Page 88 of Trick or Treat Nurse at My Feet
Gavin is quiet for a moment, then stands up decisively. "Nope. Not happening. Put on something that doesn't smell like self-pity. We're going downstairs."
"I'm not in the mood to socialize."
"Didn't ask if you were in the mood." He yanks my comforter off, nearly sending my textbooks to the floor. "Come on. Brotherhood emergency meeting."
"What are you talking about?"
"You'll see." He heads for the door. "Five minutes. Don't make me come back and carry you downstairs, too."
The reminder of how he carried Ethan across campus makes me smile. "Fine. Five minutes."
When I come downstairs, I find several frat brothers gathered in the living room. Drew, James, Cameron, Ian, and Marcos are there. They're arranged in a rough circle, beer and chips already distributed.
"What's this?" My feet stop at the bottom of the stairs.
"Intervention," Drew says, raising his beer. "Or support group. We haven't decided yet."
"For what?"
"Your sad puppy routine," Cam replies. "It's bringing down the house vibe."
"I don't have a sad puppy routine," The protest comes out maybe a bit too quickly.
"Dude, you sighed so loudly during study hours yesterday that three guys asked if you were having an asthma attack," Marcos points out.
Dropping onto the couch, I'm embarrassed but also touched that they noticed. "It's that obvious?"
"You've been walking around like someone stole your PlayStation and your firstborn," Ian confirms, passing me a beer. "So we're here to help."
"How exactly are you going to help?" The beer tab pops open with a satisfying hiss.
"No idea," Drew admits cheerfully. "None of us has everdated a dude before. But we've all had relationship problems, so maybe some of the same principles apply?"
"We're going to fix your love life if we have to burn this whole place down to do it," Gavin declares, settling his bulk on the floor by the coffee table.
Something between a snort and a laugh slips out. "I appreciate the enthusiasm, but I don't think arson is the answer."
"Start by telling us exactly what happened," James suggests. "The full story."
Taking a swig of beer, I then lay it all out: the dinner with my parents, Ethan pulling away, Cher's ambush, Gavin's kidnapping rescue, and the strange, unresolved conversation that left us in limbo.
"Sounds like he's scared," Cam observes when I finish. "Fair enough, since your mom basically told him he was temporary."
"She didn't say that," my protest is weak to my ears.
"Dude, she brought up your ex-girlfriend repeatedly during dinner with your current boyfriend," Marcos points out. "That's pretty clear messaging."
"And then Cher reinforced it," James adds. "Double whammy."
Drew leans forward. "Have you told him how you really feel? Like, explicitly?"
"I told him this isn't an experiment for me."
"That's not the same as telling him how you feel," Drew says. "Sometimes you have to spell it out."
"What, like say I love him?" The words slip out before I can consider them, and I freeze, realizing what I've just implied.
The guys exchange glances.
