What Happened After

Chapter 29 (Ruesso's POV)

Chapter 29.

Ruesso’s POV

          I had been pacing my dorm room for what felt like hours, and I was sure I was about to wear the carpet thin. Eventually I stopped in my tracks, pulled at my hair in frustration, and fell onto my bed, groaning. I didn’t know what was happening to me, but I knew one thing for sure—I didn’t like it one bit.

          After a few minutes of lying on my back in an attempt to forget everything, there was a knock at my door. Nobody ever knocked on my door, besides that one time Rayn came over with my mom and my siblings. Obviously, I wasn’t quite what you would call the friendly type, and therefore didn’t have many friends at school. Thinking it was just my RA checking up on me again, I sighed, getting up from the bed and heading over to open the door.

          The face that greeted me was probably the last one I expected to see.

          “Taryn?” I asked in disbelief.

          “Hey, man,” he stated, looking around nervously. “Do you mind if I come in? I kind of have to talk to you.” Before I could answer him, he had shifted his way through my door and into my room. He walked past me and sat in my desk chair, looking up at me warily. I decided against throwing him out for violating my personal space, and chose to listen to what he had to say. Clearly, it was important for me to hear.

          “What are you doing here? And how do you even know where I live?”

          “I asked Rayn, and again, I have to talk to you,” he repeated.

          “Well out with it then, what do you have to say?” I was growing irritated, which was kind of silly, considering I wasn’t anywhere near busy when he interrupted me. The only thing I had been doing all day was hating myself and wishing Rayn and I never existed.

          “I have to ask you what your intentions are with Rayn,” he stated. What?

          “What the fuck are you talking about? Intentions? I don’t have any intentions with her. What does that even mean?” I faked an oblivious expression, though I knew damn well what he meant.

          “Let me put this is layman’s terms for ya, big guy,” he started. He went on before I could object to that, “what I’m talking about is what you plan on doing with her—how you plan on proceeding here. Like, for example, when you were planning on telling her you’re in love with her?”

          I kept a stone cold expression through this—which I was pretty proud of myself for, actually—and then replied, icily, “You have no idea what you’re talking about. Look, I was actually kind of busy before you crowded your way in here, so if you don’t mind just leaving…” While speaking, I had walked over to the mini fridge and grabbed a water bottle. In all honesty, it was only to provide me with something to hold so I didn’t wring this kid’s neck.

          “Ruesso, I haven’t known you that long—“ I glared at him. “Okay, so I still don’t really know you at all, but I do know that you’re lying to literally everyone around you. When are you just gonna start being honest with yourself?”

          I fiddled with the cap on the bottle I was holding, and took a swig of water to distract myself. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” I asked when I finally got a hold of myself.

          Taryn stood up out of my chair and slowly walked toward me with an exasperated expression. “Dude! You are IN LOVE with her! Can you not just admit it? Can you not see that literally every person, besides you and Rayn, is fully aware of this? Take a look around, buddy, because you’re not as smart and subtle as you think you are, and neither is she.”