Untimely Love (Book 3)

♠Chapter 3♠

Julia's new roommates were Angelica and Noemi. They were third-year students and so far they seemed cool.

We ended up going to a restaurant close by that they said was a popular spot. I wasn't looking forward to eating out because I was serious about my no-takeout diet, but in the name of politeness, I did order what seemed healthy enough—a salad and a serving of veggie quesadillas. It wasn't terrible which I was grateful for but it wasn't enough for me to come back.

The girls were nice enough and seemed excited Julia wasn't as snobby as she looked. Of course, they didn't say that last part out loud but come on she would seem like a snob at first glance.

"So you're all first-year?" Angelica glanced at each of us.

Few of us nodded while Julia gestured to Kol next to her. "Not him. He's going into his third at NYU."

"Oh that's great, what are you studying?" She ran her hand through her wavy chestnut hair, flowing freely from the single braid it was in prior.

Kolton set his drink down. "Neuroscience."

Like most people who hear this for the first time, the girls looked thoroughly surprised but tried to reel it in.

"Same," Julia muttered, breaking into the moment.

"I can't even imagine," Angelica said, her tone still hanging on disbelief.

Personally, I never made a huge deal about Kol's career path. We all had our thing and that happened to be his. I'm more shocked that Thion wanted to be a therapist if anyone asked me.

"Good luck," Noemi said, grinning.

We talked a lot about school after that. We told them where we were coming from, another thing they were shocked about since we're all close, from Pennsylvania, and all ended up in NYC. We declared our majors and schools and decided it was a little weird that we were all going to either Parsons or NYU. With the exception of Nate who we told them would be in the city in a few days but would be going to Columbia. Noemi and Angelica told us what they could about the classes and professors and even offered to give us a tour before classes started on Monday.

I reached for my drink the same time Noemi asked the weirdest thing.

"I see that you two are here," she pointed at the couple at the table then gestured to the rest of us guys. "Are the rest of you guys like... dating? Have girlfriends?"

My eyebrows raised while Angelica turned to her friend. "Just go for it? Just like that?"

I couldn't help laughing along with the others because as random as it was, it was funny to an extent. She was straight-forward and unapologetic about it.

Noemi held her hands up, leaning back in her seat. "You know I'm nosey and I'm curious who's doing the whole long-distance thing."

Immediately, I thought that I could've been doing the 'long-distance thing' if things had gone in a different direction. Then the fact that I would've been more than satisfied with just that left the nastiest taste at the back of my throat because I didn't want to think like that again. Not where everyone could possibly see any kind of emotion on my face that I wasn't willing to share. Not right now.

I gulped down what was left of my water and cleared my throat as subtly as I could.

"-Chris is having issues with his wife-"

My gaze snapped to Thion and my face felt like it was on fire. I ignored the commotion coming from the two girls.

"Okay, you can knock it off, it's not funny anymore."

He held my gaze but didn't say anything. He didn't even look the least bit sorry. On the other hand, I struggled to keep the cap on the tension boiling under my skin. It was hardly funny before but the humor drained out of that joke a long time ago for me.

"What does that mean?" Noemi asked, her words dragged out and hesitant. "You have a girlfriend?"

I shook my head, crossing my arms slowly on the table to keep my eyes down. "It's a played-out joke. I don't."

The silence that followed was nerve-wracking and uncomfortable. It made my skin crawl and the tips of my ears burn. I was seconds away from walking out. When we were together they could crack all the jokes in the world but I didn't need strangers prying into something I'm trying to keep in the past.

I didn't hear what Sean said to break through the silence but I still didn't look up even after. I rubbed the side of my neck to try getting rid of the heat there while reaching for the straw in my glass to stab at the broken ice settled at the bottom.

"Has anyone ever told you that the long-distance..." Noemi trailed off.

Sean laughed. "I don't listen to what people say. No one's getting me to leave him. Not even him."

"That doesn't sound right," Thion whispered. It was loud enough that we all heard. "Reword. Rephrase. Save yourself."

There was a round of amused sounds that I couldn't force myself to be a part of. And after a few minutes of trying to get my body heat back to normal with some deep breaths, closing my eyes, and counting to ten three times, it was apparent the night was wrecked. Not wanting to ruin the mood more than I already did, I got up and headed to the bathroom without saying anything.

I practically scrubbed my face with cold water and ended up doing to same for my eyes because she was all I could see when I closed them.

I patted my cheeks a little too hard and cleared the water from my eyelids. "Get it together. It's been months. She doesn't..."

She doesn't want you.

The thought was a declaration I'd never made out loud because it would feel too real. No matter how long it's been, I had to accept it for what it was—I knew that—but a part of me wasn't ready for that. A part of me didn't want to. A part of me still wanted to wait, knowing it was the worst and last thing to do.

Whether it was true or it was all in my head, I didn't want to believe it, then at the same time what else was there to believe? Actions did speak louder than words and these past weeks, reminiscing over the hiding and sneaking around was speaking louder than anything else for me. As much as I tried to get out of my head and not think about it, more things started to connect and make the worst sense.

I shook my head and ran my wet hands through my hair, pushing it off my forehead.

"Just get over it." I turned and yanked a paper towel from the dispenser.

♤♠♤

Life hasn't been the greatest.

Especially now.

But I'm trying to comeback.

Just a random thought: you don't know how many sad love songs I've listened to and the only thing making my single ass down as hell is Chris and Ari.

There's your warning... don't take it lightly.