10. Cass #2
Nerion just shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I help out my best friend? Just seemed like the right thing to do.”
I stared at Nerion, processing what he’d just said. “Wait, so you and Linden have never—”
“Nope,” Nerion said cheerfully, doing a lazy backstroke. “He’s always been pretty firm about keeping our friendship platonic. Which I respect, even if I think he’s missing out.”
“So… you’re just trying to get him laid,” I said slowly.
“Bingo,” Nerion grinned. “And based on the fact that you two were gone for two hours and came back looking like you’d been making out against a tree, I’d say my plan is working so far.”
“We didn’t—” I started to protest, then stopped. There was no point lying to these two. They clearly already knew what had happened. “It was just a kiss. One kiss. And then I told him it was a bad idea.”
“Why would you do that?” Teddy asked, his tone genuinely curious rather than judgmental.
“Because it is a bad idea,” I said, swimming toward the deeper end of the pool.
“I’m a fuckup. On purpose. And I burned down his senior project.
I’m from a family that would probably hate him.
And I’m definitely not the kind of guy someone like him should be getting involved with. I’m not worth it.”
“Did he say that?” Nerion asked, following me.
“He didn’t have to. It’s obvious.”
“It’s really not,” Teddy said, pulling himself up onto the edge of the pool.
Water dripped from his tanned skin as he sat there, completely unbothered by the fact that his dick was on full display.
“Linden doesn’t judge people the way you think he does.
He’s probably the least judgmental person I know. ”
“Yeah, well, I’m still not worth his time,” I muttered, diving under the water to escape the conversation.
When I surfaced, Nerion was grinning at me like he’d just figured out the meaning of life. “Oh, I see what’s happening here.”
“What?” I growled.
“You actually like him,” Nerion said triumphantly. “Like, genuinely like him. That’s why you’re pushing him away. You’re scared.”
“I’m not scared of anything,” I snapped, but even as I said it, I could hear the lie in my voice. I was terrified. Terrified of letting someone in. Terrified of them leaving. Terrified of being the disappointment I’d always feared I was.
“Sure you’re not,” Nerion said, and for once his tone wasn’t mocking. It was almost understanding. “But here’s the thing, Cass. If you really want to disappoint mommy and daddy, then Linden might be your best bet.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” he said, nodding toward Teddy. “I know a thing or two about disappointing someone’s parents and pissing off the entire family. Teddy’s father nearly had me crucified.”
Teddy nodded. “That’s pretty accurate.”
“So if you want to really give your parents the middle finger,” he continued. “What better way to do it than with a big, hulking dryad?”
I stared at Nerion for a long moment, trying to wrap my head around what he was suggesting. “So you’re saying I should date Linden just to piss off my parents?”
“I’m saying it could be a nice bonus,” Nerion replied, floating on his back, his cock floating to the surface. “But the real reason you should give him a chance is because you actually want to. And because he wants to give you one. And he’s a really good guy.”
“He doesn’t know me,” I said flatly. “Not really. He wouldn’t like me if he knew.”
“I didn’t know Nerion either,” Teddy offered quietly. “And look at us now.”
I pulled myself out of the pool, suddenly needing distance from both of them. The cool air of the athletic building hit my wet skin, raising goosebumps across my chest. I grabbed a towel from the stack by the door and wrapped it around my waist.
“Even if I wanted to,” I said, “which I don’t, it would just end badly. I’d fuck it up somehow. I always do.”
“Maybe,” Nerion said, pulling himself out of the water with surprising grace.
“Or maybe this time would be different. Maybe you’d actually try instead of sabotaging yourself before anyone else gets the chance to.
Take it from me, a guy who made sure to never make a connection with anyone, ever.
” He paused, looking back at Teddy. “Taking a chance on something that seems crazy sometimes leads to the most wonderful results.”
I didn’t have an answer to that. Because he wasn’t wrong, and I hated that he wasn’t wrong. I’d spent so long being the asshole, the fuckup, the disappointment that it had become easier to just lean into it than to actually try at anything.
“I’m going back to the dorms,” I said, scooping up my clothes and heading for the changing room. “Alone.”
“That’s fine,” Nerion called after me. “But you should probably talk to Linden tomorrow. Clear the air or whatever.”
I didn’t respond. I just dried off, got dressed, and headed out into the cold January night.
My mind was churning with everything Nerion had said.
About disappointing my parents. About Linden actually wanting me.
About the possibility that I could be something other than just a fuck-up if I actually tried.
By the time I got back to my dorm room, I’d made a decision. Tomorrow morning, when I went to the greenhouse, I’d talk to Linden. Not about the kiss exactly, but maybe about what it meant. Maybe about whether he actually wanted to try this thing between us, or if it was just a moment of weakness.
Or maybe I’d chicken out and just pretend nothing had happened. Either way, I knew one thing for certain.
I wasn’t going to sleep much tonight.