Page 84 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
Time blurs while sitting there, until a shadow suddenly falls across me.
"Ethan? You okay, man?"
Looking up, I see Gavin, six-foot-four of muscle and concern, dressed in gym clothes and carrying a protein shake.
"I'm fine," I say automatically, scrambling to my feet. "Just... taking a break."
Gavin's eyebrows draw together as he studies my face. "On the floor of the humanities building? You don't look fine. You look like someone kicked your puppy."
"It's nothing." Grabbing up my bag, I try to compose myself. "Just tired."
"Uh-huh." He doesn't look convinced. "That's why you've been avoiding the house? And Tyler?"
Blinking rapidly at him in surprise. "What?"
"Tyler's been moping around like someone stole his favourite hoodie," Gavin says, sipping his shake. "Everyone's noticed. The guy's got it bad for you, you know."
The way he says it so simply makes my chest tighten. "It's complicated."
"Usually isn't." Gavin shrugs his massive shoulders. "Either you like each other or you don't."
"You don't understand?—"
"Look, I'm not great with all the feelings stuff," Gavin interrupts. "But I know Tylercares about you. And you care about him, or you wouldn't be sitting on the floor looking miserable."
My lips curve into a reluctant smile at his blunt approach. "Has anyone ever told you you're surprisingly perceptive?"
"Nope. Everyone thinks I'm just a dumb jock." He grins. "Works in my favour, honestly." His expression turns serious again. "So what's the real problem? Tyler said something about his mom being weird at dinner."
"That's part of it.” My voice is quiet. "But it's more than that. I just ran into his ex-girlfriend Cher, and she..."
"Oh man, Cher?" Gavin groans. "That girl is toxic. What'd she say to you?"
Hesitating, I'm not sure how much to share. "Basically, I'm just Tyler's experimental phase before he goes back to dating women."
Gavin snorts. "And you believed her? The girl who's still posting old photos of her and Tyler on Instagram with captions like 'missing this' months after they broke up?"
"She's not entirely wrong, though," I say quietly. "Tyler was straight his whole life before me. What if this is just... temporary?"
Gavin studies me for a moment, then does something completely unexpected. He bends down and, in one fluid motion, hoists me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.
Again.
Chapter 21
The Caveman Approach to Relationship Counseling
ETHAN
"What, Gavin! Put me down!" I sputter, blood rushing to my head.
"Nope. We're fixing this now." He starts walking down the hallway, seemingly unbothered by my weight.
"This is kidnapping!" my fists bounce weakly off his back in protest. "I'm serious, put me down!"
"It's called an intervention not a kidnapping," he counters cheerfully. "And you can stop hitting me any time. It's like being attacked by a kitten."
I'm acutely aware of the stares we're getting as Gavin carries me through the building and out onto the quad, where even more students turn to watch the spectacle. Someone even takes out their phone to record.
