Page 97 of Not Dating Material

“Maybe.”

“What is it? Need me to come over there?”

I smile at him jumping immediately into dad mode, because even if I have been pulling away, it’s nice to know that he’s still as protective as ever. “No, I’m okay okay, I’m just … have I been distant?”

“Where’s this coming from?”

“Someone pointed out to me recently that I don’t talk much when you call.”

Dad hums, all gravelly and warm like he used to do when I was a kid with my head on his chest. It’s calming. “Honestly, I’ve been worried about you for a while now. You’ve been … unhappy.”

That’s news to me. “But I’m super happy.”

“Are you? Because you weren’t when you left here, and I haven’t been able to get much out of you since you moved.”

I sigh because that basically confirms it. Dad has no idea where I’m at.

“I’m worried about you, bub.”

“Sorry. I …” I let out a frustrated growl. “I’m doing good here. The move was the smartest thing I’ve done in a long time, and I miss you and Will obviously, but it’s been good for me.”

“How so?”

“I get to start over for one. All that mess with Ford kinda knocked some perspective into me.”

Dad laughs. “Yeah, I should hope so. My friends weren’t all that thrilled with me either.”

Considering Dad is friends with Ford’s boyfriend, I’m not surprised. “I’m sorry.”

“You were hurting. I get it, and Orson forgave you immediately.”

“Not Ford though.”

“Ford wants you to be happy. We all do.”

That’s kind of nice to hear. That maybe I haven’t completely ruined everything back home. “Then you’ll be happy to know I am here. My roommates are a weird bunch, but I love them.”

“Tell me about them.”

“Well, you already know about Madden. I didn’t tell you that apparently he’s a nudist now though, so I have to deal with seeing his dick every day. Surprisingly, it didn’t take as long to get used to as I thought it would. Then there’s Christian, who I don’t really know because he’s traveling, but he was cool when I met him. Rush is … different. I think in a good way. It’s hard to tell, though, because he’s in and out all the time and super scattered.”

“I dunno, he sounds like an interesting guy to me.”

“Yeah, he’s nice, at least.”

“Who else? You live with five guys, don’t you?”

“Yep! Xander and Seven are the other two. They’re a package deal and who I’ve gotten closest to.” And as I tell Dad about them, it’s like the floodgates have opened. There’s no weirdness, no holding back. I want to fill him in on all the interesting and wild things my roommates do, and he sounds starved for the connection.

“Sounds like they’ve been through some heavy things together,” he says.

“Yeah, it does. I don’t know the details, but it can’t have been good. Oh! And Seven’s been helping me.”

“How so?”

“Well, you know how I’ve had rotten luck with guys? He pointed out that maybe I’m the problem—”

“He what?”

---