What I Should Have Done ✓

Chapter 13

The 'too soon to say' had evaporated quickly. Two weeks later, Liam and I were dating. Unambiguously. Spending time together in each other's rooms, having meals together, and kissing soon became normal. Comfortable.

A pleasant side effect was that John fit into my life better. I could spend time with him again without having to worry that one of us might act inappropriately, or about what anyone would think. The lines had been drawn. Being in a committed relationship gave me more freedom, as strange as it sounded.

One thing the two men would still not do is spend time together, but that was fine by me. This way I avoided foul moods and instead spent quality time with each of them. Their dorms being far apart (at least as far as a small campus allowed) helped the matter, too. John's building, Ross Hall, was not only a dorm, it also held one of the two main dining halls, so I was there more often than at Liam's town house dorm.

It was one of those bleak late October evenings which motivated me to do exactly one thing: curl up with a blankie and a cup of tea and stream the attorney show I had just started watching. Alas, it was still midterm season and John and I were using the Friday night to study for the Early Republic exam on the couch in his suite's common area. Devin was in his room with the door shut, Zach seemed to be out.

On a whim, John pushed his laptop shut. "Let's go to the dining hall. My brain is fried and thinking about fried things is making me hungry."

"Um, sure. I had made plans with Liam. Do you want me to text him and let him know you're coming along?"

"I was thinking just us, if that's cool? Maybe Devin?"

"Oh, uh, sure. That shouldn't be a problem."

I picked up my phone. He knew full well canceling on people was not something I liked to do. And he must have also known Liam hated to be canceled on. So why was I doing this? There was a fragile balance to uphold between us.

"So you're really dating, huh?" he deadpanned.

What? "You know this."

"I mean, yeah, I gathered. But you never explicitly said it."

Counselor, is there a point to this line of questioning?

"You don't talk to me about your girlfriend. Virtually ever." My tone was matter-of-factly, but we both knew this was not a factual issue. I glanced at him sideways through the lock of hair that had come undone from my ponytail.

He didn't look at me, but busied himself with arranging and rearranging his notes. His voice revealed the slightest hint of irritation when he said: "Yeah, well, I didn't think you'd want to hear about her."

"I don't. We're not best friends, that's an open secret. Why, anyway? You and Liam aren't best friends either. Do you want me to talk more about him?"

"If you want to, you can. Doesn't matter to me either way."

What the hell has gotten into him? I narrowed my eyes and opened my mouth to ask what he was getting at when my phone jingled to interrupt this mother of weird conversations. Liam had sent a frowning emoji, then in a second message accepted my offer to come by his suite after dinner.

Fine, I was going, but not without a buffer. Leaning against Devin's doorframe, I rapped on the white painted wood. When he flung open the polished wooden door, he scanned me from head to toe with an amused expression holding a palm to his heart. "Have you finally come to ask me out, Grace?"

I pursed my lips, arching my eyebrows. "Depends. Does the dining hall sound good to you?"

"Why, love, I thought you'd never ask," he quipped in a bad British accent. I rolled my eyes at him.