“Good. I will admit, I’m sad to see her go.”
“I’m sure you are. It must be hard being so far away from your family.”
“It is,” I reply honestly. I miss them all so much.
“Look on the bright side, you’ve still got me,” he chuckles, draping his arm over my shoulder as we walk towards class. He’s never done that before. I like it when he’s affectionate with me.
“Yeah, I guess you’ll have to do,” I reply jokingly, making him laugh. I’m so happy we’re okay again.
“How are you feeling today?” he asks as he stops walking and faces me.
“Nervous.”
“Don’t be. I’ll be by your side all day. I promise.” I smile at him gratefully when he reaches up and gently pinches my cheek, just like old times. Honestly, I don’t think I’d be able to do this on my own.
••••
Chase
I’m still revelling in the fact I kissed her last night. Dumb move, but fuck me if I didn’t enjoy the feel of her lips against mine again. It took everything I had to walk away and not take that kiss further. When she grabbed hold of my shirt and pulled me in closer, I nearly fuckin’ cracked.
This ‘friends only’ thing is going to be harder than I thought. I’m not even sure if it’s what I want anymore. My heart says one thing, but my head says something completely different. I hate feeling like this. I’m so damn confused.
Before her, my goals were so clear. Finish Uni, get a great job, and seek pleasure when required. No commitment or feelings involved. Why does she make me want more than that?
••••
The day goes by without much incident. Sure, there’s a lot of funny looks and whispers floating around campus, but basically people leave Angel alone. I’m grateful for that. I’m sure seeing us both together again doesn’t help matters, but I don’t give a fuck what anyone thinks. The only person I care about is her.
A few people asked if she knew what happened to Riley, but she told them no. She played it cool. I on the other hand, received a few dirty looks from some of Benson’s mates, but that doesn’t worry me one fucking bit. Any friend of his is no friend of mine.
We head over to Dana’s coffee shop at the end of the day. She’s happy to see Angel. Me? Not so much. I hope she warms to me in time because I’m not going anywhere. Losing Angel a few months back made me realise just how much I need her in my life. Losing her again isn’t an option. Dana’s going to be seeing a lot of me, whether she likes it or not.
We don’t stay for long. Just long enough to finish our drinks; Angel’s fancy tea thing she likes, and my extra fucking strong coffee that’s going to keep me awake for the next week. I like it strong, but Christ. I’m not sure how much longer I’m going to be able to drink that shit her friend makes me, but if she thinks I’m gonna cave, she’s wrong.
I walk Angel towards her car once we leave. “What would you like to do for the rest of the afternoon?” I ask.
“You really don’t have to hang around if you don’t want to, Chase. I’m sure you have better things to do than babysit me. Just because my mum—” I place my finger on her lips to stop her from talking.
“This has nothing to do with what your mum said. Hanging with you is no hardship, believe me. To be honest, there’s no place I’d rather be than with you.” Fuck me if I don’t mean every word too.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.” Her face lights up when I say that.
“Okay, can we go for a run?”
“Sure. Our usual place?”
“No. I prefer the beach if that’s okay? I’d rather stick close to home.” Again, her need to be close to the safe haven of home worries me. I’m not sure what to do or say; girly shit has never been my thing. I suppose all I can do is be here if she needs me.
“Alright, beach it is. Will you be okay to go home on your own? I need to call past my place and grab my running gear.”
“Of course,” she replies. “I’ll see you in a bit.” She smiles at me before getting into her car.
“I won’t be long,” I tell her as I close her door. I do have to grab my stuff, but I also want to have a quick chat with her friend, Dana. Maybe she can help. She needs to open up to someone. She can’t keep it all bottled inside. I wish I could be that person, but I wouldn’t know how to go about it. She’d probably feel more comfortable talking to a chick anyway.
••••
Angel
I smile all the way home. I can’t believe he said there’s no place he’d rather be than with me. Sure, he seems happy when we’re together, but I thought he was hanging around me more out of pity than anything else. Truth is, there’s no place I’d rather be than with him either.