December 20 | Friday #17
Had he really stopped being mad, or was this just an act, an attempt to get close to Will again only to use it against him later?
Will was seriously starting to get paranoid.
He would never have thought something like that about Dan before, but under the current circumstances, he was expecting anything.
“Why are you so happy?” he finally asked suspiciously.
“I have a date,” Danny informed him, smiling broadly.
Will felt a sense of relief.
“That’s great,” he answered honestly.
“Mhm,” Dan hummed cheerfully.
“With who?”
“I’m not telling.”
“What?” Will snorted.
“Even if I did, you wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
“Of course I’d believe you. I’m not you,” he couldn’t resist adding, a hint of resentment in his voice.
Danny gave him a dirty look.
“More like I’m not you, lying about where I’m going.”
Their eyes met.
“I’m sorry,” they blurted out at the same time.
After a moment of confusion, they both burst out laughing.
“I know I’ve been over the top lately,” Danny began in a conciliatory tone.
“I guess I really was jealous of your new friends. I mean, the whole thing still doesn’t sit right with me, but it’s your business and I should be happy that you’re surrounding yourself with more people.
Even if you’re doing it at the expense of our friendship. ”
“I shouldn’t have lied,” Will admitted in return. “And I shouldn’t have interfered with your choices. I’m sorry.”
Danny smiled faintly.
“Well… I can promise you one thing. If it goes well, I’ll tell you everything, down to the smallest detail.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
Danny must have really cared, because he spent the rest of the day getting ready. Will helped him, offering his opinions, though honestly, he didn’t have to. Dan looked fucking incredible. When he cleaned up nice, he was unbelievably attractive. Will didn’t understand why he didn’t do it every day.
Dan left around five, and Will sprawled out in the living room in front of the TV. About an hour later, Oscar called him.
“Hey,” Will said with a smile, answering.
“Hey. How’s it going?”
“Good. I’m just watching some old western.”
“Lying on the couch?”
“No, sitting in the armchair, why?”
Oscar chuckled without answering.
“What are you doing?” Will asked.
“Sitting at my desk. I was writing a paper for chemistry, but I felt like talking to you.”
“Uh-huh. Why do I have a weird feeling that this is one of those conversations that’s heading toward what are you wearing?” Will asked slyly, biting his lip.
“Do you want it to be?” Oscar asked in a low voice.
A thrill of excitement shot through Will.
“I don’t know. It could be interesting.”
“So let’s try. What are you wearing, Will?”
Damn… If this kept up, he definitely wouldn’t be wearing pants for much longer, because Oscar’s tone was really turning him on.
“I could tell you the truth, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t be particularly sexy.”
“Then improvise.”
Will started to laugh. The fact that they were playing at foreplay over the phone instead of in real life was a little depressing, but also exciting, so he wasn’t going to complain.
“Well… Hmm… Let’s say… I’m sitting here in just a latex thong,” Will said after a moment’s thought, and then laughed at the absurdity of the statement.
“Ooh… Latex,” Oscar repeated, clearly suppressing a laugh. “Does it have that… hole in the front?”
“The hole is in the back, Oscar. That’s just how men are made.”
“Really?” Oscar feigned surprise.
“Yep.”
“I had no idea!”
“Come over, I’ll show you.”
Oscar said something back, but at that moment, the sound of a slamming door echoed through the house, and Will stopped listening.
“Sorry, I have to go,” he said into his phone. “I’ll call you back later.”
He hung up and got to his feet. Danny must have been in the kitchen, because now loud bangs were coming from there. Will wasn’t sure if their ancient cabinets could take that kind of treatment, so he went there quickly.
“Danny, is everything okay?” he asked with concern.
Dan didn’t just seem upset. He was furious and hurt.
“The guy turned out to be an asshole?” Will asked quietly.
“You’re the asshole, Will!” Dan exclaimed unexpectedly, turning toward him.
“Excuse me?” Will whispered, taken aback by the sudden outburst.
“Will, Will, Will!” Danny hissed. Tears glistened in his eyes. “Lately, everything revolves around you. Everyone’s talking about you. And guess what! Even the guy I went out with wanted to talk only about you.”
Will felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his stomach.
“Who did you go out with?” he asked nervously.
Dan didn’t answer. He strode past him.
“Danny!” Will ran after him out of the kitchen. “Who did you go out with?”
“What does it matter?” Danny stopped halfway up the stairs.
“It didn’t work out! Nothing ever works out, as usual, because of you!
Poor Willy, no parents, but with a huge house and a pile of cash.
Poor Willy, who whines because the guy who’s totally out of his league isn’t giving him as much attention as he’d like.
Poor Willy, who always plays the victim, even though he’s the one blowing off his best friend for a bunch of losers! ”
Will was in shock. He realized something he hadn’t noticed before. Danny wasn’t just mad about his secrets, about Liam, Blake, the internship, and this whole screwed-up situation. That was just the trigger. He’d been resentful of him even before that. An irrational, senseless resentment.
And Will knew then that he couldn’t expose either of them to this risk any longer.
“Danny. You have to leave,” he said quietly.
“With pleasure,” Danny hissed.
“You don’t understand.” Will followed him. “You have to move out.”
Dan froze. He turned around, pale as a sheet.
“What?” he asked weakly.
“You can’t stay here,” Will said, forcing a firm tone.
“What are you talking about?”
“Take your things and get out. Tonight.”
“I have nowhere to go!” Dan was panicked. “I don’t have any money! I paid you for this month!”
“I’ll give you the money back,” Will replied, unable to look his friend in the eye. He felt awful. “Find a hotel, and then… I don’t know. That’s your problem. Just get out,” he added, much more harshly than he’d intended.
Danny stared at him in disbelief. For a moment, it seemed like he was going to beg Will to let him stay, but in the end, he ran to his room.
He came out just fifteen minutes later, with an overstuffed bag and a tear-stained face.
Will felt his heart clench. He kept repeating to himself that he had no choice.
“Your money,” he said quietly, holding out a few bills he had prepared a moment ago. It was more than he’d gotten from him.
Dan pushed his hand away.
“Fuck you!” he snarled.
He didn’t take the cash and ran out of the house.
Will sat down on the stairs and buried his face in his hands.
What had seemed like the only way out just a few minutes ago now felt like the worst decision he had ever made in his life.