Edge of seventeen

Chapter 65

Elliot stood in the dimly lit hallway outside his dorm, feeling the weight of the day settling into his bones. He and Asher had spent hours talking, trying to untangle the mess of emotions that had piled up between them over the past few weeks. They had aired their grievances, but there was still so much left unsaid. The tension that had built up between them wasn't gone, but it had shifted, softened into something more bearable, something that felt less like an impending storm and more like the calm before something new.

Asher lingered in the doorway, his usual confident demeanor slightly shaken, like he was still trying to figure out how to navigate whatever the hell this was between them. Elliot watched him for a moment, his mind racing with everything he wanted to say, everything he wanted to do, but the words didn't seem to fit the moment. Instead, he let his instincts take over.

Without a word, Elliot closed the gap between them. He reached up, his hands finding their way to Asher's face, gently cradling his jaw. Asher's eyes met his, wide and searching, but he didn't pull back. Elliot could feel the hesitation in the way Asher held himself, the tension in his shoulders, but he also saw the flicker of something else—something that mirrored the emotions swirling inside him.

Elliot leaned in, his lips brushing against Asher's in a kiss that started off soft, almost tentative. But the moment their lips met, something ignited. The kiss deepened, Elliot pouring every ounce of frustration, longing, and unspoken apology into it. Asher responded, his hands gripping the front of Elliot's shirt, pulling him closer, as if he was trying to draw him in completely.

For a moment, Elliot's mind went blank, overwhelmed by the feel of Asher's lips moving against his, the heat of his body pressed so close. It would've been so easy to lose himself in this, to push Asher up against the nearest wall and let the night spiral into something more. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to just give in, to let the kiss turn into something much more, but he knew better. They weren't there yet. There were still too many unresolved issues between them, too much that needed to be said.

Reluctantly, Elliot pulled back, breaking the kiss with a breathless sigh. He kept his forehead pressed against Asher's, trying to steady his racing heart. Asher's breath was hot against his cheek, his hands still fisted in Elliot's shirt, holding on like he wasn't quite ready to let go either.

"Goodnight," Elliot whispered, his voice a little hoarse. He forced a smile, trying to lighten the mood even though his thoughts were still spinning. "If you ever wanna come live with me again, you're always welcome. You know that, right?"

Asher didn't say anything, just nodded slightly, his eyes still searching Elliot's face like he was looking for something—some reassurance, maybe, or an answer to a question he hadn't yet figured out how to ask. Elliot could see the turmoil in Asher's gaze, the conflict between wanting to say something more and not knowing how. But instead of pushing, Elliot just stepped back, giving Asher the space he seemed to need.

He watched as Asher turned and walked down the hallway, his steps slow and deliberate, like he was still processing everything that had just happened. When Asher glanced back over his shoulder, the look he gave Elliot was almost shy, a small, tentative smile tugging at the corners of his lips before he disappeared around the corner.

Elliot stayed there for a moment, staring at the empty hallway, his mind racing with everything that had just happened, everything that could have happened if he'd just let himself give in. He let out a long breath, running a hand through his hair as he tried to shake off the lingering tension.

As he finally made his way back to his room, his thoughts were a jumble of emotions, a mix of relief and frustration, longing and restraint. When he crawled into bed that night, his mind wouldn't stop replaying the kiss, the way Asher had felt in his arms, the way his lips had tasted. It was driving him crazy, the memory of it still so vivid that it felt like a physical ache.

Elliot rolled over, pulling the covers up to his chin as he tried to force his mind to think about something else, anything else. But all he could see was Asher—his lips, his eyes, the way he'd looked at him, like he was trying to figure out what the hell was happening between them. The more he tried to push the thoughts away, the more they consumed him, until all he could think about was how much he wanted Asher, how much he wanted to just lose himself in him, to take things further and let go of all the restraint he'd been clinging to.

He bit his lip, a frustrated groan escaping as he thought about how much he would've loved to have made out with Asher right there in the hallway, to have pushed him up against the wall and let things spiral into something much more intense. The thought of it made his pulse quicken, his body aching with the desire he'd tried so hard to hold back.

Who knew guys could be this hot? He thought, a wry smile playing on his lips as he stared up at the ceiling. Asher was something else entirely—gorgeous, complicated, and so damn irresistible.

As he finally drifted off to sleep, the last thing on his mind was Asher. His lips, his smile, the way he'd kissed him back with just as much intensity. And as much as Elliot tried to fight it, he knew he was already too far gone. Because if there was one thing he was certain of, it was that he wasn't just attracted to Asher—he was falling for him. Hard. And there was no turning back.