Rowan Cortez
The cafeteria was packed, buzzing with conversations and clattering trays, the usual symphony of student life. It had been too long since I’d had a proper hangout with the guys—too many late nights in the lab and not enough time to breathe. But today was different. I’d made sure to carve out a few hours to catch up with Aiden, Nash, and Louis.
As I pushed through the doors, I spotted them at our usual table near the back. Aiden had his laptop out, no doubt tweaking some code, while Nash and Louis were deep in conversation. A wave of nostalgia hit me as I walked over. These were the guys who’d been with me through it all, and after everything we’d been through—especially with my father—I was relieved we could just sit and talk like we used to.
Aiden looked up first, grinning as I dropped into the chair beside him. “Finally! Thought the NASA project had swallowed you whole.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Not yet, but it’s getting close. I’m drowning in blueprints and logistics.”
“You and Tina still working together on that?” Louis asked, raising an eyebrow. “I hear you two have been spending a lot of time together.”
I shrugged, trying to keep it casual. “Yeah, she’s been helping with some of the more technical stuff. We’re… getting along better than we used to, that’s for sure.”
Nash chuckled, leaning back in his chair. “Getting along, huh? I thought you two were sworn enemies?”
I smirked, knowing they wouldn’t let me off that easily. “Not anymore. We’ve moved past all that. Things are… different now.”
“Different as in, you two are finally realizing there’s more than just rivalry between you?” Aiden teased, nudging me with his elbow.
“Alright, alright,” I said, holding up my hands. “Let’s not make this a thing. We’re figuring things out, that’s all.”
“Hey, man, no judgment,” Nash said, grinning. “It’s good you’re working it out. Speaking of figuring things out, I’ve got my hands full with Grace lately. She’s been killing it with her business projects, and I’m just trying to keep up with my music.”
“How’s that going?” I asked, genuinely curious. Nash had been working hard to get his music career off the ground, and I knew how much it meant to him.
“It’s good,” he said, his tone brightening. “I just dropped a new single, and people are actually responding to it. Grace has been super supportive. She’s got her hands full with school, but she still makes time for my gigs.”
“That’s great, man,” I said, genuinely happy for him. “Sounds like you two have a good balance going.”
“We do,” Nash replied. “It helps that we’ve known each other for so long. It’s easy, you know?”
Aiden grinned, closing his laptop and finally joining the conversation fully. “Easy is good. Lemi and I are the opposite of easy, but in a good way. She’s all over the place with her designs, and I’m just trying to keep up. But man, I wouldn’t change it for anything.”
I smirked. “Yeah, I can’t imagine Lemi being anything close to calm. She’s always got some big project going on.”
“Tell me about it,” Aiden said, shaking his head. “But it’s fun. We’ve been working on her website lately, and she’s a perfectionist, which means I’ve been coding non-stop.”
“You sound like you’re enjoying it,” Louis chimed in with a grin. “You’re lucky you’ve got someone as driven as she is. Sevia’s been the same with her interior design stuff. It’s crazy how focused she gets, and I’m over here just trying to survive dental school.”
“Surviving dental school is no joke,” I said. “You’ve got your hands full too.”
Louis chuckled. “Yeah, but Sevia’s been great. She’s always got my back, even when I’m drowning in textbooks.”
“It’s cool how we’ve all found people who complement us,” Aiden mused, leaning back in his chair. “I didn’t think I’d click with someone like Lemi, but now, I can’t imagine things without her.”
Nash nodded. “Same. I mean, Grace and I have known each other forever, but seeing her grow into who she is now… it’s something else.”
Louis smiled, the kind of smile that said he was content. “Yeah, Sevia and I have been through a lot, but we always come out stronger. It’s nice having that stability, you know?”
I listened to them talk about their relationships, and for a moment, I felt a quiet kind of pride. These guys had been with me through the hardest moments of my life, and now, we were all figuring out our paths, each of us finding our own way.
“Looks like we’re all growing up,” I said, a bit of humor in my voice. “Relationships, careers, the whole thing.”
Aiden grinned. “Who would’ve thought, huh? But it’s good. We’ve all been through enough to know what we want now.”
“And what about you?” Nash asked, his eyes narrowing playfully. “You and Tina going to figure out what you want too?”
I shook my head, laughing. “I don’t know, man. We’re taking things one step at a time.”
“Well, whatever happens, we’ve got your back,” Louis said, clapping me on the shoulder. “Same as always.”
I looked around the table at my best friends, feeling that familiar warmth of belonging. No matter what, these guys would always be there. Through the chaos, the calm, the ups and downs—we had each other’s backs.
“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “Same as always.”
YOU ARE READING
Rivals Redemption
RomanceBook #1 of Dueling Desires Series "...Do you know exactly how gorgeous you are?" he whispered. "I know," I replied, leaning into his ear. "Why else would you want to fuck me if it wasn't for that?" His eyes flashed with desire as I licked his earlo...
