Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Sweet, unbelievable relief.
“I’m glad you came tonight,” he says, his look suggesting the pun was intentional.
He cups my face with his hand, stroking his thumb across my cheek. It’s a gentle move—gentler than most of the things we’ve done. And he pulls his hand away quickly, as if he realized what he did totally went against everything we agreed to make this about.
But I didn’t feel all that bad about him doing it. If he’d left his hand there, I wouldn’t have said anything. Would have enjoyed it a lot more than I want to admit.
15
MARK
I sit on a couch at Brody’s next to my buds Sean and Danny. We study together in the library every day after school, before I head to work. When I have a free night on the weekend and Tim’s busy with his runs, I go to parties with them and get hammered. They’re primarily who I’ve hung out with since my breakup with Greg and Morgan.
“Shots!” Keith says as he approaches us and hands us the glasses. He squeezes between me and Sean, making a spot for himself.
We down the shots immediately. Tequila. Not my favorite, but tonight’s about getting trashed with my buddies. I want to forget the fundraiser ever happened. Want to push it as far back in my head as possible.
Not the good parts. Just the other stuff.
Tim had to work tonight, but he arrived shortly after me and my friends. Making his rounds to some guys who happen to be at this house party, I assume.
Sean pulls out his e-cig, which he uses exclusively for weed, and takes a drag before passing it to Keith.
I turn and see Tim standing in the corner, making an exchange with some guys I’ve seen around campus.
There’s something fun about doing this in secret, but it’s also kind of sad. I want to get to know Tim better. I actually enjoy being around him, and even though we just fucked at Mom’s fundraiser, I was glad he was there. He made the night that much easier to handle.
I don’t know why I set my hand on his face. It was just there, and so beautiful. Probably because I’m starting to see us as something more than we are. I don’t even know the guy, so that’s stupid, but I think spending all this time together when we’re hooking up is confusing me…making some part of me think there’s more here than there is.
Tim turns and catches me looking at him.
It’s too late for me to turn away. I expect him to ignore me, but he offers a smile and a wave. The expression on his face suggests he realizes that, at this point, it’s a little silly for each of us to pretend the other doesn’t exist, and I’m relieved.
“Hey, man,” a familiar voice says.
I turn and see Greg standing over me, wearing a hoodie, the impressive muscles he spends all his time at the gym working on stretching the sleeves. Those muscles are even bulkier than normal. Probably something he’s working on now that he’s looking to ensnare a new man.
The soft lighting of the lamp-lit room casts shadows across his cheeks and fills his eyes with a sparkle, reminding me of the first time we met at one of Mom’s speaking engagements. I was hypnotized by those beautiful eyes.
God, what a fucking idiot I was.
“Can we talk?” he asks.
“What’s there to talk about?”
“Come on. Please.”
I need to have a few more drinks in me to have this conversation. I know that. But I owe it, not to him, but to myself. I need closure. I never got that. When I sent Morgan a text and heard a beep only to discover Morgan’s phone in Greg’s bed, I totally lost my shit. After reading through the series of text exchanges between them—the ones that explained the rest—I said my piece and stormed out the door, without getting anything more than that. But I deserved more.
“Sure. Why not?” I say.
I follow behind him, and as Tim glances my way, I make a talking motion with my hand so he’ll know I’m not being shady about anything. I don’t know why. It wouldn’t be any of his business if I decided to fuck Greg tonight. We’ve never said that isn’t okay, but I wouldn’t want him to think that. Because at this point, if I found out about a guy he was fucking behind my back, I wouldn’t be cool about it. Even though I know that’s very likely.
Greg guides me upstairs to an empty room and closes the door.
I make myself comfortable on the queen-sized bed that takes up most of the room. His eyes shift about uneasily.
“You kind of never let me apologize for what happened,” he says.
“So it’s my fault for not letting you apologize?” I consider leaving because of how stupidly he worded that.