CHAPTER 6
“There you are,” Kavi said way too loudly in the quiet recess of the library.
Kian had no idea how his roommate had found his hiding spot. It was frustrating to keep having to find new spots in order to keep away from his best friend so he could study, only for Kavi to find him anyway. All he knew was the only time Kavi stepped into the library was to find Kian to drag him somewhere far away from his coursework. “Kavi, what are you doing here?” Please don’t let it be another party.
“You work too hard. You need to have some fun,” Kavi told him as he closed the notebook Kian had been using to outline the next several chapters in his city planning class.
If he didn’t find a way to put his foot down, Kian was going to start falling behind. There was no way he was about to fail a class in his senior year, which would force all his plans on hold. “No.” It was about time Kian put his foot down when it came to Kavi.
Between work, the parties, football games and anything else Kavi could find to drag him to, it had been a struggle the past three years to stay on top of his homework. There were too many occasions he’d hardly any time for prepping for each course so he would know what the professor was discussing during class.
Even though it had only been a week, he could already feel the overwhelming demand his senior year would entail and the last thing he needed was to get behind. Don’t get him wrong, Kian loved to learn as well as being truly challenged.
Thankfully, the library had offered him a place to hide from his roommates to study. Once again he’d have to find somewhere else he could disappear to get things done.
“I also need to pass my classes if I’m going to graduate in order to go on for my Masters,” he grumbled at Kavi, who – as usual – ignored him and started packing his books into his backpack. Then, with more strength than Kavi usually had, he dragged Kian from the table and out of the library.
Once they were outside, Kavi said what he always said when dragging Kian places, “You know what they say about all work and no play.” Until attending UT and meeting Kavi, Kian really hadn’t understood that saying. And as per the usual, Kian rolled his eyes and reluctantly let Kavi drag him to their house. “You really are hopeless. Come on, you promised Brandon you’d cheer him on at his games and this is the first one of the season.”
Laughing a little, Kian put on Brandon’s jersey before they headed to the stadium where students and alumni were streaming through the gates. Once again, it ended up being a lot of fun and Kian was glad Kavi had forced him to go. They went to every home game where Kavi would explain more of what was happening on the field and Kian was actually starting to understand it– sort of. Mostly he ended up cheering when the crowd did. The atmosphere was always charged with excitement so he didn’t really care if he knew what was happening or not.
The stadium was packed with everyone wearing the team’s color, orange. People he’d never met and some he had, were standing there jumping up and down whenever they made a good play, giving him high fives when the team scored. It was exhilarating to feel like one of the crowd. Until his freshman year of college, he’d never known football could be so exciting.
During half-time, they walked around mingling with the other students. Just before half-time was over, Kavi went to the bathroom, leaving Kian waiting.
People actually acknowledged him with a nod, recognizing him from either classes or from the stands, some even said ‘hi’. He was getting to know fellow students and having a great time, something he still had trouble believing was happening to him.
“Hello again.”
The words flowed over him, wrapping him in their silky texture. Hell, he’d been dreaming about that voice since they’d bumped into each other at the grocery store. Alec. Kian still couldn’t believe someone as gorgeous as Alec wanted to go out with him. He would swear, even though there was about a foot separating them, electricity still arced between them, as if trying to draw them closer.
With palms sweating and heart racing, Kian looked up into the greenest eyes he had ever seen. “Um, hello.” Ugh, could he be any more lame? They’d talked once, so why was he having such a hard time doing so again?
Again, Alec’s expression seemed to change, as if what he said was the wrong thing. Kian just didn’t know how to act when he was around. Maybe he should ask Kavi what to say.
The awkwardness only increased when Alec stood there as if he wanted to talk to Kian. When several minutes passed in silence, he feared he was going to leave without saying a word.
Kian’s heart raced as he struggled to figure out something he could do or say that would break the ice, but Kian was clueless. What in the world was wrong with him that he didn’t even know simple social interaction?
Just when he was sure he would walk away, Alec gave a soft sigh that he saw more than heard over the noise of the crowd around them. “I was wondering if after the game, you would like to go to dinner?” Alec asked.
“He’d love to.” Kavi’s timing was one of the things that Kian hadn’t figured out. His roommate always seemed to appear at just the right, or wrong, time.
Kian stared at his best friend. What was Kavi thinking? Kian was going to make a bigger fool of himself if he was around Alec too long. Yet, at the same time, he couldn’t deny his heart sped up just thinking about getting to spend more time with Alec. “Well, I mean, sure, I guess, but it has to be quick. I have a lot of studying to do.”
“Great. It’s settled then.” Kavi pulled out his hand. “Give me your phone and I’ll put in Kian’s number.” Once done, he handed it back to Alec. “After the game, call and tell us where to meet you and I will drop him off with you. Okay?”
Then Kavi was dragging Kian back to their seats for the rest of the game. But Kian honestly couldn’t say if they won or not for his mind wouldn’t let him absorb anything going on around him but the fact that he was about to have dinner with Alec.
Fear held him in its tight grasp. He just knew he was going to make a fool of himself.