Frustration -SERIES- [Part 1] [boyxboy]

Chapter Fifteen

'You are being creepy,' he said mildly without opening his eyes.

'I'm allowed,' I told him, turning my head and letting my own drift closed.

'Mm,' Conor mumbled quietly, as if he was thinking about something else. 'You know I love you?'

I turned my head to squint at him. There was something intense about his voice when he'd said that, that didn't show through in his demeanour. 'Yeah...'

'And that'll never change?'

'Yeah...'

'Okay,' Conor said, moving around, so suddenly my head was on his chest and he was hugging my fiercely. 'Just wanted to make sure.'

——————————————

I burst out laughing as soon as I saw Josh and Rachel trudging through the main doors of the hotel. I was sitting on the reception area couches with Jackson and Sally and all three of us were smirking as they stopped by us, dripping wet.

'Don't even say anything,' Josh muttered to me, glowering.

'Please don't tell me you actually fell into the river again,' I said, ignoring him.

'It wouldn't be a lie if he did,' Rachel interrupted, looking delighted with herself as she dripped dirty river water all over the carpet.

'I never knew of your river fetish before today,' I told her musingly.

'What?' she demanded defensively. 'It's a warm day. I fancied a swim.'

'You can't swim,' Josh told her murderously.

'Trivialities,' Rachel announced, and flounced off to take a shower.

Josh, on the other hand, landed himself onto the couch beside me, droplets flying everywhere. 'Do you know how hard it is to swim towards the bank of a river when she is clinging onto you for dear life and laughing while she does it?'

'You need to stop giving her piggybacks,' I prescribed.

'Thank you, Captain Obvious,' Josh muttered. 'What is wrong with girls? I swear, every time I think I've got her figured out she gets crazier.' He shook his head in bewilderment.

Sally was looking cynically amused as Josh ranted about his psycho girlfriend. 'Just tell her you love her,' she said.

Josh blanched; even though they've been going out for as long as Conor and I, and Sally and Jackson, they haven't done the whole "I love you" thing yet.

'Seriously. That's all it will take. We all know you love her, and we all know you haven't said it yet. She's just trying to prove to herself that you care. Tell her, and she'll dial the "crazy" back a bit. Which, by the way - also stop being so fucking sexist.'

Firmly put in his place, Josh just glowered at the floor. 'That's the fifth time,' he muttered darkly.

'Then just tell her!' Sally practically exploded, and Josh jumped. 'I'm going to take a shower,' he muttered, exiting stage left.

'Girls are insane,' I decided. 'The lengths they go to. It's crazy.'

'Excuse me?' Sally asked mildly, raising an eyebrow. 'Conor had to write you a play, save your life, and give you a concussion just to get your attention. And you had to announce to a room full of hundreds of people on stage that you were in love with him before he'd say he was in love with you. I think the odd accidental swim pales in comparison in the drama stakes.'

I took a moment to consider this, then grudgingly nodded in agreement. 'I suppose you're right.'

'Of course I am.' Sally stood up and stretched. 'Anyway we've got soundcheck in an hour, I'm gonna go get ready. See you later.' She followed in Josh and Rachel's footsteps without even looking at Jackson.