Page 33 of Obsessed with the Heartbreaker

“I’m not even going to try to convince Henry to do what Connell wants. What Henry needs is some guidance and motivation to get out of his own way and pursue something for real. So if Connell wanted Henry to ‘get his shit together’, he’ll get that—just not in the way he’d imagined.”

Now they gave me worried looks. Scott said, “Look, Ant, I know you probably think you have very good intentions and all that…but I don’t think Henry’s going to see it that way. And if he finds out, he could give you a lot of problems.”

Eliot took a very hot sip of the coffee I’d made for them, gasping as he burnt his tongue, and with one eye still closed from the sting, he added, “Yeah, and if I know one thing, it’s that you don’t want the Heartbreaker on your bad side.”

No, you didn’t.

I knew that.

I knew it before I made my decision and I still made it anyway. Because, the funny thing was, as much as they were telling me this because they were concerned for me and for my well-being, my greatest concern here was Henry’semotionalreaction. I wasn’t thinking about the potential consequences I would have to face, but rather the betrayed look on his face.

The fact that I was sure that once he found out, because he inevitably would, I would be as good as dead to him. Forever.

I looked away from my friends, trying to distract myself by pouring almond milk into my coffee and swallowing a wave of pure anguish at the thought.

There was no point in me worrying about this. Because, dead or not, Henry and I were never going to be friends. People like us didn’t belong together, and Henry, who would finish his degree this year, would probably go off into the world, move to a different state or a differentcountryaltogether, and explore his limitless life to his Heartbreaker heart’s content.

I wasn’t in those plans. I’d never be. And it would be made abundantly clear the more I hung out with him just how different and incompatible we were.

“It will be fine.”

Scott’s blue eyes were all concern as he stirred his own coffee. “If you say so.”

Eliot stole my almond milk, giving it a sniff before pouring some into his coffee. He’d done this maybe four times now, and each time he tried it, he always said he was unconvinced.

He kept trying to like it because it was his boyfriend’s choice of milk.

And I kept drinking it because…

Because it was Henry’s.

“Maybe this will be good,” Eliot said before he winced at the taste.

“You think Antony working himself to the bone and probably inciting the Heartbreaker’s fury will be good?” Scott asked, watching him like he’d grown a horn.

“Yep.” Eliot grinned, full of mischief. “Henry needs a good influence when it comes to his academic life, and Antony needs a good influence in hispersonal life.”

“I think this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone call Henry a good influence,” I muttered to myself but Eliot went on.

“Who knows? Maybe by the end of it, they’ll be friends again. Maybe Henry will make our Ant see why he should break hisno-datingrule, and he’ll be able to have fun before he turns eighty.”

As if.

It was definitely not going to happen. That was probably the least likely result in all of this.

I let all the foolish hope of our friendship being rekindled burn down to ashes, and got myself ready for the day.

* * *

“Have you talked to your advisor, yet? About your internship applications?” Oliver asked lowly to me, hunched over his notebook. His dark hair was falling all over his eyes, making me wonder how he could even see what was in front of him, but as if he’d heard my thoughts he pushed it all back, revealing soulful brown eyes.

We were in the library, late morning light filtering through the great windows, neck deep into this never-ending homework. As much as a small distraction from it was welcome, the reminder of the internships wasn’t.

But he didn’t know that.

“No. I haven’t had the time.”

Not entirely untrue. Because as much as I’d been hyper-focusing on getting ahead on both homework and studying—so that I could be free to spend time with a certain Heartbreaker—I had to admit I’d been procrastinating. There were still several months until I’d be able to start an internship, but the applications should probably be sent in soon. At least, if I wanted to be ahead of the game and give myself options if I didn’t get the results I wanted.Needed.

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