I blink, feeling my smile disappear when I remember he won’t be here for long. “For two months,” I say, swallowing.
His smile wavers, a hint of tension flickering across his face. “Yeah.”
“It’s fine,” I say with a shrug, though I feel the complete opposite. “I know the deal.”
“I still hate thinking about it though,” he admits quietly.
“Me too.”
Chris exhales, running a hand through his hair. “Is it just the girls that are graduating next year?”
“No. Lucas still has quite a bit left,” I reply, gesturing to Lucas.
“I only applied to Redfield last year,” Lucas tells him. “So I guess I’m stuck here for a bit longer.”
“And James,” Grayson adds. “He still has another year left.”
Chris turns to me, furrowing his brows. “James?”
I grin, letting out a sigh. “Ah. James. I miss him.”
“Me too,” Lucas says with a sad nod. “He’s my best friend,” he tells Chris. “He doesn’t go here, though. He goes to college in the city.”
“Do you go to school around here?” Grayson asks Chris as he takes a sip of his beer.
“Nah,” Chris replies, shaking his head. “I actually study in London.”
Grayson freezes, eyes drifting to me. “Fuck. That’s… far.”
“Three-thousand, six-hundred and twenty miles,” I say, noting everyone’s eyes on me. “But who’s counting?” I say with a scoff, taking a sip of my drink.
Aiden clears his throat, lifting his brows. “That’s cool, though. I’ve always wanted to go to London,” he says. “What do you study?”
“Computer tech,” he says, joining me on the couch. Our shoulders press together, and I lean into him without a second thought. “I actually got a job as a game developer.”
Aiden’s eyes light up with excitement. “Oh shit, that’s cool,” he says, his eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “We should play sometime. I’d love some real competition.”
I shoot him a glare. “Hey, you said I was improving.”
Aiden chuckles. “I was just being nice.”
“Dick,” I mutter, crossing my arms.
Aiden laughs, pulling out his phone. “Here, let’s exchange numbers and set up a gaming session.”
“Yeah, okay,” Chris replies.
I turn my attention to the girls. “Should I be worried that Aiden’s trying to steal my best friend right now?”
As Rosie and Madi exchange smirks, their expressions falter, and I follow their gaze to Tiffany standing beside Chris. My stomach churns at the sight of her.
“If you’re handing out numbers, then I’m interested,” she says, her gaze lingering on Chris as she flashes him a smile. “I don’tthink I’ve seen you around here before. Hi, I’m Tiffany.” Her short black bob sways as she steps closer to him.
“Hi. I, uh… I don’t go here,” Chris explains with a swallow. “I’m just visiting for the summer.”
Tiffany’s smile widens. “That’s perfect,” she replies. “I’m starting to get bored of the guys around here.”
“More like they’re getting bored of you,” Grayson says, with a scoff.
