For You, I Would (boyxboy)

Chapter 27

The entire next week was incredibly awkward. I knew that I needed to bring things with Nialler to an end. There was also a tiny part of me that was scared to do so. I didn’t know how he would react, and even though I’ve come to the realization that I’m not in love with him, that doesn’t take away the fact that I love him as a best friend and a brother as well.

Luckily for me, the week was hectic. Nialler and I had classes, tons of homework since it was getting closer to midterms, and we both had jobs. Nialler came home late enough for me to already be asleep when he arrived. So that helped things a lot.

Due to my busy schedule, in addition to it meaning I didn’t have time to spend with Nialler, it also meant I didn’t really have time for Ely either. Actually, I had no time. Melissa had me working on some new project, one that required I be present for hours of photo shoots every night this week.

It was tiring work. Early mornings for classes, long afternoons for my job, and then late evenings for my homework. But my wallet definitely wasn’t complaining once I got my paycheck yesterday. I actually felt quite proud that I was juggling so many things as well as I was, plus earning a living. I felt like I was really growing up.

And of course, what was the first thing I thought of after I deposited my check into my bank account? It was Ely. He’d been so great to me, he was my boyfriend, and I really freaking liked him. I figured I should take him out somewhere or at least go do something fun with him. Especially since I’d barely even gotten to speak with him since we became a proper couple.

That would have to wait a few more days, though, because tonight Callum was coming over so we could make a video. Nialler and I were originally supposed to do it together when we had been asked last week. It was to make up for our absence in the group over the last month. But he had changed plans on me the other day. Apparently Harriet asked him to accompany her to some work benefit.

I had cringed at that when Nialler had told me. Not so much because he was going out with Harriet, but mostly because I knew how formal and straight-up boring those functions could be. The work could be fun and everything, but when the bosses of your bosses planned an event, you knew it was serious. And I wasn’t a big fan of serious parties. Actually, I wasn’t much of a fan of any kind of party. They just weren’t my thing.

Either way, Nialler stood me up for Harriet. It wasn’t the first time, and if I were planning on staying with him, I was sure it wouldn’t be the last. Nialler had been nervous when he’d called me to tell me he was canceling. He had kept trying to reassure me that we’d reschedule and do something else some other time. To his delighted surprise, I hadn’t been upset. On the contrary, I had been quite relieved. That meant one extra day to finally man up and settle everything.

“So what do you think?” Callum asked, walking back into my living room. He sat down on the couch next to me and fiddled with the camera in his hands.

I scrolled through the list of questions that Callum had compiled for me in an email on my phone. I hummed lightly as I looked them over for a few more minutes. I sighed and set my phone in my lap. Callum was still adding the final tweaks to the camera’s tiny stand.

“Well?” He didn’t even look at me.

I nodded my head. “They definitely sound promising.”

“Promising? Dude, they’re great. It’ll be really funny,” Callum said. He brought a hand up and scratched at his head. “I’m sure we’ll be able to make a little longer video this time, too, which is really nice.” He paused and set the camera on the coffee table. “I’m thinking at least five minutes. Sound good?”

“Yeah, great.”

Callum stood and walked around the table so he could check the view through the lens. He pushed it around a few times, trying to put it in a perfect spot for lighting while managing to fit us both in the picture. He glanced up at me and raised an eyebrow.