To Have Loved [BxB] Book I ✓

Chapter 30

a/n: I apologize that this took so long to come out. I've been surprisingly busy lately and then just had no idea what to do for this chapter. I finally came up with this so I hope you enjoy it. A quick note on the story: Henry is not and will never be a villain character, I'm not even planning for him to catch feelings. You are allowed to love him. He's genuinely just a sweet and supportive fuck buddy and that is all he will ever be to Kayden and they're both okay with that. I just wanted to mention that for anyone who's worried about their relationship progressing to something more and Elias being forgotten or there being a love triangle. I hate love triangles, the only reason I did it in the last book was to demonstrate a point about Logan's personality. There will not be one in this book. Also, I've been obsessed with this song lately.

A few weeks later, not much had changed. It was a quiet Thursday at the start of February, the ground in all of Rosewater was covered in a thin layer of snow, and it was never more than a few degrees above freezing outside. Kayden and Henry had settled into a schedule of meeting two or three times a week. Some nights, it was just nice to have the company, and once, they didn't even do anything particularly exciting, just sat and drank together, conversing like old friends over a bowl of fruit and a movie. He found out how much of a cinema buff Henry was, he liked explaining different aspects of the filming, the behind-the-scenes, and the meaning. Kayden liked not having to worry about their relationship not being anything more than it was, a comfortable companionship where they both got what they wanted and agreed on the terms equally. 

February meant Valentine's day was over the horizon. Not that that meant so much to Kayden because he'd never really had a boyfriend to celebrate with. Occasionally, it was an excuse for a party, but other than that, he didn't bother too much with it. He assumed it also didn't hold much weight at Antisto. There were no girls, and it was about the furthest thing from a progressive school, so there wasn't much room for a holiday dedicated to celebrating love. 

"It's not a day dedicated to celebrating love, it's a day dedicated to exploiting couples into buying excessive amounts of chocolate and shaming those who would prefer to be single," Elias said when Kayden brought it up during one of their study sessions. 

"Kinda sounds like you're just single and feel ashamed of it," Kayden said with a little grin.

"I'm not ashamed of it, I don't have time for a partner." Kayden didn't mention that he wondered why Elias would choose that term over something like 'girlfriend'. It just seemed a little gay was all. Then again, maybe he was reading into it too much and Elias just liked to use the proper terms for things.

"Also, what's with you not liking holidays? First Christmas, then Valentine's day? Keep going like this and you'll end up like Ebeneezer Scrooge."

"Old, rich, and alone?"

"Precisely."

"I think I'd prefer it to the alternative," Elias said, looking over the textbook.

"Which is?"

"Old, poor, and deliriously in love." 

"I think I'd prefer that," Kayden said with a shrug.

"To each their own."

"Well, whether you've got time for it or not, is there at least someone you're interested in? I mean, come on, most of the guys at school are talking about some St. Williams girl they like or someone from home. Haven't you got someone like that?" 

"Have you?" Elias asked, glancing at Kayden who paused, scratching the back of his head. 

"Not exactly." 

"There's your answer." 

"But, come on, you could get any girl you want, I mean-"

"Kayden, we're supposed to be studying for the History test."