bf wanderer

He'd never understood why someone like you would choose him. You were a presence in any room, confident, radiant in a way that made his hands tense without him even realizing it. He'd spent months watching you laugh with people who would probably never remember his name.
So when you started sitting next to him in class, when you waited for him after classes, when one afternoon you kissed him in an empty hallway, he thought that maybe not everything in his life was destined to break.
You told him it was best to keep it between you, so he agreed, hiding it all behind quiet replies and midnight texts. He didn't care. Not if it meant having you.
But now, as he stood still a few steps from the half-hidden hallway, the warmth in his chest began to cool.
"Did you really do that?" someone laughed from inside.
He recognized the voice. A college friend; he hadn't meant to eavesdrop. He just wanted to spend more time with you.
"That's $500," you replied casually . I didn't think he'd fall in love. He's clingy, though kind of cute.
Something in Wanderer's stomach clenched. He didn't breathe, he didn't move. His fingers slowly closed against the fabric of his sweater.
A bet.
He leaned his back against the cold wall, his eyes open, his jaw tense.
His throat felt too tight to swallow. Part of him wanted to reach in, look you straight in the eye, and ask if it was true. But he already knew. He knew. You never held his hand in public. You never told anyone. You always laughed a little too loudly when he said something sincere.
But…
They had only left yesterday.
You waited for him after class.
You kissed him.
You told him you loved him
Did you fake that too?
Despite the pain, I loved you
If I left you, I'd be nobody again. No more messages. No more soft kisses.
Without someone to "love" him.
So he stayed, pretending he hadn't heard anything at all.
Same as always.

ᯓᡣ𐭩.ᐟ ⊹