Page 30 of A Fool's Game
I’m so fucked.
For better or worse, I’m sliding headfirst into someone else’s relationship.I don’t know what that means or how it evenworks.What I do know is that my dick is trying to tear itself out of my jeans.
And I know it’s not just because of Gem.
“Don’t you live like six blocks from here?” Taylor huffs at me as I stand, leaning awkwardly against the doorframe leading into the hallway, holding my hoodie in front of me to hide my raging hard-on.
I’m tempted to ask how the hell he knows where I live, but my focus is getting out of this house without embarrassing myself, so I let it go. “Yeah, well. It’s cold.”
His eyes meet mine, and I see the question only briefly before it’s replaced by understanding.He knows I’m scared.
Like the guy read my fucking mind.
Or Gemma told him about my mugging.
“I’ll walk you,” he says.
“You don’t have to?—”
“I need some air,” he says, not even waiting for me to finish. “Give me five.”
And he disappears down the hallway. I can hear him jogging up the stairs.
With his massive energy out of the room, I turn back to Gem, who’s watching me quietly from her chair.
“I had a good time tonight,” I tell her, kneeling down so I can put one hand on each of her knees and look up into her swirling green irises.
“I’m glad you came,” she answers softly.
I start to rise but her hands reach out for my shoulders, keeping me close. “Will you come back?”
The indecision puzzles me. I want this girl. I seem to want to dive right into whatever dynamic these two have going, but I can't make myself commit. “I’m not sure. I mean, yeah, I’ll come back. But classes start on Tuesday, and I have my community service hours to work on top of homework…”
I trail off as she looks down at her hands, resigned.
“Can we have dinner again sometime?” I blurt out, just to get her to look at me again.
It works.
“Sure.”
“What’s your class schedule like?” I’m suddenly struck by the fact that I didn’t learn much more about her during dinner.
“I’m in a grad program, so a lot of my work happens wherever my laptop is. But I go onto campus on Mondays and Wednesdays for an art class and meetings. I go to the kitchens to have lunch with Taylor some days. Will you be there?”
I haven’t even let myself consider the new dynamic I’ve gotten myself into at the school cafeteria, and the thought almost makes me shudder.
Maybe I actually shudder because Gem laughs. “He’s a good guy. He’s just very focused.”
“My ears are burning,” Taylor says from behind me.
I take one last look into Gem’s kind, smiling face before pushing myself up to my feet. “I’ll text you,” I tell her, not trusting myself to go in for one last goodnight kiss.
She just nods.
Taylor and I walk the six blocks to my apartment in complete silence.
A few times I consider trying to make small talk, but a glance in his direction always stops me. He’s looking straight ahead, as if on a mission.
