Harley P.O.V:
I sat with my friends in one of their dorm rooms playing go fish. My friend Billie sat on one of the beds staring down at me. He always creeped me out, his shoulder-length hair covering half of his face. He was my father's sister's husband's nephew, so my second cousin. His family was the reason I could stay in New York. So, I thought I had no choice but to hang out with him when I first met him.
My friends liked him. The girls. He wasn't a bad looking guy. He was just too nosy for my liking.
Sarah, one of my four other friends in the room looked at him and smirked. "Sure you don't wanna play, Bill?"
"I'm fine," he said still staring at me.
Sarah squinted at him then she leaned closer to me and whispered in my ear. "Are you sure he isn't into you? It's a gross thought, but he's just staring at you."
"He's not," I shook my head, then looked at Billie.
He gave me a conforting smirk.
I sighed knowing that he was only treating me like this because of what happened earlier that day.
* * *
I sat on my bed staring at my phone. I had called Flynn so many times over the past two months that it felt like a waste of time to try. I knew he blocked my number. It was obvious he would. And he deserved what he got from me. Cheating like that...in a sense. He kissed someone else. It was cheating. But I had to hear his voice.
Billie knocked on my dorm door. "Harley."
I sprang up and opened the door. "Let me use your phone," I boldly demanded him to, stretching my hand out to him.
"I'm only here to ask you if you wanted to go to get lunch. I thought you might be hungry."
"Billie, phone."
He rolled his eyes then he handed it to me.
I dailed Flynn's number then I held it to my ear, biting my nail. It rang for a while then he answered.
He sounded different. Weary.
"Hello?"
I held my breath and shut my eyes.
"Hello,"he sang. "... I'm going to hang up now, okay?"
Billie grabbed the phone and put it on speakerphone. "Is this Flynn Skylar?"
I freaked out and "whisper-shouted". "What are you doing?"
"Yes," Flynn said in a questioning tone. "Who is this?"
"This is uh..this is Billie Carpenter," Billie said, giving Flynn his full name.
I punched his arm.
"Uhm... That name doesn't ring any bells-"
"Of course it wouldn't, because why would she mention me to you if you're both done, right?"
"Wait... Who's she? Is it Harley? Are you her new boyfriend? Why are you calling me?"
"If I were her new boyfriend what would you do?"
I slammed my hand on my forehead then I listened for Flynn's response.
"I would...," he paused," I would block your freaking number like I blocked hers-"
"I'm not her boyfriend... I'm her cousin."
"...What do you want?"
Billie's eyes grew. "Could you hold on a minute?"
"I guess-"
Billie muted the phone. "What do you want from him?" He stared at me.
"I don't know," I shrugged freaking out.
"You called him. What did you want in the first place?"
"To...to hear his voice, I guess."
Billie stared at me then he frowned. "You can't get over someone like this you know." He unmuted the phone. "You still there?"
"Yeah," Flynn answered.
I looked at Billie with red cheeks.
"I just wanna talk."
"Why?"
"I uh... You're a big part of Harley's life. And even though you guys are done... I thought I could get some help from you. You know, so I can take care of her."
I rolled my eyes and pointed inside my mouth.
Billie smiled and shook his head.
Flynn began to snicker. "You want me to help you care for Harley? What? Is she being bipolar with you too?"
I furrowed my brows.
"Or is it her multiple personalities? Which is it? Her constant needy nagging or her selfish, reserved self?" Flynn's voice began to sound heavy like he was fighting tears. "Is she stepping out of her way to get you irritated just to tell you that it's your fault or is she trying to help everyone else but you?"
I stared at Billie with tears in my eyes and clenched fists.
Billie smiled. "See? You know her pretty well."
I couldn't help but smile and shake my head.
Flynn chuckled then he sniffled and I wiped my cheek.
"Listen, Flynn," Billie tucked one arm under the other," from what I've heard, you knew how to keep her...under control before she moved away."
"I think it was the other way around."
I smiled then frowned.
Billie sat on the bed and I sat beside him staring at the phone. "I just wanna know, if I have any problems with her...can I call you for advice? Even if it's just to talk about it."
Flynn went silent for about a minute. "Never thought I would say this to her cousin but...sure. Hopefully you don't have to call as often as she did, which was not often at all."
"Thanks, man."
"Anytime. In all honesty... I need someone to listen to right now."
I grabbed a book and a pen and wrote something down then I handed it to Billie and pointed to it.
"Uh- Why," he read off the page like a robot.
Flynn chuckled. "I guess I have another listener then. Uhm... My friends think I'm a charity case right now and all they wanna do is make me fun and undepressed'. Can't be depressed if you can make up a word like that, right?"
I pointed at the word again.
"Uh- Why? Why are you depressed?"
"I'm not."
"Well, why do they think you are?"
Flynn didn't answer for a while. "Because I miss her."
Billie looked at me.
I quickly waved at him to cut the conversation.
Billie shook his head and ignored me. "No."
"Uh... Was that no for me or-"
"It wasn't. I just forgot that I had an assignment due tomorrow. But I have time," Billie gave me an evil smirk.
I glared at him.
"You miss Harley. Why not just take her back?"
"Because she hates me."
I nodded. Then I wrote 'he's right' on the book on Billie's lap.
He looked down and unconsciously read it like it was a part of his script. "He's right." He flinched and turned to me.
"What?" Flynn sounded confused.
"I meant, you're right. Maybe she does hate you... But you should try to get her to love you again... You made a mistake," Billie's eyes sank along with his voice. "But you're still a huge part of her life. You both belong together. You're made for each other and you've made great things together... Great people. Great kids."
I furrowed my brows at him confused as to who he was referring to.
"A life-"
"Are you okay man? I know a kid of divorce when I hear one."
My eyes grew.
Billie stared at the book.
I hit his arm.
"I have to go," he said to Flynn. "Thanks for the talk."
"Sure. Anyti-"
Billie hung up.
I stared at him. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"Tell you what?"
"About Auntie Ellis and Uncle Bill."
"What is there to tell?" Billie chuckled with glossy eyes.
He couldn't hide his feelings like he usually did. He was a tough nut for as long as I knew him. He never seemed sad, never talked about his feelings and never cried. Jokes and getting angry or overprotective was his thing. Not crying and talking about his pain. He was really my family. Didn't need blood to prove it.
"Look, let's talk about you," he blinked back his tears. "This was entertaining to me and I don't mind making this a thing. How often are we doing this?"
I shrugged. "I don't know, Bill-"
"Don't call me that," he said in an angry tone.
"O...Kay. Was it your dad who was unfaithful?"
"Harley, please," he glared at me unable to hide his annoyance. "Let's not talk about my parents. Let's talk about you and Flynn-"
"No. I want to talk about your parents. Are they getting a divorce-"
He suddenly stood up. "I'm going to get myself a sandwich. Don't follow me."
"What if I want a sandwich?"
"You don't," he said before he walked out of the door.
I laid back on my bed and looked at the ceiling.
* * *
"Go fish," Gretchen said to me pointing at the untidily stacked card on the floor. Her eyes ran over to Billie and she smiled.
I picked up a card. King of hearts. I stared at it and pictured Flynn, tracing the king's face with my finger.
I looked at Billie. His eyes were on his phone. He frowned and furrowed his brows then he looked at me. He shrugged his shoulders.
I shrugged back and we both smiled at each other. Flynn missed me. I missed him too but we weren't healthy for each other. My obsession with him had to go away.