody shook his head. “I can’t.”

“I’m ordering food,” he said, reaching for his phone.

“Just for you.”

“No.” Steve was already scrolling. “You’re eating.”

“I said I can’t—”

“You will.” Steve cut him off. “Don’t test me.”

When the food arrived, Steve sat next to him, fork in hand. “Sit up.”

Ody didn’t move.