Page 9 of Learn Your Limits

Chapter nine

Reid

JustMilo: I’m still interested.

JustMilo: In all aspects of you.

I was fully prepared for Milo to respond to my messages with an eloquent thanks, but no thanks. I don’t know many people who would be as understanding as him, but that just goes to show that his level of maturity far surpasses that of those I regularly spend time with.

I’ve never been so relieved by two simple sentences as I am right now.

I’m still not sure how much of myself I’m willing to let him see when we don’t really know each other.

But I also realize that the only way we’re going to get to know one another is by doing exactly that.

I can’t expect him to fall for me exactly as I am without showing him who that is.

As much as I appreciate the anonymity that comes with messaging on this app, I also hate not being able to hear the tone of his words or see his facial expressions.

I want to sit and have an actual conversation with him, to know if my heart and body will respond to him the same way they did last night.

But taking that step would be monumental.

The only thing I can do now is try to show him that I meant what I said.

Part of which means not leaving him hanging.

Rubbing a hand over my stubbled jaw, I contemplate how to respond to his last messages.

Maybe it’s as simple as taking a step back and building the foundation of a friendship.

I don’t agree with many things that my parents have said over the course of my life, but my mom has always said that a solid friendship is the foundation of every long-lasting relationship.

CallMeCal: What are you up to today? Are you ready for the school year to start? I don’t think we ever even discussed where you work or what you teach.

Our conversation last night became heated far faster than I anticipated—not that I’m complaining—and we skipped over some of the most basic details. I didn’t even ask about the pronunciation of his name.

“Reid! What the fuck were you doing outside, man?” Wes asks as I step back inside, slipping my phone into my pocket.

“Just checking my email,” I tell him. It’s not necessarily a lie, just a little stretch of the truth. But what am I supposed to say?

Oh, just talking to this hot older guy I met online last night who may or may not be a professor at OU.

Yeah, no thank you. I’m not ready for that conversation.

At least not before I know where things with Milo will go, if they’ll go anywhere at all.

Neither Wes nor Matt have ever said anything that makes me think they'd be unsupportive, but I still want to keep this piece of me to myself for now.

At least until there's something to tell beyond just having met someone on a dating app.

I've yet to even show Milo my face. Initially, it was to prevent myself from being recognized.

Now I'm just worried that Milo won't be attracted to me.

My phone vibrates in my pocket with a notification, and I quickly pull it out.

“Email, huh? Must be important for you to grab your phone that fast,” Wes teases.

“Fuck off,” I tell him, ignoring his stare and swiping a finger across the screen to open Milo’s message.

JustMilo: I’ve been in back-to-back meetings since this morning, and it has me working on my fourth cup of coffee for the day. I’m a sciences professor at Oakhart. It’s funny how we might have run into each other at one point and not even known it.

My lips tug into a smile as I think of Milo, so bored out of his mind that he has somehow managed to down four cups of coffee in an attempt to stay focused. I’ve never been much of a coffee drinker myself. As bad as they are, I prefer to get my caffeine fix from energy drinks.

My smile falls into a slight frown when I read that he’s a science professor.

Damn. I was kind of hoping he would end up being one of my professors for the first semester at least, but I don’t have any science courses on my schedule.

I’m down to finishing up degree-specific courses and a few electives that would likely come in handy when I become a school counselor.

One of those electives being the Cognitive Psychology course I signed up for.

Considering that my major is quite literally the study of human social relationships, behavior, and change, taking a class on the way people think seems like it would be beneficial.

CallMeCal: Oakhart, huh? Guess we might run into each other after all. I’m a little disappointed that I don’t have any science courses on my schedule for this semester.

CallMeCal: Was kinda hoping you would be my professor *smiling devil emoji*

So much for taking things back to the basics and establishing a friendship first. Apparently, flirting with Milo is inevitable.

The rest of the afternoon passes by in a haze, hours blending together as the guys all yell at a television screen as though they can change the outcome of the games.

By the time Wes, Matt, and I finally make it back to our apartment, I’m desperate for some solitude.

It’s been a few hours since I’ve heard back from Milo, but he did mention being in meetings all day.

It’s a little strange to think that while I’ve spent the day essentially doing nothing, he’s been stuck at work.

With him being a science professor, I doubt we will ever even be in the same building.

I can’t remember off of the top of my head how far away the science building is from the sociology and psychology building, but it can’t be too far.

With any luck, I’ll have enough of a gap in between classes to run over and pay him a visit.

Part of me wants to send him a full picture of myself, but he hasn’t asked.

Maybe he’s enjoying the mystery behind not fully knowing who I am.

I swipe my tongue over my lower lip before pulling it between my teeth, a smirk painting my lips as I imagine what it would be like to surprise him on campus.

What would it be like to be seen in public with him?

I’m sure there’s some kind of rule prohibiting professors from entertaining a relationship with a student, but would the rule still apply if he weren’t my professor?

It’s nearly seven at night by the time I’m sitting down at my desk to sketch, hair still wet from the shower, when I pull out my phone to send Milo another message.

CallMeCal: I hope all those meetings weren’t too terrible. How much coffee did you end up having to drink just to stay awake?