31. Deacon
Chapter thirty-one
Deacon
After our last class ended, Lyla and I decided to stop at The Union for some snacks. The basket of sweet potato fries I had in front of me provided a fantastic distraction since Lyla just told me she had officially added Charlie to the list of people who knew about our agreement.
“It’s fine!” Lyla assured me through a giant grin. “Now, one person you know knows, and one person I know knows!”
“You know what, now that you say that, having an even playing field makes so much more sense.” I popped another fry into my mouth, and she rolled her eyes.
I enjoyed Lyla’s sassy side, but since I’d typically get back at my girlfriend by making her roll her eyes in a very different way, I settled for how cute she looked in a beanie and one of my hoodies. With the colder Ohio weather came more layers, which meant finding more creative ways to keep warm. Lyla would freeze in her costume next weekend, and I forced away any ideas that involved my bed and Lyla rolling her eyes in any shape or form.
Sheesh. I considered this a reaction to my Petey Pablo withdrawal. I couldn’t have sex with Cassie or the fake girlfriend I spent all of my time with. How did Lyla line up guys when she barely saw them? It sounded exhausting.
I needed a change of subject. “What time should I come over tonight? ”
“Ten-thirty should be fine.” Lyla slid me her iced green tea so I could have a sip. “Charlie’s at the light. Did you need anything from the store?”
I shook my head.
“Also, I have an update for you. It’s nothing bad, but there’s this guy I met last week, and I might see him Saturday night after we go out, that’s all.”
I ignored the small punch to my gut. “You’re good.”
She stood up and planted a small kiss in the corner of my mouth. “I’ll see you tonight.”
I smiled. “Sounds good, Brooks.”
I watched her walk across The Union until she left through the double doors. Even though she was gone, the aftermath of the punch still lingered. Maybe that coffee from earlier was fucking with me. I gathered my things and threw the rest of the sweet potato fries in the trash. Suddenly, I wasn’t hungry.
“Deacon?”
I knew who it was before I turned around. Cassie stood in front of me in an oversized hoodie and jeans. Moments like these made me feel like Dominic was messing with me. I had a slight fantasy about Lyla, so he ensured I ran into Cassie.
I cleared my throat. “Hey, Cass.”
She stepped forward, debating whether she should hug me or not. I stuck my hands in the pockets of my shorts to take away the option. I wanted her to want to touch me, and it gave me a tiny bit of satisfaction to know that she wanted to.
Cassie crossed her arms in front of her chest and smiled. “I thought that was you. I saw Lyla walking toward the exit and figured you weren’t far behind.”
“That’s usually how it is with us. Our schedules are pretty similar.” That was a lie, but she didn’t need to know that .
“I see you guys sometimes.” Cassie’s smile tapered. “Nice to see you still have a thing for flowers.”
“Every Monday. Lyla likes roses, though. You were more of a lilies girl.”
She chuckled softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. She was nervous to talk to me. “Never thought I’d miss those flowers.”
There was nothing more irritating than a tiptoed conversation. I spent three years of my life with this girl, and now we looked like two strangers trying to play catch-up.
“How are you, Cass? You seem happy.”
She nodded. “It’s been a hard semester, but the weekends help. Do you know what you’re doing for Halloween yet?”
“Depends on the weather. Lyla’s costume is”—I laughed and shook my head—“never mind. She wants it to be a secret until next weekend.”
Cassie looked off to the side and then back at me. “Well, on Saturday, one of my friends is having a party on Main. You guys should stop by.”
“I’ll see what Lyla wants to do. Text me the address, okay?”
I couldn’t stand there pretending I didn’t want to discuss more important things. Cassie and I used to talk about everything, and I was aching to rip off the band-aid. I was happy if she was happy. I just wished I was a factor in that happiness.
Cassie turned to walk away and smiled over her shoulder. “I really hope you come, Deacon.”
I wasn’t sure if she missed me, but I missed the fuck out of the look she gave me before she left. Cassie texted me five minutes later with the address, and I called Lyla to tell her we officially had a party to go to.