PEACHES [bws]

27. THE HARD TRUTH

27.

Summer didn't see Brad until lunch and, since Grayson didn't come into uni today because he was ill, that meant Summer was going to see if it is okay if she sits with Brad.

She spots him in the hallway on the way to the canteen and quickly catches up with him, apologising to people she bumped into along the way.

"Hey, Brad."

Brad looks over in surprise, not expecting to see her until he reached the canteen—he wasn't aware of her missing friend today and just assumed that she would be in there, sat with him. He smiles anyway, putting his arm over her shoulder and pulling her close.

"Hey, peaches," he replies. "You alright? Get here okay?"

"Yeah," she nods, opening the door with her arm as they reach the canteen entrance. The smell of food filled the air and it was almost sickly. "Just wondering if I could sit with you today? Gray isn't at uni today and I don't wanna look like a loner."

Brad smiles, honoured she wanted to sit with him. "Course you can sit with me. I'll be with Tristan though, so you gotta keep your hands to yourself."

She rolls her eyes playfully as they reach the table Tristan's already sat at, Brad sitting next to Summer who faces their blonde friend. Noticing the presence of more than one person, Tristan looks up curiously.

"Oh; Hey, baby cakes," he forced a smile for Summer. Tristan had been in an awful mood since he woke up and the situation with Brad that morning certainly only made him more sour. However, Tristan didn't want to be rude to Summer if he were to succeed and make them both friends.

"Hey Tris," she smiles back. "You alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," he says, his eyes flickering to Brad before letting out a small sigh. Brad notices and rolls his eyes.

Tristan didn't get Brad: he told Tristan that he didn't want to be with Summer and they simple 'just fuck', yet will hold her hand under the table or hold her thigh or have some kind of strangely intimate contact every chance he got. He would be over at her house a lot, he'd stay the night, he'd treat her different to the other hookups he had.

Tristan couldn't help but get the idea that Brad was just leading her on, and he didn't want to keep Summer in the dark.

"Don't mind him," Brad says, noticing that Summer was confused about the mild tension between the two friends. "He's just annoyed that I almost didn't pick him up for uni today."

Tristan rolls his eyes, Summer nodding slowly. She knew it was best that she didn't mention that Brad could've picked him up, even if she didn't go to town beforehand. Nonetheless, she didn't want to irritate Tristan anymore than he already, clearly was.

"How're you, anyway?" Tristan asks, changing the subject.

"I'm okay, just tired," she shrugs. "Haven't been sleeping well recently."

She wasn't referring to her late night shenanigans with Brad, she was talking about the fact that she's been stressed out by her exams and upcoming assignments she had due.

"Have you gone to the doctor's about it? Probably should get it checked out and make sure you're okay," Tristan says, acting like a father.

"It's no biggie," Brad interjects, his hand resting on Summer's thigh. He turns to her with a small smirk. "Just need to stop texting me at night and get early nights."

She rolls her eyes playfully. "You wish I spent my nights texting you."

"Yeah, I do," he chuckles, his eyes ghosting over her lips for a second before he looks back at Tristan whose eyebrows were quirked upwards.