It always came to this. Sitting in the driveway, trying to find some way to unbuckle his seat belt. One more night, that’s all that he had to worry about. That’s all he had to manage. One more night. Sebastian closed his eyes.

Jamie was there today at Barnes and Noble. Tomorrow was the physics test, and Jamie was in Sebastian’s class. The studying went well. The silence walking out to their cars wasn’t unusual. But instead of walking on to his own car, Jamie had stopped at Sebastian’s and sighed.

“Sebastian.”

“Hmm.”

“Sebastian.” He remembered how he had looked up when he felt Jamie’s hand on his shoulder. Looking up, into his face, lined with concern.

“It’s not your fault.” For one tiny moment, Sebastian had dared to believe what Jamie said. That maybe, just maybe…

Then he looked away. “Yeah, I know.”

Jamie thought he wasn’t watching him, but he had seen saw out of the corner of his eye. Had seen as the irritation swept over his face for one tiny second, one brief moment, and was gone. When he spoke again, he was casual. Laughing. “Okay, take care of yourself then, kay Sebastian? See ya later, dreamer.”

Then they were off. And now he was sitting in the driveway, trying to remember why he came back here.

Just one more night.