I let out a quiet laugh, shaking my head.
“So I’m not just some experiment for your sexuality?”
“That’s not what you are to me.”
“Then what am I to you?”
“What happened to your self-esteem?”he asks, his voice softening.
I sigh, turning away from him and walking around the counter to pour another glass of water.“Nothing happened to it.I’m just not used to getting real affection from you, Fox.”
He sighs deeply, sounding as exhausted as I feel.“What do you want me to do to prove I mean it?That I want you, and I want us to date?”
The word date feels too big, too much.
“I need some time to think,” I say firmly.
“Does that mean avoiding me?”
“I can’t avoid you, Fox.Trust me, I’ve tried.It’s harder than you think.”
I see a small smile tug at his lips, though he suppresses it quickly.
“Okay,” he says after a moment.“I’ll give you time.”
“Thanks.”
“Can I at least kiss you?”he asks, his tone almost playful.
“No can do,” I say, pointing a finger at him.
He chuckles, licking his bottom lip before nodding.“Fine.But this isn’t over.”
As he turns to leave, he stops at the doorway and looks back at me.“It’s not Blaze, is it?”
“Blaze is straight, and we’re not a thing,” I reply firmly.
“You guys wanted to kiss, though,” he presses.
“That was supposed to make you jealous.”
“Well, it worked,” he admits with a silent laugh.
“Yeah.I can tell.”
“Then who’s this ‘someone’ you found?”he asks, his voice softer now.
“It’s not about him,” I say, exasperated.“Go to bed, Fox, so I can think.”
He smiles faintly.“Fine.But this isn’t over.”
As he disappears into the living room, I lean against the counter, running my fingers through my hair.My thoughts are a mess, and I know I need to talk to someone—anyone—before this all spirals out of control.
I sit quietly on the bleachers, watching Fox and his team practice.No one notices me sitting here alone, and I don’t make a sound.My eyes are drawn to Fox—the way he handles the ball with precision, the way he moves effortlessly across the field.He’s perfect.
The truth is, I barely slept last night.
I spent hours thinking about the man just across the hall from me.I wanted to leave my room, knock on his door, and crawl into his bed just to cuddle with him.But I stopped myself.I need time.Time to think about what I’m doing and whether I can trust him.
