Unhinged

Chapter Eight

"I thought you weren't keeping him!" Alex shouted, dropping all their bags to the floor after slamming the door shut, and James hurried to put his boxers on while they raised a hand to cover him from their eyeline, "Thought he was too clingy!"

"I'll try not to be offended." James mumbled to himself.

"I'm not – he's just – he's..." You stumbled over your words, panic rising in your chest, because yeah, what the fuck, this wasn't you.

"Yeah? What?" They snapped angrily, rightfully so after everything, and you sighed defeatedly, slumping your shoulders.

"Can we talk about this later?" You pleaded and they softened.

"Fine," They turned their glare on him and he raised his eyebrows, "Can you cook, James?" They asked before mumbling, "If that's even your real name."

"Yeah, I can," He nodded with a nervous smile, "Used to cook all the time for my best friend after his mom died when we were younger."

"Is he always this depressing?" They asked you, pointing lazily over at him, and you tried not to laugh as you shook your head, "Alright, get dressed bunnies and meet me in the kitchen."

'Bunnies?' He mouthed to you after they stormed into their bedroom with their bags, and you shrugged with a grimace.

"I'm sorry about this," You felt so embarrassed, "It's nothing personal and if you just wanna bail, that's totally fine, we can hook up later or whatever," You widened your eyes at that, still not knowing what the hell was going on with you, "Or not, you know."

"Nah," He shook his head with a frown, looking around for where he left his clothes, and then he made an 'ah' face when he remembered they were in the bathroom, but he kept talking to you, "Like I said, I can cook and it's a better idea than pizza – kind of wishing for pasta or something anyway."

You hummed in agreement before strolling into your room for clothes as he changed, but it was nearby, so you kept your door cracked open in case he said something else.

"About what I said earlier..." He started and you furrowed your eyebrows as you clipped your bra on, grabbing a cropped uni sweatshirt and some high waisted black jeans, "You know," You could hear the nervousness in his words, making you smile before he continued, "During...earlier."

He was now leaning against your doorway, taking the cracked open door as an invitation, and you peered up at him as you fixed your hair.

"Forget it," You shrugged, looking away to finish, and then you came up to him, putting a hand to his chest where you could feel his tags through the thin shirt, "Sex talk doesn't mean shit, right?" Then you smirked, "I'm just happy you haven't confessed your undying love for me yet."

"That's not – yeah," He sighed defeatedly, brushing your hand off last second when he went to put his own over it, "Yeah, I guess."

"Bunnies! Get your asses in here!" Alex called and you smirked again while he huffed.

"So," You could hear the playfulness in his words as he followed you out, helping with the rest of the bags into the kitchen, "I'm too clingy?"

"She's a one and done kind of girl," Alex explained bluntly, and you gaped at them halfheartedly, "What? It's true and he needs to know that."

"I picked up on that when she kicked me out of bed the first morning."

"You stayed the night?" Alex blurted in surprise, and you punched their arm, "Ow! Hey! It's my apartment too, I'm allowed to ask the random boys and girls you bring home questions. I don't usually get the chance though."