Chapter 29 #2
Jude was supposed to share the full-sized futon with Nikki. I shouldn’t be the one to take her place next to Jude.
But then again… I’m here. And Nikki’s not.
“Oliver?”
“Okay,” I whisper. “Scooch over.”
Jude grins and shifts to make room for me. The sheets are silky smooth, already warmed by Jude’s body heat, and the pillow is perfectly plush. This will be so much better than sleeping on the floor or sharing a mattress with Harrison.
“Comfy?” Jude asks through a yawn.
“Snug as a bug in a rug,” I reply. “Sweet dreams, Jude.”
“Sweet dreams, Oliver.”
As I’m about to turn over to face away from Jude, they lean in and reach out a hand to cup my cheek. I freeze as my brain tries to process what’s happening.
Then Jude presses their lips to mine, and the world around me melts away. Their lips are soft, warm, and gentle. They smell like strawberries, soap, and serenity. Their touch feels like home. It’s everything. They are everything.
Jude slowly pulls away, sighs contentedly, and rests their head against the pillow. I stare at them in disbelief, my mind racing and my heart pounding.
“Night-night,” Jude whispers, eyes already shut.
“Night-night,” I echo weakly.
As I lie beside my beloved best friend, a war of emotions rages within me. Adoration clashes with anxiety. Longing wrestles with regret. These strange new feelings battle it out as I stand by, watching helplessly.
Well, so much for sleeping tonight.
Sunday, October 26, 2025
“Oliver? Yo, Oliver, wake up, dude. You alive over there?”
I groan, the pain in my skull roaring to life with my consciousness.
Why is my head throbbing?
“Oliver, come on, man. We’ve got to get going.”
I let out a grunt, my throat parched. Hearing Theo’s voice is unexpected. Why is Theo in my room?
As I slowly open my eyes, I’m startled by my unfamiliar surroundings. This isn’t my room. Where the fuck—
Then it all comes back. The party. My Count Orlok costume. Alcohol and snacks. My friends. Jude.
Jude.
I reach out to where Jude is supposed to be beside me, but they’re gone. Their side of the mattress is cold. I glance around the room as my friends deflate their air mattresses, fold sheets, and snack on party leftovers. Celeste and Max are also missing.
Oh, fuck. Is Jude okay? Are they spiraling over what happened last night? The cuddling? The kiss? Sharing a bed with me? Do they hate me? Do they believe I took advantage of them? Have I lost their trust forever?
“Hey, sleepyhead,” Wren says, tossing a throw pillow at me. “Looks like we’ve got a lot to talk about before I head back to Savannah, huh?”
I don’t answer. Instead, I rub my eyes and temples, desperate to ease the splitting pain in my skull.
“There’s coffee in the kitchen,” Caleb declares. “And Chloe made waffles.”
Waffles do sound amazing. With enormous effort, I drag myself off the futon, snatch my backpack, and stumble into the bathroom. With an emptied bladder, a washed face, and brushed hair, I make my way into the kitchen.
“Morning, Oliver,” Harrison announces from the kitchen table. “Guess you found different sleeping arrangements last night?”
I want to ignore him, but that’s not really my style. “Aww, you missed me?” I tease, my voice scratchy.
“Yeah, what happened last night?” Wren asks, suddenly behind me at the coffee maker.
I jump, almost dropping my mug. “What do you mean?”
“How’d you end up sharing a bed with Jude?”
Sensing everyone’s eyes on me, I shrug. “Jude didn’t want to sleep alone, and a futon mattress sounded a lot comfier to my drunk brain than an air mattress or the floor. So I crashed in their bed with them. It’s not a big deal.”
“And that’s all that happened?” Theo asks.
I roll my eyes but focus on pouring my coffee. “Seriously? Are you really asking me that?”
No one replies.
I return the coffee pot and place my mug on the counter so I can face my friends. “Yes, of course, that’s all that happened. We fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows. Do y’all really think that lowly of me?”
“Of course not,” Wren says quickly. “I was more worried about the reverse happening. Worried that Jude might have been taking advantage of you.”
I shake my head emphatically, even though it makes my head throb again. “They were drunk, Wren. We fell asleep in the same bed. That’s it.”
“I’m also concerned about the Nikki situation,” Theo interjects. “She already doesn’t seem to like you very much.”
I snort. “Yeah, you think?”
“Oliver, this could come back to bite you,” Wren warns. “If she already hates you and it slips out that you slept with Jude, even if literally all you did was sleep–”
“I know,” I snap. “I know what it looks like. I’ll talk to Jude.” I wait a beat before continuing: “Now, someone mentioned waffles?”
Once our little group rallies enough to drive, we head back to the dorm to recover for the rest of the day.
For a while, we passively watch TV together in the living room.
Eventually, Vimlesh vanishes, presumably to his bedroom, and then Harrison bids us farewell before trekking back to Tech.
Shortly after, Theo and Caleb retreat to Theo’s room to nap before Theo drives him home, leaving Wren and me alone in the living room to doomscroll in comfortable silence.
The more time passes, the more guilt churns in my stomach about last night’s events, and pretty soon I’m regretting every decision I’ve made over the past twelve hours—especially that third waffle.
“So,” Wren’s voice startles me. “Are you ready to talk yet?”
I groan. “I already said I was going to talk to Jude, and I will. If I’m feeling this awful, I can only imagine their hangover is even worse.”
“I meant to me,” Wren replies. “I want to know what really happened last night and how you’re feeling about it.”
“Oh. Right. Well, then, no, I’m not ready to talk about it yet.”
“Oliver, I have to drive back to Savannah soon. This is our only chance.”
Shit. I shift from my wonky position on the couch to face them. “Fine, fine. What do you want to know?”
Wren stares at me, unamused.
“Okay, fine. Let’s see, where should I start?
At some point over the past few weeks, I unknowingly fell in love with my best friend.
I may be ace, but clearly I’m not aro, because what I feel for them can no longer qualify as platonic.
I don’t just like them; I adore them. I–I want to protect them, to hold them, to spend every moment of every day with them.
I’d do anything for them. I want–” My voice cracks, so I take a moment to breathe before continuing.
“But it doesn’t matter. They’ll never feel the same way about me because, for one thing, they’re happily in a relationship with Nikki, and for another, they don’t date guys.
Plus, they’re allo, meaning they enjoy sex, so they should be with someone who… well, someone who can give them that.”
“Oliver–”
“And above all, I value them and our friendship too much to tell them I love them, for fear of making things weird or changing the dynamic. But despite all of that, I probably ruined our friendship anyway by taking advantage of them while they were intoxicated, and now–”
“No, you didn’t,” Wren interrupts.
“I mean, I kind of did,” I counter. “They were so drunk. They couldn’t consent to sharing a bed, yet I barely hesitated before climbing into bed with them.”
“Have you fallen asleep in the same bed before?”
I hesitate. “Not a bed, but a couch, yes. But that was different.”
“But it’s like you said—nothing happened.”
“Well, I lied,” I blurt.
Wren’s eyes go wide. “What do you mean?”
I squeeze my eyes shut, dreading Wren’s disappointment. “They…they kissed me. Before we fell asleep. Like, a real kiss.”
Wren is quiet for several seconds. “Did you kiss them back?”
I slowly nod.
“Have they said anything this morning?”
“No. They’ll probably never talk to me again.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
I drag my hands over my face. “What do I do?”
“Here’s what I think,” Wren says. “The sooner y’all talk, the better.
You should reach out tonight or tomorrow to address this.
Since Jude initiated the kiss and said a lot of lovey-dovey stuff last night, they’ll probably appreciate a chance to explain themselves, too.
Then you can go from there. If the two of you are as close as you seem, you’ll figure it out, and everything’s going to be okay. ”
I swallow. “Are you sure?”
Wren presses their lips together. “As sure as I can be, given the circumstances.”
Nodding, I accept their advice. “Okay. Thank you.”
Wren reaches across the couch to rub my back. “Always, Olli-pops Always.”