Inhale: Book One (bxb) ✔️

15. Zero would be far more preferable.

TRIGGER WARNING: Small moment of homophobic bystander during trip to Disney.

Landon Luna

Miami, Florida (Disney)
November 16th.

When I opened my eyes, I screamed.

I screamed bloody murder.

"Lennox! What the fuck?!" I sat up as I tried to catch my breath.

Everest shot up at the sound of my scream. "What-" He looked at me and settled as he brought a hand to cover his heart. "I thought you were being murdered."

Lennox sat by my feet, crossing his legs as he arched a brow at Everest. "And what? You were planning to fight them off with your charming good looks?"

Everest glanced at me with tired eyes. "I'm going to find coffee. Have fun dealing with...that."

Nodding, I watched as he stuffed his feet into his shoes and dragged his half-awake self out the door. When it closed, I slowly turned to face my supposed best friend. He was freshly showered, his hair pushed back, and his clothes dressed down for Disney touring. I still wanted to end up while also telling him that he somehow managed to look adorable.

Toning down my glare, I sighed with defeat. I knew my loyal best friend was here to see how things went. He might not admit to it, but he was worried. I could see it in his eyes, no matter how hard he tried to hide it. I could argue that waking up beside Everest pointed to a good sign; it didn't mean much. There weren't many rooms left, so we had to share. Not that I minded. At all. We didn't snuggle up and whisper sweet nothings to each other, but I definitely passed out the moment my head hit the pillow.

My emotions ran high for an extended period of time, and that tended to drain me rather quickly. So, I had no problem falling asleep last night. I was pretty sure Everest was still in the bathroom when I fell asleep. Either way, Lennox had no direction, and I knew he wanted a crumb to go off of.

Reaching over to the nightstand, I dragged the box onto the bed. Lennox peeked inside before he squeaked at the contents. "Holy...shit." He reached inside and pulled out one of the books, turning it over in his hands. "Oh, my god! It's signed?!" He set the book in his lap, staring at me with a mixture of shock and happiness. "I lied. I can tell you if someone likes you. Everest absolutely likes you. There is no doubt in my mind."

I smiled to myself. "I know he does."

Lennox was no longer interested in my special edition books as he gaped at me. "So, you did tell him?"

"Well, yes, eventually. Though, my feelings were conveyed in a different way at first."

He picked up the book and smacked my shoulder with it, with an open-mouthed grin on his face. "You dog. You..."

My eyes widened when the door opened. When I expected to see Everest, I didn't. West sauntered into the room with an extra way to his hips as he danced with a cup of coffee in his hands. "Good morning, gentleman. I am quite thrilled by the caffeine selection downstairs. What are we gossiping about in here?"

Once the door shut, Lennox simply couldn't resist. "Landon and Everest kissed!"

West's brows shot to his hairline. He set down his coffee, abandoning it completely. He jumped onto the bed, bouncing lightly before he stuffed his hands under his chin with a smirk in my direction. "Tell me everything. Don't leave a single detail out. Oh! This is a joyous occasion. I like to pick at Everest when it comes to you. Dude is head over heels for you."