Across the Hall: A College Romance

crossroads

Wyatt tossed and turned that night, sleep eluding him as his mind raced. No matter how much he tried to focus on something else—the rowing, school, anything—his thoughts kept circling back to Dylan.

Dylan.

It was impossible to deny now. The tension, the connection—it had always been there, simmering beneath the surface, but Wyatt had been too scared to acknowledge it. He wasn't sure if it was the fear of messing things up with his best friend or something more complicated that had kept him from facing it head-on. All he knew was that things were different now, and there was no going back.

He stared up at the ceiling, the faint glow of the streetlight outside casting shadows across his room. His mind replayed the conversation from earlier that evening, how Dylan had been so patient, so willing to take things slow. Wyatt had never been in a situation like this before. Girls? Sure. Random hookups at parties? Absolutely. But this? It was new, and it terrified him.

The worst part was, he didn't even know how to describe what he felt. Was it attraction? Was it just a deep friendship that was getting tangled up in something more? And did it really matter? Dylan was important to him—that much was clear. Losing that, losing him, wasn't an option.

Sighing, Wyatt sat up, running his hands over his face. His phone buzzed on the nightstand, pulling him out of his thoughts. He glanced at the screen and saw a text from Gwen.

Gwen: Yo, some of us are going to Alo tomorrow night, wanna join?

Wyatt considered it for a moment, then set the phone down without responding. He wasn't in the mood for distractions right now, not with everything going on in his head. The truth was, he needed to figure out where he stood with Dylan before he could focus on anything else.

Sitting there in the dark, Wyatt knew he had to make a choice. He could either push this thing with Dylan aside, pretend like nothing had changed, or he could lean into it—really lean into it—and see what happened. The second option scared the hell out of him, but the idea of ignoring his feelings was starting to feel impossible.

With a groan, he flopped back onto his pillow, staring up at the ceiling once more. His mind drifted back to Dylan's smile earlier, the way his voice had been so steady, so reassuring. It would've been easy for Dylan to push harder, to try and force Wyatt to make a decision right then and there. But he hadn't. He'd left Wyatt room to breathe.

And that, Wyatt realized, was one of the reasons why this was so complicated. Dylan was more than just a friend—he was safe. He understood Wyatt in ways that no one else did, even when Wyatt didn't understand himself. The idea of something more with him wasn't just about attraction or curiosity; it was about trust. And that scared Wyatt more than anything else.

The next morning, Wyatt woke up groggy and still unsure. After throwing on some clothes, he made his way to the brunch place for breakfast, his stomach growling despite his nerves. The place was buzzing with students, the usual chatter filling the space as people ordered their food and found seats with friends. Wyatt went to the cashier and ordered, fidgeting with his phone as he waited.

As he sat down with his french toast, Wyatt felt his phone buzz again. This time, it wasn't a casual invite from Gwen—it was a message from Dylan.

Dylan: You good? Wanna grab lunch later?

Wyatt stared at the message for a moment, his heart beating a little faster. He didn't know why the idea of meeting up with Dylan felt so heavy all of a sudden, but it did. He knew lunch with Dylan wouldn't just be about catching up. It would be another step toward whatever was coming next between them.

He typed back a quick response.

Wyatt: Yeah, sure. Let's meet at the usual spot.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. Wyatt went to class, tried to pay attention, but it was like his mind was on autopilot. All he could think about was lunch with Dylan and the conversation that was bound to happen. By the time he headed to the cafe to meet him, Wyatt's nerves were buzzing.

Dylan was already there when Wyatt walked in, sitting at their usual table near the front. He looked up and smiled when he saw Wyatt, and for a moment, everything felt normal—like they were just two friends grabbing lunch, like they'd done a hundred times before. But Wyatt knew it wasn't normal. Not anymore.

"Hey," Dylan greeted him as Wyatt sat down.

"Hey," Wyatt replied, trying to keep his voice casual. "How's it going?"

"Pretty good," Dylan said, leaning back in his chair. "I was just thinking about the next race. We've got some serious competition this time."

Wyatt nodded, glad for the small talk, but he knew it wouldn't last. After a few minutes of chatting about rowing and classes, the conversation lulled. Wyatt felt the shift coming, the moment when they'd have to stop avoiding the real topic.

"So," Dylan said slowly, his voice softer now, "have you had any more thoughts about... us?"

Wyatt swallowed, feeling his pulse quicken. He didn't know why this was so hard to talk about, especially with Dylan. But it was.

"I have," Wyatt said, his voice a little rough. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "I've been thinking about it a lot."

Dylan didn't say anything, just waited, giving Wyatt the space to find his words.

"I... I don't know where I stand yet," Wyatt admitted, his hands fidgeting with his napkin. "But I know I don't want to push you away. I don't want to pretend like nothing's happening, because something is happening. I just... need time to figure it out."

Dylan's expression softened, and he nodded. "That's fair, Wyatt. I told you, there's no rush. We don't have to label anything right now."

Wyatt let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. "Thanks, man. I just don't want to mess this up. You mean too much to me."

Dylan smiled, and it wasn't that usual easygoing grin—this one was more sincere, more vulnerable. "You mean a lot to me too, Wyatt. And I don't want to mess this up either."

For a moment, they just sat there, the weight of the conversation hanging between them. But instead of feeling overwhelming, it felt... manageable. Like they were both on the same page, even if they didn't have all the answers yet.

Wyatt felt a sense of relief wash over him. This was going to take time, but for the first time, he felt like he could handle it. One step at a time. Just like Dylan had said.

"You wanna hit the gym later?" Wyatt asked, shifting the conversation back to something familiar.

Dylan's grin returned, this time more relaxed. "Hell yeah. Let's crush it."

And just like that, things felt a little easier. The tension wasn't gone, but it was manageable. Wyatt wasn't sure where this thing with Dylan would lead, but he knew one thing for sure: he wasn't walking away from it.

Not now. Not ever.