Breathing Room (Waiting Room #2)

Chapter 16: Off-Campus (Part 3)

Ryan

Kissing Jacky was as natural as breathing. His arms wrapped around Jacky's waist; Jacky's arm found its way to Ryan's neck, like it had a hundred times before. For several moments Ryan's body simply reacted, relieved to give in to the familiarity.

But Ryan's overtired brain began to spin again. He thought about all these weeks when he thought he'd never kiss Jacky again, how worried he'd been about being too clingy with Charlie. All that hurt bubbled up, and he pulled away.

Jacky's eyes had that sleepy look he always got when they made out. It made Ryan want to kiss him more, but he had a question to ask.

"Wait," Jacky said, pressing his hand to Ryan's mouth. His eyes looked impossibly tired and sad. "Before you tell me you can never be with me again, can I just tell you again how sorry I am?"

"I'm not going to..." Ryan shook his head, smiling faintly.

"No?"

"No." Ryan was firm this time. "I want to be with you. I've always wanted to be with you. But if we're going to be together again, I need you to be sure. I don't know if I can take it if you just break up with me with no warning again."

He gazed into Jacky's eyes, looking for the truth and certainty he needed.

"Yes." Jacky's voice cracked a little, and he blinked hard. "Yes, I want this. I want you and I'll do whatever it takes. I'll call you every day and I'll find a way to visit you and I'll be your slave, basically. You can treat me however you want as long as you'll take me back, and I'll—" Ryan found himself wincing and Jacky stopped. "And I'll talk to you when I'm feeling insecure."

Ryan laughed softly. "Okay. All I need is that last one."

Jacky's mouth crushed into his, and they fell back on the bed, teeth clacking until Jacky got his bearings on top of Ryan. Ryan ran his fingers through Jacky's hair, down his back. He moved his mouth to Jacky's neck, remembering how he tasted.

In his ear, Jacky whispered, "But I wouldn't mind doing all those other things either."

Ryan grinned against Jacky's neck before rolling Jacky over and kissing him some more.

Jacky

He would have gladly made out with Ryan for several more hours, but they were interrupted by sharp knocking on the door.

"Uh, hate to interrupt, but we need to get Pete out of the bathroom."

Jacky didn't recognize the voice, but Ryan sat up and said, "Be right there, Sam."

The next voice, as Ryan stood and adjusted himself, Jacky did recognize. "Hurry, Lilliana needs to PEE!"

"Billy," Jacky muttered, following Ryan to the door.

The scene in the hallway was minor chaos. Sam was in the bathroom with Jordan, attempting to lift Pete by the armpits. Lilliana was slapping at Billy, screeching, "You said you had to pee too! It's not just me!" and Billy was laughing.

Jacky hung back, knowing he couldn't do much to help lift Pete up. He dodged Billiana and stumbled into the kitchen / living room area, where Braedyn was collapsed in an armchair side-eyeing the goth roommate, who was crouched like a gargoyle on one of the bar stools. When Jacky looked her way, she hissed at him.

"Are we heading back now?" Braedyn sounded road-weary and overtired.

"Um," Jacky said.

He had not planned this part of the trip. Of course, it had all hinged on whether or not Ryan would even speak to him. Now that it was clear that things had gone well, Jacky didn't want to hightail it out of there. He watched Sam, Ryan, and Jordan maneuver Pete out of the bathroom and down the hallway. "Let's put him in my bed," Ryan said, and that left Jacky with the realization that he and his friends had no place to sleep for the night. As it was, he'd assumed he'd share Ryan's bed, with no thought to where Billiana and Braedyn might sleep.

"We need to sleep for a bit before we head out," Jacky told Braedyn. He then looked to Harper, wincing. "Can we crash on your couches?"

Harper sat down normally and assessed the room before looking him directly in the eyes. "What are the other options?"

Jacky glanced down the hallway, where he could no longer see anyone except Billy, leaning against the bathroom door. Billy gave him a thumbs up then made an obscene gesture while grinning. Jacky snarled and returned his attention to the situation at hand.

Two conflicting desires fought in his chest. He wanted Ryan to beg him to stay, to come out and tell Goth Girl that Jacky's friends would be sleeping on the couch and he'd be taking Jacky to bed, do not disturb. At the same time, he didn't want Ryan to have to take care of him.

Rubbing his sleep-grained eyes, he stood up and said, "We can sleep in the car, if it's a problem for us to stay here."

He had wanted that to come out more diplomatic than it did. Instead it came out sharp, tinged with his lack of sleep and heightened emotions.

"You'll probably get towed," Harper replied, her voice flat. "Or arrested for sleeping in your car."

Maybe it was her eyeliner, but Harper's direct stare seemed angry. Moreover, she was giving off the same energy Jacky usually did, and it stopped the immediate snap-back on his tongue. He glanced at Braedyn. "Where did you park?"

Braedyn described the side street where he'd found a spot. They both looked back to Harper, awaiting her verdict. Jacky steeled himself for bad news.

"You should be okay," Harper said reluctantly. "You can sleep on the couch though. I'm going back to bed. It is way too early for this much drama." She turned her glare upon Billy and Lilliana, laughing their way back into the room.

"Thanks," Jacky said, surprised that he didn't want to bite her head off. He supposed, if some ex of Billy's barging into their dorm room with an entourage at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning, he would have been just as grumpy.

Jacky claimed a hideous green and tan crocheted afghan and the big armchair, and after Billiana started fighting over a tiny fleece blanket, more blankets were brought out for them and for Braedyn. The moment he sank into the couch cushions, a deep exhaustion fell over him. He vaguely felt Ryan crawl into the chair with him. One inhale of Ryan's scent and he was gone.