The Path To You

20. Kick that sexy mans ass

I peered up from my laptop looking at the boy across from me for what felt like the millionth time. I wasn't surprised when I locked eyes and he caught me, again.

This had been going on for almost an hour and still I had yet to actually say anything. I had one question begging to be let out and yet I still stayed quiet.

"He's been doing good." Dom said finally breaking the silence.

"I don't know what you mean." I pretended to not understand what he said.

"I know you've been dying to ask, you keep staring at me. It's okay to want to know how he's doing."

It'd been just over a week since I'd seen Connor. There had been no texts or anything. I hadn't even been over at the Kingsley house since that day. I missed him but I was trying to be strong.

Which was why I hadn't asked about him once to Dom. Even though it was the only thing I wanted to do every time we hung out.

"I don't want to know, I'm fine." I lied.

"Well then I'll just talk to myself then. He's been drinking less and he spends a lot of time with Nico. They've been all secretive lately, you know talking and then stopping whenever someone walks in the room. It's been super weird but Nico told me not to worry about it. Connor also stopped going to class, not that he went that much before but now he spends all his time at the house. I don't think I've seen him leave all week."

Part of me was worried about him not going to class but it wasn't my responsibility. I needed to let him do this on his own. I needed him to get the help he needs because he wants to. I couldn't force him into anything and until he got help I just couldn't watch him destroy himself.

"Can we talk about something else?" I asked doing my best to not let Connor consume my life.

"Fine but you know you can ask about him. Just because you've taken a step away doesn't mean you have to stop caring about him."

"I haven't stopped I just- I just can't." I shook my head.

I didn't want to hear about how he was doing. I knew that Dom telling me he was doing good would incite hope into me and I'd only get hurt again when he spiraled out. I couldn't let myself keep getting caught up in this cycle no matter how much I wanted to help Connor. He needed to decide to help himself first.

Dom's phone buzzed and when he checked it I watched a huge smile spread across his face. It didn't take a lot of detective skills to be able to figure out the text was from Callum. There was only one person that put that big of a smile on Dom's face that quick.

"You're ok if I dipped out tonight? Callum wants to take me out and it's been too long since we've have a night just us." I could tell Dom was excited about this and I was happy for him, it was just harder to be surrounded by couples and love now that it felt like there was no hope left for me.

"Go have a fun night with your amazing boyfriend, I'll just be here sad and alone." I teased.

"I'd offer for you to come with but I'm fully prepared to seduce the clothes right off Callum and I'd rather you not be there to witness that."

"I'd rather be doing literally anything other than witnessing that. My poor innocent eyes have seen too much."

I'd fallen into a bad streak of walking in on my roommate Evan and his boyfriend Jake last semester, I'd seen and heard things I wished I could erase from my brain. All I could do was pray for a day I didn't know all the kinky shit those two were up to when they thought they were alone.

As fun as this conversation was I was happy for the interruption. There was loud banging on the front door to the apartment. Not a lot of people really knocked on the door and I could only think of one person who'd knock this aggressively.

"Should we pretend no one's home?" Dom chuckled.

"He'd kill you." I just shook my head and yanked the door open to see Nico standing there with his signature frown on his face.

While I wasn't surprised to see Dom's roommate Nico, I was surprised to see his girlfriend Sasha standing next to him with a wide smile on her face.

"Hey Jetson!" She greeted.

Sasha was the light to Nico's darkness. She shined and it was enough to brighten even the grumpiest guy.

"Hey, I didn't know you were in town." Sasha went to school not too far from Kingsley but with how busy her schedule was she didn't get to visit as much as I knew she wanted. Nico and her had been dating since high school and I didn't see them splitting up any time soon.

"Yeah I was actually starting to miss this loser so I figured I'd come spend a few days here." She teased.

"We're on our way somewhere but I just wanted to drop this off." Nico shoved the bag in his hands at me.

"Nico's taking me out on a super romantic date." Sasha piped in.

I couldn't help but smile. The guy was grumpy and mood as hell but he softened up whenever it came to Sasha. She had him wrapped right around her finger and he didn't even try to hide it.

"We're leaving." Nico grumbled.

I laughed taking the bag from him. I looked down to see clothes, not just any clothes though. On top was a pair of pants, my pants, the ones I'd had to wrestle onto Connor when he lost his at a party. It didn't take too much to realize that the rest of the clothes were all mine too, various things that Connor had stolen from my closet.

"I'm sorry, he's grumpy when he's hungry and tired and basically all the time. He makes up for it in cuteness though." Sasha smiled up at her boyfriend.

I watched as his face softened entirely, he looked down at her and all I saw was love and happiness. Nico was as happy as he could be whenever Sasha was here, and when she wasn't he got pretty grouchy.

"Stop telling people I'm cute." He grinned not being able to stop it.

"My mama told me never to tell a lie, you can't stop me from spreading the truth."

"You're lucky I put up with you." Nico joked.

"Oh is that what you are doing when you are begging me to come visit because you miss me so much?" She raised her eyebrows at him.

Nico glanced over at me with a small frown. He was obviously not thrilled I was here to witness this.

"We have plans, see you later Jet." Nico just turned and started to walk away.

"Bye I got to go kick that sexy man's ass." Sasha winked and followed after her boyfriend.

Once they left I looked down at the bag of clothes in my hands and felt a piece of me break. Connor had gotten rid of the only thing of me he had. Connor, who took everyone's things and never returned any of it. He'd sent Nico to get rid of me once and for all.

I'd needed some space but I didn't think it had meant we were done, that we were nothing at all.