Cabin Tales

Chapter 6

I was wrong. Daniel was real; he was right in front of me. My hands could reach out and touch him.

They stayed pinned to my sides. 

I cleared my throat to bring myself back.

He gestured for me to come inside.

"How did you know where I live?" he asked as he reached around me to close the door, and I swear to God my breath hitched a bit because hello random arm muscles that were never there before?! (I liked a good forearm. Sue me.) That alone had me believing this wasn't my Daniel, but an alternative dimension version of him.

"Your shirt," I replied as he led me into his living room. He gave me a confused look. "I recognized the Greek letters. One of my good friends is in your fraternity, Sigma whatever. I called him up and he said he knew you."

"Sigma Tau, and he... Um... He just gave you my address?"

I stopped and stared down at my shoes, a sheepish smile creeping its way onto my face. "I told him it was urgent"

Daniel shook his head looking a bit lost but also like he was relieved to see me. I knew he wanted to talk to me after class, but I just couldn't face him then. I needed a few hours to collect myself. Was coming over here at this hour the best idea? Probably not. No part of me could wait until Thursday to see him in class again, though.

And good thing I came because he looked so good tonight in grey sweats and our college's logo on his sweatshirt.

Not that it mattered.

"What was his name?" he asked.

I must've been lost in thought because I had no idea who he was talking about. I raised an eyebrow. "Whose name?"

He grinned as if he immediately knew I was zoning out, thinking of him. It suddenly hit me that he was referring to my friend who gave me his address.

"Oh," I said. "Gray. Grayson Cooper."

He seemed surprised but didn't say anything else. I knew why. Or, at least I thought I did. Although he was a good friend, Gray was a total man-whore. I met him at a school event sophomore year, and we drunkenly made out that same night. We didn't do anything else because, while we were in the middle of a full-on make-out sesh, he pulled back and insisted I was "too dope to throw away." (Immediate turn-off on my end.) Not to mention, we were both shit-faced.

We ended up staying good friends ever since.

And he was president of the fraternity.

"Well," he said after a moment of silence standing in his living room.

"Well," I mimicked.

We sat on his couch – a forest green color that I absolutely died for and might've needed to steal for my own apartment. Frat boys with good interior design? Who knew? – in silence for a few more minutes just taking each other in.

Years. It had been years since I'd seen him. There was a weird electrical feeling buzzing beneath my skin, and I knew if I leaned into it too much, I'd be done. Fully absorbed by this man who once meant so much to me, but now meant nothing. I didn't even notice his hands were wrapped over mine, encasing them in a warmth I never knew I needed until my eyes moved downward. They were bigger now, engulfing my hands in a way they couldn't before.

It hit me that we were seeing each other for the first time in four years, so I pulled my hands away. He jutted out his lip and did that subconscious puppy-dog face that made the blue in his blueish-green eyes stand out. They were the earth. Mostly blue with a hint of green surrounding the pupils. Staring into them was too intimate, and seeing the look on his face did nothing but make my heart squeeze.