Why You Shouldn't Lend A Bad Boy Your Clothes

Chapter 28

Hunter

"Jules isn't here, loverboy."

"I know," I said, as I leaned across the counter. "Hey, can you fix me two cups of Caramel Macchiato?"

"Oh, I see," Red said with a broad smile plastered across her face. "So you already know his favourite drink. Bonus points for you."

I grinned at her as she began to steam milk.

"Are you guys official now?" she asked over her shoulder.

I hesitated for a second. Jules and I hadn't really been able to talk about it yet, and I didn't know if he was comfortable with telling people. But Red had been one of the first people he had come out to, so that had to count for something, right? I settled on being casual about it and said: "I think so."

She raised a brow at me. "You think so? What's that supposed to mean? Do you like him or not?"

"Of course I do," I said.

"And he obviously likes you too," a deep voice suddenly said. I turned around to see Darryl, Jules' boss and apparently Red's boyfriend, leaning against the counter with his hands deep in his pockets. "The only question is: Are you up for something serious?"

I frowned slightly. Lately, everybody seemed to ask me that because for some reason, everyone was worried that I would suddenly change my mind and break Jules' heart. As if I could ever do that.

Before I could answer, Red chimed in. "I know you have kind of a... history of dumping people before a serious relationship can even begin. You won't do that to Jules, will you?"

"It'd be a little late for that now," I said honestly. "If this was only a temporary thing, I would've ditched him after the first week of him not seeming interested. I wouldn't have stuck around long enough to help him through struggling with his sexuality and I definitely wouldn't have limited everything to kissing and holding hands. This is different."

There was more I could've said; that I felt lightheaded every time I saw him even from afar, that only holding his hand felt better than anything else I had experienced with all those before him. That I would gladly trade one minute with him for every single night with a stranger in my bed. That I could barely sleep at night, knowing that he was only a few houses down the road.

Red and Darryl exchanged a victorious grin before Red schooled her features into a serious expression. "You better not hurt him, loverboy."

Darryl nodded. "Be careful with him."

I had to chuckle as I realized how overprotective of him they actually were. "Since when have you guys adopted Jules?"

"Since his actual parents turned out to be homophobic assholes," Red said and handed me the two cups of Jules' lifeblood.

The smile slid off my face and I thanked her quietly. Once I was in the car, I handed the two cups to Liam, who I was taking to school with me today.

"Why the sour face?" he asked worriedly as he studied me.

My friends were worried about me a lot these days. Since Victoria had started making Jules' life a living hell, they apparently thought I was in desperate need of emotional support. Which I was not; I was too busy worrying about Jules than my own pathetic problems.

Just imagining him alone in his room, with no one to talk to despite his homophobic parents, made me want to throw up. He had been well on the way to accept his sexuality and had started to gain confidence before they had found out. Now he was probably back to zero.