Page 108 of Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App
Devin got first, which he bragged about while I tapped him on the head with a controller.
Friday night was tough. Devin wouldn’t be over since it was TCG Night and the shop didn’t close until 11p.m., and after a week of sitting at home I was antsy and restless. I no longer needed pain medication, but I still couldn’t sit upright for too long or my stitches would get sore.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive you over there, sweetie?” my mother asked as she sat on the couch next to me, scrolling through her phone. “You can just stay for a little while. Say hi to your friends.”
I shook my head. As much as I wanted to see them, I didn’t think I could handle the twenty-minute car ride over there. Not only was sitting upright difficult, but the seatbelt would press against my stitches.
I fiddled with my Steam Deck, preparing for another night spent in my townhouse playing video games, when the doorbell rang.
My mother stood up and walked down the hall to answer it. I assumed it was just a package, until I heard a mix of chatter and laughter from several familiar voices.
“Avery!” My mom shouted down the hall. “Your friends are here!”
I burst off the couch, my stitches aching in the process. But the thrill of seeing my friends overrode the pain.
In the front doorway was Cassidy, Aaron, and Chris, carrying grocery bags of snack food and a Nintendo Switch case.
“Avery!” Cassidy exclaimed, giving me a big hug. I smiled and winced at the same time, reminding her to be careful with my abdomen.
“Oh, oops, sorry,” she chuckled as she pulled away.
“What are you guys doing here?” I asked. “I thought you’d be at the shop.”
Cassidy shrugged. “We decided to ditch and come hang out with you. Devin said you’re almost recovered and have been really restless alone at home.”
My heart fluttered.Dev.I knew he had a shop to manage, but part of me wished he could’ve been here with the rest of my friends.
“He says hi, by the way,” Cassidy continued. “So, all my Switch games are in my bag, and I brought four controllers. Oh, and we got a little cake from the grocery store. A ‘get well soon’ cake.”
“What kind?”
“Strawberry shortcake, of course,” Cassidy grinned.
“I love you,” I laughed. After being my roommate for almost four years, she knew all my favorites. “Anyway, come inside! Make yourselves at home!”
We spent the rest of the evening huddled on the couch, surrounded by open bags of potato chips and paper plates smeared with frosting as we played video games. My mother hung around for a little while before deciding to go to the hotel, and I told her she didn’t have to return later. I was off the pain meds, and the stitches were healing well – the glue was even starting to peel off. She agreed, telling me to text her if I needed anything.
We ended up playing games until almost midnight. Cassidy fell asleep on the couch, and Aaron explained that she’d had a long day at the vet clinic as he and Chris fought each other inSuper Smash Bros.
“How are you two doing, anyway?” I asked Aaron as he was thrown off the stage by Chris. He scowled, and Chris cackled.
“Really good!” Aaron exclaimed once he’d recovered. “I’ve loved having her over. It makes my apartment feel so much homier to have her there.”
“That’s awesome,” I grinned, my cheeks flushing as I imagined what it would be like once I could spend more time over atDevin’s.
The boys played a few more rounds of Super Smash Bros. Aaron demanded rematches after being repeatedly defeated by Chris, until they both ran out of steam and called a truce.
“Cass.” Aaron shook his sleeping girlfriend as she lay curled up next to him. “It’s time to go home.”
Cassidy’s head rustled as her eyes fluttered open. “Jeez, how long was I out?”
“Only an hour.” Aaron grinned and ruffled her curly hair. “Anyway, it’s time for us to head out. I imagine Avery is tired.”
I shrugged. “It’s not that bad. I recovered a lot faster than I would’ve thought.”
We cleaned up the living room, and I exchanged hugs with both the boys and Cassidy as I walked them to the front door.
“I was thinking of coming back over afterC&Con Sunday,” Cassidy told me as Aaron opened the door. “That sound good?”
