William has always kept his distance from his sister Layla's boyfriends-until Colton arrives.
With his charm and easygoing nature, Colton quickly becomes a welcome presence in William's life.
As the two bond over shared interests and late-night co...
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The silence in Colton’s dorm room was unbearable. William sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, his hands clasped together so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Colton sat across from him, perched on the edge of his desk chair, his posture rigid, his expression unreadable. Neither of them seemed to know how to begin.
Finally, Colton broke the stillness, his voice quiet but tinged with a wry edge. “I guess we have to discuss the elephant in the room,” he said, letting out a humorless chuckle.
William looked up, meeting his gaze for just a moment before his eyes darted away again. “Yeah,” he said, barely audible.
But then the silence crept back in, and Colton shifted uncomfortably. “I don’t know, man,” he said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees. “I just—I don’t get it. Why, William? Why did you…?”
He trailed off, leaving the question hanging in the air. William knew exactly what he was asking, but the words refused to come. His chest felt tight, his heart pounding in a way that made him want to run again. Instead, he focused on his hands, his voice strained as he finally forced out, “I didn’t know why I did that.”
It was a lie. A blatant, painful lie.
Colton didn’t buy it. His frown deepened as he studied William’s face. “You didn’t know?”
“No, I—I wasn’t thinking,” William stammered. He felt a lump rise in his throat, but he swallowed it down. “It just… happened.”
Colton exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. “William, come on. I’ve known you for years. You’re not the kind of guy who does things ‘just because.’”
William flinched at the words. They felt too close to the truth. “Look, I don’t know what you want me to say, okay? I’m not—” He stopped himself, the words catching in his throat before he forced them out. “I’m not gay, Colton.”
The room seemed to go colder. The words hung there, brittle and hollow, and Colton leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.
“Alright,” Colton said after a moment, his voice carefully neutral. “If you say so.”
William felt his stomach churn. He knew Colton didn’t believe him, and honestly, he wasn’t sure if he even believed himself. He ran a hand through his hair, his voice strained as he said, “I’m sorry, Colton. I didn’t mean to make things weird between us. You’re—” He hesitated. “You’re like family to me, and I don’t want to mess that up.”
Colton’s eyes softened, and he nodded slowly. “I get it, Will. And for what it’s worth, I don’t want things to be weird either.”
The tension lingered, but it wasn’t as suffocating as before. They sat in awkward silence for a few moments longer before Colton let out a small laugh.
“This is… definitely not how I expected my night to go,” he said, shaking his head.
William managed a weak smile, relief creeping into his chest. “Yeah, same here.”
