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I try to speak but the words escape me. Witnessing my struggle, he beats me to it, holding out his hand to Haze.
“Hi, I’m Caleb. Winter’s boyfriend.”
2
Competition
“Hi, I’m Caleb. Winter’s boyfriend.” Haze doesn’t make a sound, his eyes jumping back and forth between me and Caleb for a while. His fingers grow tight around mine as he glares at the hand held out to him.
“What the hell?” I reprimand. He has got to be kidding me.
The idiot decides he’s had his fun and bursts out laughing.
“You should’ve seen your face.”
Haze’s shoulders drop with relief.
“You’re a complete idiot, you know that?”
“Come on. You show up holding hands with some mystery guy? I had to.” Caleb opens his arm for me. “Come here, Kingston.”
Haze stiffens up at the nickname. I try to walk into Caleb’s embrace, but Haze doesn’t let go of my hand—quite the opposite actually; he only holds on tighter—which results in me giving Caleb a very awkward half hug with one arm. He embraces me for a few seconds longer, not giving a single thought to my half-assed hug, and pulls away.
“What’s going on?” Haze asks.
“Sorry.” I lean back into Haze’s frame. “Haze, meet Caleb. My… best friend.”
My brain pauses on the words best friend, but my mouth still says them. I shoot Caleb a look of uncertainty. Is that okay? my gaze asks. He nods. It feels so strange calling him that after everything that happened. I’m assuming his presence here means he wants things to go back to the way they were.
“Caleb, meet Haze, my—”
“Her actual boyfriend.” Haze gives him a smug smile.
“I can’t believe you’re here.” I change the topic. What I really meant to say is: I can’t believe you kept the promise we made a million years ago.
“Of course I am. I promised I’d pick you up from the airport, didn’t I?”
Haze clears his throat as if to remind us of his presence.
“So… a boyfriend, huh? How’d that happen?” Caleb’s eyes
travel back to Haze.
“School.” Haze feeds him the BS version we tell everyone.
“How long?”
“A while,” Haze answers for me again, which makes Caleb uncomfortable, but something tells me that’s precisely Haze’s intention. He doesn’t like him, that much is clear.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“Yeah, I know, sorry.”
Caleb acts scandalized, but deep down, he knows exactly why I didn’t tell him. We weren’t talking. And while I’d love to just pretend like nothing ever happened—the way he clearly intends to—I can’t. I’m guessing we’ll discuss what happened when we’re alone.
“I’m just glad you’re home. I missed you.”
As he pulls me into yet another hug, my hand slips out of Haze’s and Caleb lifts me up, twirling me around. The familiar scent of his cologne tickles my nostrils. He’s still using the one I got him.
