Page 69 of Meet Me at the Metro

“I wasn’t seeking it,” I defend, not appreciating the sting of his words. “It just kind of happened.”

“Okay.” He laughs softly at himself, and it sounds like an unsettled hurt. “What’s the lucky guy’s name?”

I hesitate to answer before ultimately saying, “Teddy.”

He sighs. “I’m happy for you, Ellie. I am.”

He’s not, but I can tell he’s trying to be. “I’m sorry, Connor.”

“Don’t apologize. Please, don’t apologize,” he winces. “I think that’s enough for our lesson tonight.”

I’m at a loss for words as to what else to say to remedy this convoluted situation I’ve found myself in. The past few days have felt like a whirlwind in all the best and worst ways possible. This thing that just happened with him was the latter.

Connor barrels out of the music room, and I’m left frozen and alone at the piano, wondering what all this means for our friendship.

20

VINYL MEMORIES

E L L I E

Ikick off my shoes as soon as I reach the security of my flat, relieved to have finally reached the end of this overwhelming day. Evie and Harvey’s grins reach their eyes when they see me walking through the front door.

Unfortunately, I know exactly why they’re looking so damn elated tonight.

“You and Theo are fucking!” Evie immediately shouts.

“You are so cruel,” Harvey chuckles, even though he’s looking just as pleased as her.

“Don’t think you can just waltz in here and not tell us what happened between you two last night! You little cheeky thing!”

“I have nothing to say.” I attempt to hide the smile threatening my lips. I’m so full of shit, and both of my roommates know it. Especially Evie, considering the fact that she walked in on me half-dressed in Theo’s room last night.

“Like hell you don’t!” Harvey hollers. This is the first time I’ve heard this soft-spoken guy so riled up. “Ellie-Jellie, get your arse on this couch right now and tell us every single detail from last night.”

It’s about to get rated R in here really fast.

“Do I have to?”

“I let you off the hook last night. So yes, you have to!”

“Fine… but I don’t even know where to start...”

We don’t leave the couch for the entire next hour as I run them down every hot, sticky, and heart-racing detail that led to me getting finger-fucked in Theo’s bed last night. I tell them about everything—from my run-in with John toWilton’sand dinner and all the activities Theo and I engaged in. I even told them about today, my total failure at getting registered for a replacement class, and about Connor kissing me.

“What are you planning to do about John?” Evie asks. “I’ll fucking skin him alive if he touches you again.”

“Because solving violence with violence is a good solution.” Harvey rolls his eyes before calmly asking me, “Does Theo know it was him at the train station?”

“N-no. I don’t want to get him involved in all of this mess. And I sure as hell don’t want to add John into the equation of whatever this is between the two of us.”

“Oh, Ellie,” Harvey sighs, wrapping his arms around me sweetly. “I’m sorry you had to go through what you did last night with John. I won’t push you to do anything you’re not ready to do. Still, I think you should consider mentioning it to Theo. It might be safer to have one extra person in the loop so we can look out for you.”

“Harv’s right,” Evie agrees. “Especially since there’s a higher possibility of you running into him again. Since you two are enrolled in the same school now…”

“I know.” Everything except for Theo just feels so heavy right now. I don’t want him to have to worry about me when he’s expressed to me how much of his own shit he’s trying to figure out. I think that maybe I’m scared of running him away with all of this, even if I don’t want to admit that out loud. “Idoplan on telling him. I just have to figure outhow… andwhen.”

“Have you thought about mentioning this to anyone in higher authority?” Harvey asks.

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