The Heartbreak Hypothesis

30 - Holmes and Watson

"I thought you said we were getting something to eat—"

"We are," Noah confirmed. "At least, you are."

"Are you high? There aren't any restaurants around this side of campus ..."

The crunching of cobblestones stopped. The conversation fizzled to embers.

Noah hovered by the entrance to the garden with a sly grin. And, beside him, James peered back at me.

He looked as handsome as ever. His blond hair was tousled, his broad shoulders accentuated in a fitted woolen sweater. His perfectly crafted features were pulled into an uncertain expression as his piercing blue eyes flew over the scene in front of him. The willow tree. The fairy lights. The picnic rug and burgers.

Me.

They lingered on me.

It was a good thing that I was sitting, because I was certain that my legs would have buckled under that stare.

He tore it from me before the shivers on my skin settled, glancing over at his friend skeptically.

"What is this?" His tone was neutral, his voice only just loud enough for me to hear it.

Noah, as cryptic as ever, cocked his head toward me. "I think you know."

James lulled into bewildered silence, his striking features hardening. It was probably the closest thing to anger or betrayal that he could muster, and it awoke the guilt swimming under my skin.

"James—" I tried.

His glazed-over eyes flew back to mine. My lips felt chapped, my throat coarse, like I'd swallowed a bouquet of roses. But I had to explain.

"Don't be mad at him," I pleaded softly. "This was my idea."

"Can confirm," Noah quipped. He held his hands in the air. "I'm merely the messenger. The envoy. The delivery guy. The postman ..."

He was trying to lighten the mood. But his rambling only emphasized the silence.

Noah reclaimed his hands, stuffing them in his pockets. With a sly smile, he spun on his Converse-clad feet. "That's my cue."

And then, he was gone.

But James stayed behind.

I had to blink twice to confirm that he had. To make sure I hadn't imagined it. Sure, Noah, Dex, Kara, and I had set everything up in the hopes that he'd stay and hear me out. But that voice in my head told me he'd walk away. That that was what I deserved. That him leaving was the most likely outcome.

Once again, James exceeded my expectations. Not just of men, but of people in general.

His eyes trailed the grass below his feet, tangled with wildflowers. I knew he wouldn't be the first to speak. I knew it had to be me who broke the silence.

I waved a weak hand at my laptop. "I have Grease."

He arched an eyebrow. "You bought Grease?"

"I downloaded it."

"Legally?"

I ducked my head.

He tutted, but he didn't sound angry. He didn't sound hostile. "You know I'm a law student, right?"

I peered back up at him. His features were lifted into an expression other than apathy. One that I instantly recognized.

Amusement.

And that was when I realized what we were doing. It was the same thing we'd done at Rocky's the night the flames of desire had swallowed us both. Procrastinating. Only then, we'd been procrastinating fire. Now, we were procrastinating pain.