Chandler Parsons had just finished pouring himself an afternoon bowl of Cap’n Crunch when he heard his phone ring from its place charging in his bedroom. Setting the bowl on the counter, he jogged over to the source of the ringing. When he picked up the phone and saw the name of the caller, his heart almost stopped.
Jeremy Lin.
It had been a long time since they had talked. In fact, Chandler had changed his number, and he had never given it to Jeremy. That had been somewhat intentional, he admitted now to himself. If Jeremy had no way of contacting him, then perhaps they would never need to confront the unspoken…whatever it was that existed between them. It was a relief that his phone still remembered, anyway; it gave Chandler a fair shot to make an informed decision.
He thought about ignoring the call as the device buzzed happily in his hand. He was happy with his life now. It was a little lonely, sure, but it was secure and predictable. Introducing one part feisty Asian basketball player into the mix would disrupt his carefully maintained balance.
But…there was something more there. And Chandler had always wanted to find out what it was. He answered the call, but played dumb: “You have reached the bodacious abode of one Chandler Parsons, may I ask who is calling?”
“It’s Jeremy.”
Chandler paused, not for effect, but because the sound of that voice had, for the second time, caused his heart to skip. “Jeremy?”
“Yeah, man. It’s been a long time, bro.”
Chandler shakily sat down on the edge of his bed. “It has indeed. What’s up…bro?”
Now it was Jeremy’s turn to pause. Finally, he took a deep breath, the whooshing sound of his sigh causing crackles and hisses in the airwaves. “We need to talk about our last conversation.”
Chandler remembered that one. It had ended with an “I love you.”