“Well,” Dad begins, “your mom has a friend whose son is a sophomore at your school.He’s living in a dorm, and his roommate recently moved out—dropped out of school, actually.The dorm room’s open for new occupants, so we thought, why not have our son move in?That Fox kid hasn’t been nice to you from the start, so why not take this opportunity to move out?”
Good news?This isn’t good news.It’s the worst news I’ve heard in a while.If this were two months ago, I might’ve considered it—maybe even accepted it gladly.But not now.Not when I’ve finally found something with Fox.
Love.
Wait.Do I… love him too?
“I’m not moving out,” I say firmly.
“And why not?”Dad asks, his tone sharp now.
“Because there are better things to do with money than throwing it at a dorm room I don’t need.I’m fine here, Dad.And yes, you may have been right about Fox being annoying at first, but he’s… great now.Trust me.”
“You’ve become friends withthat boy?Didn’t you say he throws parties and brings women home?”Mom’s voice bursts through the phone, sharp and accusatory.
“That wasbefore.I’m not interested in moving out,” I repeat, exasperation seeping into my tone.
“You’re moving out, Cameron,” Mom says, her tone final.“What has that boy done to you?Have you started going to parties with him?I’m calling Mr.William right now, and we’ll get a refund.You’re moving out.”
Before I can respond, the line goes dead.
I fight the urge to scream into my hands, tossing my phone onto the bed.My mom has an uncanny ability to take control of my life as if I’m still a kid who can’t make decisions for himself.
The door creaks open, and I look up to see Fox standing there, now wearing a long-sleeved white shirt.He smiles and steps inside, the tension from earlier seemingly forgotten.
“What, you love me so much you don’t want to move out?”he teases, smirking.
“You heard?”I ask, groaning as I lean back on the bed.
“You know these walls are thin,” he says with a shrug.
Fox sits down beside me, wrapping an arm around my waist before effortlessly pulling me into his lap.I chuckle at the way he manhandles me so easily.
“Don’t worry,” he says, kissing my temple.“You’re not moving out.I won’t let you.”
“Is she gone?”I ask, referring to Lexi.
“Yeah,” he sighs.“I’m sorry about all that.You shouldn’t have had to deal with it.She can be… intense.And for the record, we were over long before you and I started… this.”
I run my fingers through his hair, taming the strands as I smile.“If I’m not mistaken, she’s the one girl you’ve dated the longest.You always went back to her, even after breaking up.”
“Should I be flattered you paid that much attention to my life even when I was a dick to you?”he asks, smirking.
I roll my eyes.“Call it curiosity.”
Fox laughs softly, his fingers tracing lazy circles on my hip.“Well, I’m still flattered.And you’re the first guy who’s ever told me he liked me.”
“I’ve got balls,” I say, smirking.
He chuckles, shaking his head.“And it’s still a mystery how I fell for you.But I did.Hard.”
His lips find my neck, planting soft, deliberate kisses that make my breath hitch.
“And I’m glad I did,” he whispers, his lips brushing my skin.“You’re worth every damn thing, Cam.”
My cheeks flush as I bite my lip, savoring the moment.
Then Fox smirks, raising an eyebrow.“So… how’d you learn to do that with your pretty little mouth?Been practicing?”
