Page 52 of Totally Geeked

I get home and immediately text Arlo.

HARRISON: Hey, it wasn’t how we wanted to tell him, but at least he knows now. We can explain the truth tomorrow when he’s calmed down and totally sober. Xoxo

ARLO: He shut down the party, everyone is clearing out. I’ve never seen him like that. It was scary. I hate that you had to go. I wanted to come with you, but I thought that would have just made things worse. I’m going to try to talk to him when everyone leaves. He has to know that I am the guy you are seeing. I’m your boyfriend. He shouldn't go all night thinking you’re a cheater. It isn’t right.

I love how he’s thinking of me right now. Gordon and I have had clashes in the past. What best friends haven't. But talking to him when he’s like this isn’t likely going to go down well.

HARRISON: I’m okay. If you want to wait until morning, I can come over and we can explain it all calmly together.

ARLO: No. We did nothing wrong. We are grown men, and we can date whoever we want. I want to do this tonight. I have to.

HARRISON: I'll be up late if you need to talk after, or if I need to come get you, or whatever. I’ll be here.

ARLO: ***heart emoji*** I got this.

Chapter twenty

Arlo

When everyone leaves, Iwait upstairs listening to Niki, Gordon’s new girlfriend, try to reason with him. She says something about me being an adult and it just fires me up, even more, to have this out with him because I am a fucking adult. I get that he thought he could lose me when I was hurt, but that doesn’t mean he can treat me like a little child he has to protect all the time. I want to be with Harrison. I storm out of my room and head for the stairs.

“I love him,” I yell down to them, and Gordon scrunches up his forehead.

“You’re just proving my point. It was one kiss. You have no idea—”

“It wasn’t just one kiss. I’ve been seeing Harrison for weeks, you idiot. I’m his boyfriend.”

Niki smiles and gives me a small nod, like she’s proud of me or something, and even though she hardly knows me, it settles the churn in my stomach just a little. Gordon isn’t smiling.

“You’ve both been lying to me for weeks?”

Okay, not what I wanted him to focus on.

“We wanted to tell you, but you needed to see how much he’s changed first.”

“He hasn’t. I told him to stay away from you and he didn’t. He always did whatever the fuck he wanted, not giving a second thought to the consequences.”

“And what consequences are those?” I yell back.

“He’ll break your heart and I’ll be left picking up the pieces, just like last time.”

“That's not fair. Harrison is nothing likehim.”

“Really? Matthew was with you to screw you out of money, and Harry just wants to screw you.”

“You don’t know what the fuck Harrison wants. Fuck you, I am so done here. I’m going home.” I turn away from him and run to my room, tossing my sketchbooks and laptop into a bag. My clothes can stay, I have more at my place. Right now, I just want to get out of here.

I half expect Gordon to come upstairs and try to convince me not to leave. Maybe even apologize. He’s being a total dick, and even though he’s had a couple of beers, he can’t be that drunk to not see that he’s the asshole here. But he doesn’t, and when I go downstairs, he isn’t there. Niki is gone, too.

I think about calling a cab, but I can’t wait around, so I do something I haven't done in months. I grab the keys to the Buick and head for the garage.

As the rumble of the engine vibrates through the chair, I tell myself it’s just like riding a bike. Except I never learned to ride a bike. But I did learn to drive, and although the cast makes gripping the wheel difficult on one side, it isn’t impossible, and I reverse out and make for home.

***

I haven’t spoken to Gordon in days. He didn’t even ask about the car. He had Noah call me.

“Grandpa’s car is fine,” I tell Noah as he laughs down the line.

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