“What about James?” Erik asked, lifting the tea bags out of his mug and leaning to drop them in the garbage.
Will didn’t answer for a long time. Emotions flickered in and out of his face as he smoked and thought. “I did it for fun,” he finally said. “I was curious and acting on impulse and it was…convenient. Makes me sound like an asshole but it’s the truth. Judge away.”
“I’m not judging you,” Erik said. “You’re the closest friend I have. And in a weird way, it took Lucky going and James coming to make me see it.”
Will smiled. “Your friendship is one of my havens, Fish.”
“You don’t seem the type to need a haven. You’re the most self-actualized person I know.”
“Am I? I guess I am.” He took a long drag and stubbed out his cigarette. “James is a good guy. In the beginning I dug him on a whole lot of levels. As a collaborator, he’s been key this semester. But damn, he’s a needy fuck.”
“He’s damaged.”
“I don’t do baggage. Everyone has a backpack or a carry-on bag, but James has steamer trunks. I told him from the beginning we had an expiration date. It’s temporary. And he acted fine but I can see now it’s not. I should’ve seen it before but I was in ‘fuck everything’ mode.” Will sighed, putting his forehead into his hand again. “And I think I’m going to have a really big problem on my hands when Lucky comes back, Fish.”
“Will you tell her?”
“We’ve always been honest with each other. Sometimes brutally, but it’s how we work. We didn’t make a vow of fidelity when she left this semester. I probably will tell her, yes. I think I’ll have to because James seems the type to use psychological warfare.”
“You mean he’ll threaten to tell her.”
“Absolutely. And I can put the kibosh on that kind of shit right away.”
“Well,” Erik said, sliding off the counter. “If there’s anything I can do.”
“I own this and I’ll handle it. But accept my apology in advance in case it gets kind of tense next semester.”
“Done.”
“And for the love of God, Fish, if you’re going to swing, do it outside your degree program.”
Erik set his cup in the sink. “Good to know.”
He walked out of the kitchen, but turned back after a few steps. “Listen, maybe this goes without saying but...” He shrugged off self-consciousness. “A lot of times the only things between Daisy and a ten-foot drop to the floor are your hands. And I trust your hands. I trust you. Implicitly. You always got her back. Which means you got mine.”
Will nodded, solemn as a soldier receiving orders. “I won’t drop either of you.”
Erik threw his arms wide. “And dude, I just listened to your boyfriend troubles. How hip was that?”
“You’ll be giving me fashion advice next,” Will muttered, tapping another cigarette from the pack.
“Just out of curiosity, this…” Erik gestured to himself. “Doesn’t do anything for you?”
Will made to get up out of his chair and Erik sprang backwards two feet, laughing. “No, no. Sit. Never mind. Nothing to see here.”
“One,” Will said, holding up a finger, “don’t start what you can’t finish. Two, walk away now so I can look at your ass.”
Erik ran away.
“Even better,” Will yelled after him. “When you run it gets all high and tight. Like a girl’s.”
Cathedral