Friends, Lovers, or Nothing

Chapter Twenty-One - Wheel

Two weeks pass in the blink of an eye, Jaxon and I back to our normal routine of hanging out and kissing each other goodnight but still not labeling what the hell we were doing. It was both fun and infuriating all at once.

I hadn't asked him about Shauna again, figuring he'd talk to me about it when he was ready. Or maybe it was truly not that big a deal and I had been making it all up in my head. Either way, I was trying to act like it wasn't bothering me when in reality it was constantly on my mind. But I was dealing with it by making myself busy.

Like picking up extra shifts at Pavement, as I was doing today. I had never worked a Tuesday or a morning shift but I was desperate to get out of the house before my class later in the day.

I immediately busy myself with the pile of dirty dishes the closers must have left last night upon arrival until I hear the swinging door to the back area whip open.

"Look who it is!" I turn my head towards the door, already knowing who I'll find standing there.

"Hey, Hudson," I say, giving him a small smile, turning back to the job at hand. I hadn't seen Hudson in well over a month and that thought makes me sad. Even if he hadn't been interested in me he was still a fun time to be around. I should have texted him at some point.

"And I thought you didn't do the morning shift?" he asks.

I shrug my shoulders in response, "Decided to pick up some extra shifts this week," I tell him, leaving out the deeper reasoning behind it.

Hudson nods his head in approval, "I feel that. You know how much I still owe for my room at the frat? Too fucking much," he says, causing me to raise my eyebrows at him.

"Wait, I thought freshman couldn't live at the frat?" I ask him. Hudson stares at me for a few seconds before breaking out into a fit of laughter.

"I'm a junior, Blake," he says, his own eyebrows now raised.

I give him a confused look, but I recover quickly, shaking my head a few times like I'm thinking it over.

"I don't know why I thought that."

My mind drifts off for a moment, but I catch myself before I let my thoughts wander too far.

"No ones really here yet, and four hands are faster than two," he smiles down at me, which I return.

"Thanks, Hudson. And I'm sorry we haven't talked in so long, I should have texted you to meet up at some point, that's my bad."

"Hey, the phone works both ways. Let's blame it on the late October lull that happens every year right before midterms. I swear it throws everyone off pace for a while," he tells me mater-o-factly.

"Yeah let's go with that," I laugh him off, "So, what's new in the world of Hudson?"

"Oh you know, school obligations mixed with work obligations mixed with frat obligations has basically left me zero time for fun non-obligations, but I'm getting by I guess," I give him a knowing look, "How about you?" He asks.

Did I come up with some bullshit answer or did I tell him the truth? Hudson seemed to be trustworthy enough,"Well I think I'm dating my roommate but I don't remember if it was him or me who didn't want to put a label on it if I'm being honest so I don't even know what we are at this point I guess," I say, putting it all out there.

"Ahh, so you caught feelings?" I whip my head in Hudson's direction, immediately making a disapproving face at him.

"What makes you say that?" I ask him.

Hudson continues to scrub the exterior of a pan as he answers, "Let me guess, you originally told him you didn't want to put a label on things or move too fast, so Jax is doing everything in his power to give you what you want yet somehow it's not what you want anymore?"

I consider his words for a moment before answering, "How'd you know it was Jaxon?" I ask and Hudson lets out a loud pfff sound.

"He's your roommate, isn't he? Plus I've seen you two together at the frat a couple of times looking pretty cozy. Aside from the one time he saw us dancing together and totally freaked out."

I stare at him, "You know about that?" I ask him, disbelief present in my tone.

He gives me another look that says really? in return, "Of course I know about that, I saw him with my own two eyes. He looked like a jealous boyfriend, I was almost scared for a second but then he just walked away."

I think back to that night, heat rushing its way into my checks, which does not stay unbeknownst to Hudson, "What?" is all he says, suspicion lacing his features.

"I just... I kinda had a crush on you when we first met, that's all."

Hudsons eyes widen, "But you know I'm-"

"Gay?" I finish the sentence for him, "Well aware of that fact now, but not so much before."

Hudson nods his head up and down a few times, as if he's deeply thinking about something, "I get it, Blake, I guess I'm just so hard to resist that even the ladies can't seem to stay away."

I grab the cloth towel sitting on the countertop next to the sink and use it to whack Hudson on the shoulder, "Hey!" He says, now holding his shoulder and laughing, "I'm sorry, I'll stop, I'll stop. But seriously, you didn't know I was gay?"

"It's not like you told me!"

"I've just never thought it wasn't obvious from an outsider's perspective until this very moment actually," and now we're both laughing.

Hudson and I continue to do the dishes and chat, eventually moving the conversation upfront once the customers start rolling in. The two of us worked together almost as well as me and Kenz and for that I was grateful.

At around noon, right before Hudson and I were about to clock out, I feel a buzz from my back pocket where my cell phone resides.

I reach for it and immediately notice an unfamiliar caller id but I against my better judgment I answer anyways.

"Hello?"

"Blake?" Says a small voice on the other line, so quiet I could barely hear it.

"Yes? Who's this?" I ask. Hudson stood next to me giving me a face, which I return.

"It's Eliza," my pulse immediately picks up speed. Eliza was calling me at noon on a Tuesday?

I hadn't seen Eliza since our first official meeting at the office two weeks ago due to a delay in getting my records to Mr. Milton. I had thought it would be like pulling teeth to get Eliza to talk to me again, but here she was calling me on the phone.

"Can you come to pick me up at school? I'm getting suspended."

And there was the kicker.

~

BEFORE YOU GET MAD THAT THE CHAPTER WAS SO SHORT, I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT: I'll be going away for a week starting on Sunday, so I figured instead of ghosting for a whole week and posting nothing I'm gonna split the next two chapters into halves. So yes, they will be shorter chapters, however this way you won't have a week of no updates at all. I hope this is okay! For all updates regarding this story, I encourage you to follow my twitter, @lovelylikelaura, I always post if a chapter is going to be delayed. I love you guys, thanks for reading <3