“You’re heading home this weekend?” Mal, my best friend, asks as he begins to lift two dumbbells, straining his already straining muscles. He’s a big dude, about my size, with dark brown hair matching his eyes and tattoos covering his arms. He looks like he’s from a motorcycle club when in fact, he was raised in a middle-class home with a mother who is an elementary school teacher and a father who likes to garden.
His life growing up was relatively average compared to mine.
Mine was a shit-show in the best possible way.
It’s my first day back in the gym since getting sick. I’d felt too weak to do anything but lie down and go for short walks until today.
But enough is enough. It’s time to get back to my life.
“Can’t escape it. I’ve been summoned,” I say from the bench. My arms are screaming at me for skipping an entire week.
“Your family’s wild, man.”
“Don’t remind me. You coming with me?”
“Nah, next time. I have plans with Bree this weekend.”
“Sem’ll be disappointed,” I tell him, and he shrugs.
“He’ll live. I just saw him two days ago. Broke into my apartment and was chillin’ on my bed and watching a movie.”
“Yeah?” I ask, knowing that the two of them grew close last year when my mom passed but didn’t realize how often they actually hung out. My family had really pulled through for me when I was grieving, and Mal stepped up. At the end of my mom's life, he’d practically moved in with my aunt and uncle and took charge of all the funeral arrangements for me.
I couldn’t ask for a better best friend.
“Yeah, he’s a needy asshole,” he smirks, and I force a smile because apparently, that’s a trait that runs in our family.
I’m feeling a little needy myself.
I should probably get laid soon.
Preferably today.
“You taking Whit with you still?” Mal asks, and I sigh, moving to do sit-ups.
“No clue. Haven’t had a chance to talk to him. It would be easier if he didn’t come, to be honest. It’ll just fan the flames if he does.”
“Sem couldn’t shut up about it,” Mal tells me, and I roll my eyes.
“Oh, for fucks sake.”
“He said how cute you two were. And I have to admit, man. You twowerecute together.”
“Oh, shut up,” I grit through my teeth as I begin a set of crunches.
“You were all over him, and he looked like he waslovingit.”
“Okay, asshole. Whatever. He’s harder to read than an Egyptian hieroglyph. That’s how I know you’re so full of it.”
Mal chuckles and then sets his weights down. “I am, but he didn’t look miserable holding you, that’s for sure. Probably why Sem and everyone thinks you’re together.”
“Despite telling them otherwise.”
“You know how they get.”
“Yeah, I do.”
We’re silent for a while, and then Mal asks, “So you into him?”