Page 69 of Dared

Next to us, our phones lit up with notifications from our friends. The picture Leo had posted showed us lying in bed, with me scrolling through my phone with a grin on my face. Leo was curled into me, smiling up at the camera. Only the tops of our upper bodies were in shot, and we were covered by Leo’s duvet anyway, but it clearly showed that our shoulders were bare, and we were cuddling in bed together.

Leo had added a simple one-word caption.

Happy.

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JJ’s brows rose higher and higher as he took in the series of images on my phone screen. “What’s all this?”

“I think it’s obvious. I owed you a pair of trainers, so I want you to pick a pair, and I’ll get them for you. I know you told me not to worry about it when I offered to replace them the first time, but…yeah. I know none of these are the same as the ones I ruined, but they’re all really fucking expensive, so…” I trailed off with a shrug.

“Finn. I didn’t—I was only joking about you ruining my shoes. Mostly. Yeah, I was pissed off at the time, but I’d never expect you to buy me a replacement pair. I should’ve known better than to wear them to a house party of drunk students.”

I rubbed my hand over my mouth, staring down at the floor. This was more awkward than I thought it would be.

“Okay, I also get the impression you don’t really like me, and I’m guessing you’re not happy about the idea of me and Leo being together. So part of the reason I’m doing this is to?—”

“Bribe me?” JJ finished.

“No! Uh, maybe, a bit.”

He shook his head. “Look, just… Wait here.” Jogging over to the entrance of the small dance studio I’d cornered him in, he closed and locked the door. When he returned to me, he lowered himself to the floor, his back against the wall, and tapped his hand on the smooth wood next to him.

I sat down beside him, pulling my knees up and resting my arms on them, a contrast to JJ’s casual sprawl, his legs stretched out in front of him.

“I want to start by saying that I don’t dislike you. Not at all. We don’t know each other very well, and before you started hanging out with Leo, I didn’t really know anything about you other than you were one of Ander’s teammates who ruined my irreplaceable trainers. Then you were suddenly in Leo’s life, and he…he was so fucking happy. Happier than I’d ever known him to be. More confident, too. He’s still shy, but it’s like he has a quiet determination inside him now that I’ve never seen before.”

“He is happy. But that’s all him. It’s nothing to do with me.”

“Itishim, but what I’m saying is that him having your support means he’s more comfortable expressing himself. The only thing I can feel towards you is grateful for the part you’ve played in helping him feel that way.”

I let JJ’s words sink in, but I couldn’t quite believe them.

“That night at your house…”

“I was looking out for him. I wanted to make sure you had his best interests in mind, and now, it’s clear to me you do.” He turned to meet my gaze. “I’m happy he’s with you. I trust you, and I know you won’t knowingly hurt him, and I also know he’s not afraid to speak his mind with you, is he?”

I shook my head. “We’ve always tried to be honest with each other and talk things through. I trust him to do that with me, and he knows I’ll do the same.”

“Good. I don’t want to seem like I’m being overprotective of him or pushy about your relationship because it’s not my place. All I want is for him to be happy, and I know he is with you. That’s all that matters to me.”

“I love him so much,” I confessed quietly.

JJ stared at me for a second, the corners of his lips curving up, and then he held out his hand. “Friends? Let’s start with a handshake. We can work our way up to hugs.”

I clasped his hand in mine. “Friends, and if you wanted a hug from me, all you had to do was say so. No need to hint.”

“Babe. With all due respect, fuck off.” He blew me a kiss with his middle finger, and I grinned. Yeah, he’d definitely forgiven me. Now, all I needed to do was get him to accept the trainers.

“About the Nikes?—”

“I’m not letting you buy me replacements. I can’t. It’s too much.”

“Just do it.”

“No.”

“Take them.”

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