Campus Love (sequel) Malexmale

3

I woke up the next morning. For a second, I was disoriented, believing I was still in high school and back to my old life.

Then that wild masculine scent that often sent me into a deep high wafted toward my nose from the wrinkled space beside me, bringing me back to the present.

"David?" I mumbled, blinking and sitting up. He clearly wasn't in the room. I climbed off the bed, heading into the restroom to get myself freshened up a little bit. I washed my face, brushed my teeth and fixed my hair before heading down stairs, following the aroma of breakfast.

For a second I thought that all was good in the world--either that or I was in an alternate universe where my family was happy and peaceful.

Because the laughter that filled the house was a sound I hadn't heard in a while, and I had to ask myself if this was real. I entered the kitchen, only to find my boyfriend cooking with my mother, and my dad drinking coffee at the table. The scene alone made me question my eyes, but I processed more laughter and then...

"You're up!" David exclaimed. Why did he sound cheerful... around my parents?

"Did I... miss something?" I squinted, freezing where I stood.

"You never told us David could cook so well!" Mom said to me.

"Um... well, you didn't exactly give me a chance to get there." I raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "Okay, seriously, why is everyone happy? Are we back to pretending again?"

"We saw how upset you were last night," Dad explained, standing up and approaching me. "And we realized it was our doing."

"More importantly... we realized you were right," my mother added, nodding at me. "Casper, I know we haven't talked about... the um, affair, but your father and I weren't just pretending it never happened. We've been working on it, and we didn't want to get you and Dawson involved."

I nodded, deciding that I should just agree and go with the flow here. They had a change of heart over night and I definitely wasn't complaining. But I really wanted to know what prompted their 180 flip.

"You guys were so angry about our age difference..."

"I know love, Casper, despite what you may think," Mom insisted. "I saw it last night, so the least I could do was to get to know your boyfriend. Your father agrees."

"And my buddy here knows a little somethin' about sports!" Dad pointed to David, a wide grin stretching across his face.

"Oh, you're buddies now?" My eyes widened. "Wow, okay. You move fast, David; I really thought we had something special."

He laughed and I shook my head. "I should've known all it would take was a discussion about sports."

"Oh!" Mom remembered something, raising her manicured finger. "I finally got him to spill about the rings. I just knew those had to be expensive."

"Seriously, Mom?"

"Fifty-four thousand dollars, Casper. Each. You can't blame me for my curiosity."

I blushed, thinking of a way to change the subject. I'd never asked how much the rings had cost, and knowing it now made me feel... I don't know, guilty. "David and I are gonna dig up something I buried a couple years ago in the backyard. Is that okay?"

"I'd say go for it, but it'll be tough with the snow so you'll have to wait until the afternoon when it melts."

"Okay... thanks. I'll be in my room." David and I looked at each other for a couple of seconds before I turned around and headed back upstairs. When I got to my room, I closed the door and dropped onto my bed, the guilt starting to overwhelm me.