Page 11 of Open Water
"It's going to bother me."
"Alex. It's dark. Nobody can see you."
"Ican feel it."
I set the cups on the bench and stood up. Grabbed both sides of his jacket. Unzipped it all the way. Rezipped it. Straight. My hands on his chest for a second longer than necessary.
"There. Nice and perfect for my golden boy."
He smirked and shook his head.
"I brought bagels." He held up the paper bag. "From that place on College Street that opens at five."
"You went to College Street at five in the morning?"
"Yeah."
"Because?"
"Because I wanted to see you and I didn't want to show up empty-handed." He said it like it was obvious. Like crossing campus in the dark to buy bagels before dawn was a normal thing that normal people did.
I took the bag. Everything bagel, cream cheese, still warm.Perfect.
We sat. The bench was small and our legs touched. I didn't move mine. Neither did he. It felt good.
"This is so much better than the bagels at the student union," I said with my mouth full.
He smiled.
"I'm surprised you know where a bagel shop is. I assumed you were raised on, like, smoked salmon or whatever your people eat for breakfast."
"Sundays was smoked salmon, yes. Weekdays were poached eggs and discussing which scholarship kids to evict."
I shot him a look. "I knew it."
"My father keeps a list. Alphabetical. You're under M."
I almost choked. Alex watched me cough with a dry expression but underneath I could tell he was pleased he got a laugh out of me.
"You good?"
"Yeah. You're being… I don't know normal."
He took a bite of his bagel, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're a mess."
He tilted his head.
"Your hair is wreck. Your zipper. You have cream cheese on your face. And you're making good jokes."
"I'm always a mess. I'm usually just better at hiding it. And I've decided that I don't give a shit."
I raised my eyebrows. "Swearing too? Bad boy."
"Is that a problem for you?"
"No, I like it. Come here."
