Chapter 110: Friendship, Feelings, and French Fries
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The cafeteria buzzed with its usual chaos, students packed around tables, trays banging against countertops, and conversations mixing into a loud hum that was almost indistinguishable.
It wasn’t exactly a tranquil scene, but after the craziness my life had turned into over the last few weeks, I found something oddly comforting about the normality of it all... the lively chaos of college life seemingly untouched by the worries that had kept me up at night.
I spotted Joey right away. He was waving both arms like he was trying to direct traffic rather than just trying to get my attention from across the room.
"Oliver!" he shouted, loud enough to turn a few heads. "Your favorite person is over here!"
I sighed, already regretting this lunch date.
"You know," I said, sliding into the seat opposite him, "normal people just text."
Joey just grinned, completely unrepentant. "And miss the chance to embarrass you in public? Not a chance. Where’s the fun in being subtle?"
He chuckled, sliding a fry my way like it was a peace offering. "There he is."
"What?"
"My grumpy little roommate."
"Former roommate."
"Ouch," he said, pressing a hand dramatically to his heart. "You didn’t have to remind me."
"You were the one who brought it up."
"I know. Just wanted to be dramatic about it."
Some things never changed. Even though we didn’t share a dorm anymore, Joey had this way of making everything feel just like old times, easy and loud, as if no time had passed since we last hung out. It had only been a couple of months, what with classes, assignments, and me settling into Preston Hall, but we hadn’t really seen each other much.
I missed this. I missed him.
"So," Joey leaned in, elbows on the table, "how’s life with Prince Charming?"
I blinked. "...Who?"
He shot me a look. "The ridiculously rich, ridiculously good-looking guy you’re currently living with."
Heat rushed to my face. "I have no idea what you’re talking about."
"Damien."
"I know who you mean."
"Good." He snatched another fry from my tray, pointing it at me like a weapon. "So? How’s Hot Roommate?"
I nearly spilled my drink. "Can you stop calling him that?"
"I could," he said, popping the fry into his mouth, "but I won’t."
I groaned. "You’re impossible."
"And you’re blushing."
"I’m not blushing."
"Oh, you absolutely are."
"I’m just warm."
"It’s air-conditioned in here, Oliver. The only logical source of warmth right now is whatever’s happening in your chest."
"...Shut up."
Joey laughed loudly enough to attract some curious glances from other tables. "This is incredible!" he exclaimed.
"What is?"
"I’ve never seen you blush this much over someone."
"I am not blushing because of Damien."
"Oh?" He wiggled his eyebrows, teasing. "So there’s another handsome billionaire hiding in your room?"
"No one’s hiding anywhere!"
"Mhm." He nodded slowly, clearly believing none of what I was saying. "So, have you two kissed yet?"
I choked on my soda. He gave me a moment to recover before he continued.
"I’ll take that as a maybe. What about holding hands?"
"No!"
"Cuddling?"
"..."
His jaw dropped in shock, as if he’d just witnessed a scandal. "You hesitated."
"I did not."
"You totally did."
"I was just considering how annoying you are."
"Sure you were."
He leaned in with a conspiratorial tone. "So... have you two—"
"No."
"I didn’t even finish the question."
"I know what you were going to ask."
"And...Have you two hooked up yet? Come on, be honest. Is he as good in bed as the rumours say?"
"No, we haven’t done that!"
He laughed so hard that a girl at the next table couldn’t help but smile at us.
"I’m serious!" I said, feeling a mix of mortification and amusement.
"I know you are!" Joey said between giggles. "That’s what makes this so hilarious."
I buried my face in my hands. "I should’ve stayed home."
"No way! Then I’d miss this priceless entertainment, and you’d have no one to embarrass you, which, let’s face it, you secretly need."
When I finally looked up, he was still grinning, but his expression softened, showing concern now.
"So," he said again, calm now. "Jokes aside, what’s really going on?"
His question caught me off guard. For a moment, I thought about brushing it off with a joke, but Joey had known me long enough to see right through my fake smiles. He wasn’t just teasing; he genuinely wanted to know.
I stared at my untouched food. "I don’t know," I replied quietly.
Joey was patient, letting me gather my thoughts.
"I didn’t expect this."
"This?"
"Living with Damien." The words started flowing easier now, like cracking open a dam. "At first, I thought we’d barely tolerate each other. I figured we’d just avoid each other until our dorm got fixed and I could move back."
"And?"
"And now—" I let out a small laugh, surprised. "Now he’s one of my favorite people."
Joey gave a soft smile. "Aww, look at you going all soft! That’s kind of sweet."
"Don’t make it weird."
"I wasn’t going to."
"...You totally were."
"Okay, maybe a little."
I shook my head, smiling despite myself. "He’s just—" I searched for the right words. "He’s kind and he listens. He remembers details I thought didn’t matter."
Joey nodded, listening intently now, seriously.
"And somehow, he knows when I’m having a rough day," I went on, absentmindedly watching the condensation on my cup. "And I’m really attracted to him sexually. I keep thinking about exploring being bi or what this even means...and I want it to be with him. But admitting that out loud feels like jumping off a cliff, I feel safe around him. It’s been a long time since I felt that way around anyone."
That confession lingered in the air between us. Joey’s smile faded into something more thoughtful. "I’ve noticed."
"What?"
"You’ve been happier." Joey pointed a fry at me gently. "To be honest, that guy’s good for you."
I swallowed hard. "I know."
"He has my blessing to rail you." He said, making me roll my eyes. "So what’s the problem?"
I hesitated. "I’m terrified as fuck."
"Terrified of what?"
I chuckled softly, though it wasn’t entirely humorous. "Messing things up."
He waited, patient as ever.
"I don’t want to lose him."
"By telling him how you feel?"
I nodded. "What if he doesn’t feel the same and all he wants from me is sex? What if it gets awkward? What if living together becomes impossible after that?"
Those thoughts had been spinning in my head for days, and saying them out loud felt more heavy and real than they did just as thoughts in my mind.
"Our friendship is very precious to me," I said, staring down at the table. "I don’t want to ruin that because I got confused."
Joey was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Oliver."
"Hmm?"
"You’ve spent most of your life worrying about ruining things before they even have a chance to happen."
I blinked. "Maybe."
"No," he said, smiling gently. "Definitely."
For once, he wasn’t joking. "You don’t have to confess tomorrow," he continued. "But don’t convince yourself that you’re protecting the friendship when really, you’re just trying to protect yourself from getting hurt."
I was left speechless.
Deep down, I wasn’t certain he was wrong.
His words echoed in my mind long after we finished talking, not because they were so profound, but because they were irritatingly accurate. Joey had this annoying talent for wrapping genuine advice in humor until I finally let my guard down enough to actually hear it.
I absentmindedly fiddled with my fries, more focused on moving them around than actually eating.
"You’ve gotten oddly wise," I muttered.
Joey gasped dramatically, hand to his chest. "Did you just compliment me?"
"That wasn’t a compliment."
"It absolutely was."
"It was just an observation."
"I’ll take it."
Joey took a sip of his drink and looked at me directly. "Forget being scared, man. And screw the whole ’just friends’ rule if that’s what you want. You’ve been happier since you moved in with him...anyone can see that. Don’t throw that away because you’re overthinking things. Friends can have sex and still be friends, Oliver. If you play your cards right, you two will still be best buds even after you’ve fucked like a dozen times."
I nearly spat out my drink, coughing as laughter and embarrassment collided in my chest. Joey’s bluntness was just what I needed and also what I dreaded, cutting through the swirling thoughts in my head.
"You’re insane, Joey," I muttered, though a reluctant smile crept onto my lips. "It’s not that simple."
"It kind of is," he said with a shrug, snagging one of my fries. "Life’s too short to pretend. If he makes you feel good, safe, wanted, turned on...then go for it. You deserve that."
I took a minute to think about his words...