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Ugh. I can worry about my parents after I see Alex and Lucas. I didn’t come all this way to be sad. Glancing over my shoulder, I find Hunter and Seth following closely behind me. Both look absolutely amazing. Hunter’s hair is growing out longer. He’s returned to his old Hunter appearance and looks well rested and genuinely happy. There’re no dark circles under his eyes, no doom and gloom when he looks my way.
Christmas with Hunter and his dad went by fast. His dad didn’t like the idea of us sharing a room and so I slept in Hunter’s bedroom while he slept in the living room. Of course, in the middle of the night, Hunter would sneak back into his room. I have no clue if his dad suspected anything. He definitely didn’t ask. However, Christmas Day was so sweet. His dad got me a pair of unicorn slippers and a matching robe.
“I don’t want you getting cold while you’re staying with us,”Hunter’s dad had told me while his gaze remained focused on the carpet. It was totally endearing.
And Seth is back to a healthy weight. I think he’s actually put on more muscle. He’s not quite as lean as most runners are, but he’s definitely not as built as Hunter. His hair is wild in its usual gravity defying way, and he’s dressed in track pants and a large, black coat.
“Oh, look,” Seth says while pointing at something behind me. “It’s Alex.”
I face forward and my smile grows as I see Alex waiting for us on the ground level. He waves both of his hands, looking absolutely fantastic in a leather jacket with a grey hoody layered underneath and some skinny jeans. I can’t believe he’s worn so little, given the snow coming down outside, but I suppose it’s only a short walk to his car and then we will be snuggled and warm inside. His hair looks nearly orange in the lighting and his cheeks are flushed as if he’s just come from outside.
“Rachel!” he shouts while jumping up and down.
I laugh and run to him as soon as the escalator ends, dragging my suitcase behind me. I release it and throw my arms around him, giggling as he whirls me around like we’re in some romcom movie.
“It’s been too long,” he murmurs in my ear.
“It’s been at most two weeks,” I laugh.
“Two weeks too long!”
“Ugh,” Seth groans from behind me. “Will you stop with the PDA? Even I find this a tad much.”
I chuckle while Alex shoots Seth a dark glare. It’s been two weeks since they’ve last interacted with each other, and I can’t help, but wonder how the next few days will pan out given everything that transpired between them. Seth kissed Alex on Thanksgiving and even after they spoke about it, I get the feeling nothing was resolved.
Alex releases me and I slide to the ground. Before I can even reach for my suitcase, he grabs it and lugs it behind him. “Follow me!” he calls without looking back, trudging towards the doors across from us. “The car is this way.”
Hunter wraps an arm around me while we follow Alex towards the car. Unfortunately for us, that means we have to go out into the blistering winds and the snow pelting down. My scarf is still in my carry-on as well as my hat and I lean closer to Hunter, hoping to gain some of his body heat as we follow Alex outside and deeper into the snow.
“Why didn’t you park in the garage?” Seth shouts while stomping forward, looking like he’s going to kick Alex in the ass.
“Because it was full!” Alex calls while picking up the pace.
Seth groans. “It’s fucking cold. You should have parked closer.”
“It’s cold? I had no fucking idea.”
Hunter chuckles and I tip my head up to him, finding him shaking his head. “I see those two have already started,” he murmurs.
“No,” I say with a grimace. Last semester, Seth and Alex acted like they were best friends. I don’t think I can go back to them arguing all the time. It will literally drive me mad.
Two minutes later, Alex stops behind a black car and opens the back. I watch him throw the suitcase inside before running to the front to turn on the car. I’m in no mood to wait for the others, so I hop into the passenger’s seat next to Alex and press my hands against the heater to defrost them.
“Will Lucas be at your place?” I ask while moving my hands from front to back over the heat.
Alex switches the music from rap to alternative rock. “I don’t know. He had a pretty busy morning. I think he’s meeting with his parents.” The grimace that comes over Alex’s face suggests Lucas wasn’t very excited about seeing his parents. I know he’s been trying to work through some things with them, but both his mom and dad can be quite difficult. I know from experience.
“But don’t worry, he’ll be back eventually.” Alex gives me a wink and nudges my shoulder. “We’ve been super excited for you to come. I picked out a nice room for you and everything.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Let me guess, it’s your room?”
Alex laughs and shakes his head. “Unfortunately, when I suggested that, Mom nearly imploded.”
Of course. I would expect as much. Why are there so many parents that are so prudish when it comes to staying with their boyfriends? Are they worried I’m going to lose my virginity? Because that ship has long sailed.
“But don’t worry, the room is really nice. You’ll be happy.”
If I know Alex’s parents, I’m sure they’ve redecorated an entire room just for me. I can already picture the pink comforter draped over a canopy bed, the sparkly white carpet, and a pristine white dresser, empty and waiting for my second-hand clothes to be placed inside.
