Page 27

27

VAUGHN

“ S o is the boyfriend coming tonight?”

“That’s kind of personal, isn’t it?” I tease Jacob, who takes a minute to catch up and then shoves me.

“Not what I was asking.”

I laugh happily, walking between classes with him. We had our last class together and also have our next one together. He’s become a pretty good friend, so I was more than happy to have two classes with him this semester. “Yeah. He should be here when I get back to the dorm.”

“You should see your face right now, man.”

“What’s it doing?” I grin even wider because I know exactly what he’s talking about. I’m happy. Really, really happy. When Austin told me to say it—to tell him out loud for the first time just how much I love him—I thought I was dreaming. Or that maybe it was a trap or something.

But he wasn’t kidding, and I was fully awake. And I’ve said it every single day since that one. And I miss him even more now than I did before.

This going to separate colleges sucks.

Jacob says something about next year and maybe being able to talk Austin into coming to a game or two, and I want to be excited about that. Get Jacob on my side and talk Austin into it, but really the thought leaves me a little sad. I don’t know if I can deal with two different cities for another year. I want to be with him.

And I know he went to school to get some space from me and maybe clear his head, but now we’re together. I want to actually be together.

I don’t care that we’re too dependent on each other. To me, that’s just stupid. We’re two people choosing to be together because we make each other happy. There’s nothing wrong with that.

“Yeah, sure. Maybe,” I answer Jacob in the most vague way, but he’s already moved on to the next topic when we run into some more of our friends.

After class, Jacob is right by my side, along with John and his new girlfriend. “So do we get to hang out with Austin or are you going to hog him?”

I laugh. My friends are for sure using me for my boyfriend, and I honestly have no problem with it. Austin is pretty fond of them too.

“Ugh. I guess you guys can hang out for a bit, but then it’s naked time and only a party for two.”

They all laugh as we head to my dorm, my stomach full of excited butterflies. I just saw him this morning on a video chat and was with him last weekend, but I still can’t get enough. I’m starting to suspect I’ll never get enough.

But Austin isn’t alone when we all reach my dorm. He’s standing outside my door with Vanessa who pulls him into a teary hug. I watch them for a moment, a little afraid of what this means until they both turn to me.

Vanessa walks over to me carefully, and I feel bad that she’s nervous. “Hey, Van.”

Does she know about Austin and me? She must. But she doesn’t look upset. She actually looks really happy with a hint of nerves. “Hey, how are you?”

She acknowledges my friends with a quick nod, but her attention is on me. I can feel Austin’s cautious eyes on me, but he doesn’t need to worry. “I’m good. You?”

“Good.” She smiles back at Austin, then looks at me. “I hear you’re really happy.”

I look over at Austin, who shakes his head, holding his hands in front of him as if to say he didn’t tell her.

Vanessa laughs. “Our moms are friends, and the whole town is full of little old gossips.”

“Oh.” I grin and then grip the back of my neck. “Is that...” I don’t want to ask her if it’s okay with her. It really doesn’t matter, but I also don’t want her to think I cheated on her. “I am really happy.”

She’s smiling brightly. “Good. I’m glad. I had no idea you were...” I wait for her to say gay, and my hackles rise because I’m not, and it’s wrong to assume, but I should know Vanessa better than that. “In love with him.”

“I didn’t know it until after we broke up,” I say quickly.

She smiles and hugs me. “I know that, Vaughn. I miss you.” She pulls back and looks over at Austin. “I miss you both. As friends. We should catch up sometime.”

“Well, we’re going to hang out for a bit. You should join.” Jacob shoots his shot, eyeing Vanessa up and down, and I smack him on the back of the head.

“She has a boyfriend.”

Vanessa just laughs. “Fiancé.”

“What?” I look at her, shocked, and she shrugs.

“When you know, you know, right?” There’s that nervous look again, and I laugh, hugging her again. Genuinely happy for her.

“Congrats.”

“Thanks.” She looks over at Jacob. “And thank you for the invite, but I have to get going. I’ll see you all around.”

Austin comes to my side, and I pull him into me, everyone else forgotten because I’m finally touching him again. “Take care of yourself, Vanessa.” She waves to him, and then we all go inside.

I pull Austin onto my lap instantly, and my friends groan, but they’re good sports. We have a good time, catching up and hanging out, but I’m still happy as hell when they each dip out and finally Austin and I are alone.

When Jacob leaves the room with a click of my door, Austin turns around in my lap and kisses me hard. I hold onto his hips and just breathe him in, my world settled with him here with me.

I start to pull his shirt up, but his hands stop me, and he chuckles. “Wait. I actually want to talk to you first.”

I kiss along his neck, meaning to use words and give him some distance between our bodies, but my hands wind up under his shirt and over his smooth bare back. Oops.

“Vaughn,” he laughs. “Seriously.” But he tilts his head to the side and gives me better access to his neck. I lick along one of the chords there, and he moans, grinding his hardening cock against mine. “I had a meeting today.”

“What?” I pull back and look at him, trying to catch my breath. “Are you okay?”

He smiles and shakes his head at me. “Forever my biggest protector.”

“Always,” I growl, my fingers digging into his hips even more as I sit here and worry about all the things he could have had a meeting about.

“Relax.” His hand smooths over my chest. “I talked to my counselor about how difficult it would be to change schools.”

It takes a minute for my mind to catch up, and I stare at him in shock. “What? You want to come here?”

He nods. “I do. It wouldn’t be this semester but next year. Turns out, it won’t be all that difficult. Pretty easy to switch, actually, and I think I’m going to do it.”

I want to scream with joy. Jump up and do a totally dorky happy dance, but I stop myself. Dread washes over me. I can’t let him change his whole life just for me. I’ve thought about giving up football and changing schools.

It would suck, and I’m not sure my grades will allow it, but I was going to try because the thought of another year without him on the same campus was too awful to bear. But him doing this for me? When he was the one who wanted to go to separate schools in the first place...

“But you didn’t want to go to this school.”

“They have a great business program. I was being a snob.”

I don’t want to let on just how excited I am because I need to know for sure he’s doing this for the right reason. Love isn’t selfish. I don’t know a lot of things, but I know that one.

“We could make long distance work until you graduate.” I would hate it, but we could do it. I’d do anything for him.

His hand brushes over my cheek, and he’s looking at me so fondly, my heart nearly cracks in half. “I don’t want distance from you, Vaughn. Not ever again. I was fooling myself. Desperately and pathetically in love with my best friend. I would have been, no matter where I moved to. It wasn’t going to just go away.”

“I’m glad it didn’t,” I say honestly, and he smiles, kissing my lips softly and then pulling back.

“Me too. I was an idiot. I was wrong, and I want to make it right.”

“You aren’t worried we’re too codependent?” I can hear our moms now, telling us to really think about it and telling us how young we are. That changing our lives for each other is reckless.

“Oh, we’re totally codependent, but I’m tired of not going after what I want. I thought for so long that Big Bend was the problem. That if I could get out of there, I’d be braver. Then it was State that was going to hold me back, but the truth is, I was just scared. You make me brave.”

“You’re brave all on your own. It has nothing to do with me.” I shake my head. “You went to a college where you knew no one, and you thrived. I don’t want you to leave it. You love it.”

“I love you.” He says it so firmly, I feel it everywhere. The words still make me tingle with happiness.

“I love you too, but you never have to give anything up for me. I’ll make it work however I need to.”

“You don’t need to. I want to do this. I’m filing the paperwork to transfer next week. My mind is made up. I just needed to hear that you love me one more time before I did.”

I laugh and then flip us, so his body is under mine and I’m hovering over him. “I love you.” I kiss him. “I love you.” I kiss down his neck. “I love you forever, no matter what city we’re in.”

He laughs and holds onto my bicep. “I love you too. I’m thinking about renting my own place here next year.”

My eyes light up. “Tell me you want a roommate.”

He laughs. “Pretty sure you have to live in the dorms if you’re playing football, and you better be playing.”

“Coach did talk about me starting next year.”

I can see he’s truly happy for me. “But I suppose you can stay the night at my place sometimes.”

“All the time,” I say as if I’m compromising.

He cackles at that until I lean down and kiss him stupid.

Next year, I’m going to have it all. Football. College. And my best friend in the world by my side.

I can’t wait.