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“All the pizza and cheeseburgers are really paying off, huh?” Carmichael yells at Brendon.
Brendon opens his arms in a hug and widens his eyes. “Were you not hugged as a child? Do you need a cuddle?” He skates toward Carmichael who is giving him a death glare. “Come on, buddy. Bring it in.”
“Touch me and I’ll use your skull as a urinal.” The rigid set of his shoulders and cold tone of his voice is slightly terrifying, but it makes Brendon smile wider. Is he trying to get his ass kicked?
Everyone has turned to watch the exchange, and Jeremy just sighs. Why does Brendon love messing with Preston so much?
“I’m not kidding, Oiler.” Carmichael stands his ground. “I’ll drop your ass to the ice.”
Brendon doesn’t stop, and Preston moves so fast I barely catch it when he hooks his stick behind Brendon’s knee and pulls. Brendon drops to the ice laughing, and Coach finally blows the whistle for us to clear out.
Jeremy skates over to him and offers Brendon a hand up, which he takes. Brendon drapes an arm over Jeremy’s shoulder for about half a second before Carmichael yanks his boyfriend away. Brendon laughs as the three of them make their way down the hallway with me following behind. When did I become a lost fucking puppy begging for attention?
We get changed, and Brendon continues to avoid me.
Jeremy and Preston are talking quietly for a few minutes before Jeremy bumps my shoulder. “Dinner?”
I glance at Preston with a suspicious look. “Do you have plans?”
Jeremy laughs and wags his eyebrows. “I’ll make it up to him.”
I glance at Brendon for a second, then nod. He said he had homework to do, but since he hasn’t been in the room, I don’t know where he’s going to do that.
I hate that he’s keeping shit from me. I’m his best friend. Why doesn’t he trust me? I guess dating your best friend is a bad idea after all . . .
A while later, Jeremy and I have grabbed food from the dining hall and are sitting in my dorm room watchingDoctor Strange. I’m not really hungry, so I’m picking at my food.
“What’s up?” Jeremy nods at my lack of eaten dinner.
I take a deep breath and let the words tumble from my lips that I’ve never said before.
“Brendon and I are kind of together.”
It’s quiet for so long I look up to see Jeremy smiling at me.
“I fucking knew it!” He points a finger at me. “I fuckingknewit!”
“Shut up,” I grumble, picking at my food.
“How long? I mean, you guys have basically been a couple for years,” Jeremy scoffs like he wasn’t fucking Brendon for two years.
“It’s new, but he’s been weird, and I don’t know what to do.” I shrug and toss my stuff back in the white paper bag it came in. “He’s never avoided me like this.”
“I’m sure whatever’s going on with him has nothing to do with you.” Jeremy pats my knee. “Did you guys get into a fight?”
“No. I’m not entirely sure what happened. He confided something to me, but I’m struggling to connect the dots.”
I lay back against my pillow and stare at his bed, wishing he was here. Is he hurting again and too embarrassed to show me? Is he mad I saw him break down? Why can’t he let me love him?
Picking up my phone, I text him while Jeremy turns back to the movie on my TV.
P DADDY: Where are you?
He gets the message almost instantly but doesn’t open it. Is he really doing homework? He hates the library, says it’s too quiet and it makes his brain buzz. Where else would he go? Is he avoiding Nikki, or did she find him again and is talking his ear off?
16
Brendon
