I bite the inside of my cheek.
Right.
I didn’t tell the entire story.
I didn’t mention shit about Niko’s plans to film me. I wasn’t getting anywhere close to exposing Niko’s explicit online profile.
That was his secret, not mine.
“Nevermind,” I tell him.
Hunter and I shower off and head back across campus.
The air is cold,but it feels good after a workout. Students crisscross in every direction along the quad, but once we’re past main campus and closer to Red Row, the bustle begins to thin out.
Hunter’s been chatting about Christmas gifts he’s brainstorming for his boyfriend, Rayne, and I’ve been doing my best to give good advice.
But as we hit Red Row, Hunter pauses on the sidewalk for a moment, and he gives me a concerned look.
“Oliver, you’ve been a good friend to me this semester, so I’m just going to be honest with you,” he tells me.
The cold air blows against my hair, still slightly damp from my shower.
“Please. I need a little honesty right now.”
“I don’t think you should be doing this.”
I pull in a breath. “Was afraid you were going to say that.”
“I know you’re probably going to do it anyway, and you have every right, but I think it’s probably a bad decision that’s only going to get you hurt.”
I nod. “I know.”
“Yet you’re totally still going to do it, right?”
I step on a crunchy leaf, looking down at the ground out of some sort of shame.
“I need to.”
He hums. “Okay. I’ve said my piece. I won’t tell anyone it’s a fake relationship, butplease, try to protect your own feelings.”
“Protect my feelings? Hunter, I think I’m safe with that. Niko isn’t exactly capable of producingfeelingsin me.”
He gives me a doubtful look. “Ollie.”
“If you think I have any potential of falling for Niko Berlant, you don’t know him like I do. He was my worst fucking nightmare for the final year of high school. It’s not possible.”
I feel my phone buzz in my pocket again and my chest goes hot.
I check Niko’s text without showing Hunter, this time.
Would you wear this for me?
Beneath the text an image pops up. It’s a gold necklace with a small gold dragonfly at the end of it, shorter in length than the one he wears.
No. What are you trying to do, collar me?
Exactly. You’d look hot in this, Ollie.