love or host - tommyinnit

chapter 33- angel in my arms

toby and tommy run to the front of the cafe to look at menus. i stay back with wilbur and niki.

"you don't want to be with tommy and toby?" niki asks. i shake my head.

"why? do you guys want privacy..?" i ask timidly. the two laugh.

"no! just wondering. you seem to be really close with them..." niki looks at wilbur and they're both trying to hold back laughter.

"huh? what am i missing?" i ask, a hint of curiosity laced in my voice.

"nothing?" wilbur says, almost saying it like a question.

"you liar," i say with a laugh.

"let's go get a booth big enough for the ten of us, and then we can talk," niki says. i raise my eyebrows, but oblige.

we find a large booth in the corner and sit down, claiming it for our group. the others are still up looking at the menu, and the three of us decide we'll look at it when they come back.

"so..." wilbur starts. he bites his bottom lip to keep himself from bursting into laughter.

"what's so funny?" i ask.

"well..." niki attempts to continue the conversation, but fails. i can't help myself but laugh.

somehow, my mind trails back to earlier. going down the slopes with tommy's hands on mine, laughing, wishing the moment would never end-

"val?" wilbur asks, snapping me out of my trance.

"huh- what?" i ask while blinking, forcing myself back to reality.

"you and tommy. you two have gotten close, huh?"

can this man read my mind or something?

"mmm, i guess you could say that..."

"close in a friendly way, or..?" niki says, motioning for me to continue.

i furrow my eyebrows at the question.

because honestly?

i don't know the answer.

my gut instinct is to insist that we're only friends.

but friends don't hold hands like we do. friends don't hold each other like we do. friends don't talk to each other like we do.

and friends don't feel the way i feel for him.

"i... uhh... shit..." i stutter, scratching the back of my head.

"SO THEY ARE IN LOVE!" wilbur exclaims. i shush him excessively, looking in the direction of the rest of our friends. luckily, i don't think any of them heard.

"NO! god no. stop. i just wasn't ready for the question. we're friends. that's it. yeah..."

i avoid eye contact with the two, looking everywhere but them. after a minute, my eyes trail to them and they look at me with perplexed looks on their faces.

then wilbur and niki look at each other reluctantly.

what are they hiding from me?

ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ˚. ୭ ˚○◦˚.˚◦○˚ ୧ .˚ₓ

flashback to two nights ago

wilbur's pov

i sit up in my bed reading a book. i'm sure the entire house is asleep, it's so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. but suddenly, my door creaks open.