fool for you

Chapter 8

"I don't think that's a good idea. I– I'd rather not get involved—"

"Please, Noah, come on. I love him, I don't want to lose him. Talk some sense in him. Tell him to give me another chance."

"Anthony, I don't—"

"Man, come on. Don't be difficult and just talk to him for me. Don't you want to see Lani happy? I can make him happy. Talk to him for me."

"No," Noah snaps. "I'm not talking to him for you. I do want to see him happy and if you do too, you'd stop with whatever it is that makes him cut you off every couple of days. Stop pestering me about talking to Lani for you because I won't. Break up with your boyfriend and put in some work to prove yourself to him. Now tell me why the Hell I should be worried about Josiah?"

Anthony is a bit taken back by Noah's outburst. This is the first time he's experienced Noah to speak up like this. The younger guy is usually so quiet, making him an easy target for innocent jokes and slick comments that Josiah often tells him off about. He'll never understand the thing Josiah has for Noah. "Damn," He laughs. "I didn't know losing your virginity made you catty like this."

Shame immediately washes over Noah. His heart starts beating harder and his breathing picks up. Nobody outside his friends knew about him being a virgin. It's something he was ashamed of being open about, especially in college. Although Princeton made him feel like he was better than those who weren't. Hoes is what Princeton used to call them, something Noah wasn't according to him. Yet every time the topic of sex became the subject of his friends' conversation, he would keep his mouth shut and just listen to what his friends would talk about. They would talk about everything he wasn't familiar with and it sounded like he was missing out. He isn't anymore and sex can be fun and very pleasurable he learned when he first did it with Josiah and last night with Adonis. It's just Princeton who took all of those things away.

There's only one person outside of his 'clique' who knew he was a virgin still and Anthony happens to be his best friend. So Josiah did tell his friends they hooked up. Is that why Adonis specifically asked if it really was Josiah he didn't want to know they messed around last night? Because Josiah had also been sleeping with Valentine? Could it be that everybody knows Josiah and him had sex before and they're all pretending like they didn't to prevent any type of drama in the group? Or is it because everybody knows Josiah and Valentine are still hooking up and they're just trying to spare his feelings? But what feelings? Noah doesn't have feelings for Josiah. He couldn't care less about his friend hooking up with his other friend. Though the thought of Josiah and Valentine messing around does make him angry for some reason. Probably because they're so secretive about it while all of them already knows their past and present with each other.

Nausea suddenly washes over Noah and his head hurts way more than it was minutes ago. Damn the hangover he has. He does wonder how and why he's suffering as bad as he is, he didn't even drink that much. He knows his limit because he's a lightweight and Josiah even started giving him water at some point during the night. There is no reason for his hangover to be as bad as it is. It's probably just stress, he's stressing and overthinking too much. The past twenty-four hours have been an absolute emotional rollercoaster and he needs rest. Everything he's feeling right now will be less intense once he's had enough rest.

"Yo, are you okay?" Anthony asks when he notices Noah's facial expression. "It was just a joke. I didn't know it was a sensitive topic. Josiah told me—"

Noah looks at Anthony with hurt written all over his face. "Josiah told you what? That he's the one who took my virginity? Is he the one who told you?" He asks with disgust in his voice. Anthony tries to say something, but Noah doesn't bother to let him speak. "What else did he tell you? That he fucked me while I was still with my boyfriend? Is that what he told you?" His voice raises slightly with every question he asks as tears burn in his eyes. It feels like this is breaking point. "And for what? To get back at me because I had an argument with him about his stupid feelings for me? Is that why I should be worried about him? Because he's out there telling everybody that he fucked me?!"