AllFreeNovel
Share Us
31
Liam was gone from my bed when I woke up, although the sheets were still warm from his body heat, so he couldn’t have been gone for long. I wished he’d stayed, but it wasn’t totally unexpected that he’d disappeared. I knew he had lectures this morning, and speaking of—I glanced at my phone—I needed to get a move on myself. I had just over an hour until my first lecture began.
We should talk. Last night had been something that I’d been completely fucking unprepared for, and I wasn’t talking about the sex. It was the connection I’d felt with him, something all-consuming that I’d never experienced before. I was falling hard for this boy, and last night had proven that I couldn’t stay away from him. Could I be happy with the friends-with-benefits arrangement he’d suggested, knowing it would inevitably lead to heartbreak? Was having him in a small way better than not having him at all? I really didn’t want to push him for anything, but at the same time, I needed to find out where I stood with him after last night. If he felt that connection in the way I had—that same, all-consuming feeling—then maybe we had a chance at something more than just being friends who sometimes fooled around in secret.
Or maybe he regretted last night.
Fuck, I really hoped he didn’t regret it.
All these thoughts ran through my head as I showered and dressed, then loaded up my bag with my uni stuff. After grabbing a piece of toast from the kitchen, I made my way to my first lecture of the day, which was a financial marketing module. A module that required concentration—which I was currently short on. I took a seat at the back of the lecture hall, then hid behind my laptop screen, hoping I could get away without being noticed. When the lecture began and the first slide flashed up on the screen at the front of the hall, I pulled my phone from my pocket and balanced it on my leg.
Me:Hi. Are you around later?
I got a reply a minute later, and I thumbed open my screen, curving my hand around the phone to hide the glow, not that the lecturer would notice it with me sitting all the way at the back of the room.
Hot Angry Boy:Yeah. Be back home later, last lecture finishes at 4
Me:OK. Come and find me when you’re back
Hot Angry Boy:*thumbs up emoji*
Another message notification came through as I was reading Liam’s reply, and I swiped it open to find a message from Elliot, asking if I was on campus and wanted to meet up to get lunch with him and a couple of other people from the running club. I replied in the affirmative, then spent the rest of the hour unsuccessfully trying to focus on the lecture. Fuck my brain. I knew I was overthinking everything with Liam, which meant that I was struggling to concentrate on anything else, but that was the way my mind dealt with things.
I spotted Elliot standing outside the Brunel building, and I lifted my hand in greeting, making my way over to him.
He gave me a grin. “Hi. We’re meeting the others at the tapas place near the gym. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, sounds good to me.” I shifted my bag on my shoulder. “Ready to go?”
“I—shit, wait.” He patted his pockets, then began rummaging in his bag. “I think I left my student pass in the lecture hall.”
“Let’s go and get it, then.”
We entered the building, and I followed his lead down a long corridor and up two flights of stairs. When we were close to the top, I heard familiar voices. I froze in place in the stairwell, grabbing the sleeve of Elliot’s hoodie to stop him. We both stood, listening.
“…up with you lately? You never want to come out on the pull anymore. If I didn’t know better, I’d say you had a secret girlfriend.”
That was Ander’s voice.
“Fuck off. If I had a girlfriend, you’d know about it.”
Liam.
“Yeah? What about aboyfriend? You’ve been spending a lot of time with Noah. Decided you prefer your housemate’s dick to pussy now?” Ander laughed, and then there was a noise like Liam had shoved him, followed by an exclamation of triumph. “I fucking knew it!”
“Fuck. Off, Ander.” Liam’s voice was low and angry. “I don’t fucking want Noah’s dick. I don’t want any dick, alright? You’re such a fucking bellend sometimes, you know that?”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, I’m sorry, alright?” There was a heavy sigh from Ander. “I miss my wingman. Come out tonight?”
Liam sighed heavily. “Okay.”
“Yessss. The girls aren’t gonna know what hit them.”
Dropping my hand from Elliot’s arm, I turned away, rubbing my hand across my face. I couldn’t listen to any more. Liam didn’t owe me anything, but it really fucking hurt to actually hear him deny that he wanted me and to know that he was making plans to go out with Ander tonight with the express purpose of meeting girls…
I swallowed the lump in my throat with difficulty. “El—”
Elliot gave me a look, understanding and empathy and resignation all rolled into one, and I remembered what he’d said about being in love with Ander.Go, he mouthed, and I backed away from him, then started down the stairs.
