Warmth | ✔️ #wattys2021

20. lost and found

"God, when I'm off work I never leave the bed anymore. Nora is just ugh —she's amazing." Jim went into rapture as he sat on his new green couch in his new big home with his mates. They were exhausted after having helped him move his furniture into the town house, now watching Rugby and sipping on beer.

The boys next to him grinned at his comment, George patted him on the back saying: "Well congrats, mate! Going to desecrate the bed later, yeah?"

Jimmy just shook his head and looked at Adam as if he was seeking for help. But what could he say? He was a bit deprived so it was somewhat entertaining to listen to his mates talk like that.

"Think that's going to take a while though, she's working day and night at this damn movie set, thanks Adam!" He said in irony. "Welcome!" He said teasingly but dry.

"Despite how's it going with Adeline, man?!" Tom asked. Adam couldn't help but notice how he has gained a bit of weight around the edges when he spotted him first. Not that this was bad, he knew him, how much he longed for Ruby when the two first met. Getting that comfortable in a relationship as he seemed to be was desirable. He wanted that too.

"I mean...how would it go? We are friends." He said defeated.

"Wait and you're not even fucking?" George asked after trying to brush off the beer stain from his white dress shirt. "No." He said curtly. She was all or nothing for him.

"That's not the Adam I know!" George said.

"Hmm...but you are in love with her, aren't you?" Tom asked changing the direction. "Oh, he definitely is!" Jim yelled in between while still focused on the match in front. Adam looked down on his lap. This was a question he didn't want to answer, of course he knew how he felt. Just didn't know it was so obvious.

A bit of silence overcame the group. "You know you have to tell her, right?"

Tom said. "He's right mate, it's not like she would reject you. What's stopping you?" Jim turned in.

"I mean I fucked it up in the first place —still feel guilty for that...and then we became friends and it was all weird and then she was feeling bad -I mean the time was never right." 
Adam shook his head lightly now.

"Know what you mean I struggled a lot into telling Rubs first, I mean we were never really friends like you two but, still." His friend told him sympathetically.

"Oh wake the fuck up!" George yelled at the tv in between not sensing the mood.

"Can't believe how bad they're this year!" One of them threw in after the Wasps lost the ball again.

"By the way, where is Frank?" Adam asked as he usually joined the group.

"We don't like him anymore." George answered as he was more his friend than anyone else's in the group.

The questions „We?" and „Why not?" were getting asked at the same time, obviously stirring curiosity among them.

"Well we never really have been the closest, I mean I was mainly friends with him because of Jenna. He treated her terribly and they broke up."
"I didn't know that!" Adam said in shock. Their friendship had long history and even if they weren't each other's closest friends anymore, he still cared for her even if she'd tease him forever, "I should call her more often."

*

On Monday Adeline had a lecture early in the morning. What was good about this particular one was that Kate was in it and in the last view months they became friends almost.

As she hurried in, just in time again she spotted her immediately, sitting in the back. The only bad thing about her was that she always looked on point. Her long blonde her was wavy and shining she always put make up on with a signature pink lip, her clothes the trendiest in the whole building. All while Adeline put on whatever item she found that was still splattered on the floor. Which today was one of Adam's black hoodies and a pair of overly uncomfortable jeans.

"Hey! Kate whispered followed by a: "You like the risk don't you?"

"Shut up!" Adeline said while grinning at her own time management. "Hey, do you already have the assignment ready?" She asked while taking out her stuff from her bag and taking a sip of her water.

"No, thought I'd leave it for the last second. Do you?"

"Well I started yesterday, it is a pain in the ass."

The lesson went by in slow motion for Adeline. Only once in a while Adam's scent that lingered on her top would wake her up from her tiredness.

As the lesson eventually did find an ending she had a question lingering on her mind. Adeline wanted to ask Kate to join their friend group at the end of the week as they were going out. She was certain she liked her but too insecure to ask. What if she finds that weird? Or she's busy?

Otherwise was George begging her to set him up with a friend of hers. And Kate would be perfect she sure would be just his type and she's single. Adeline was also convinced she was strong enough to punch him in the face if he fucked up again.

Well, perhaps things would figure themselves out naturally once she was in his near. That way she can't be put to blame.

"Hey, uhm...do you want to join me and my friends this Friday? We're going out, I'm not too sure what we're doing yet but if you want...?" She asked carefully while packing her stuff.

"Sure, I'd love to, just send me the details and I'll be there."

"Great!" She smiled.