Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79147 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Hayden curses. “Shit. That sucks. I have a feeling that’s not his whole life, though…I mean, he obviously loves you like a son. As hard as this is, I’m sure it helps to know that you’re there. Someone he loves and trusts.”
I don’t know why that feels so damn good to hear. Why my chest gets full because I already know what Hayden said is true. Still, it’s nice to have someone else see it too. “Yeah, he’d lose his fucking mind if it was anyone else but me. I just want to make him proud, ya know? To give him back some of what he gave to me.”
Hayden looks at me, cocking his head in the cutest fucking way that makes my pulse speed up. “You’re a good man, Cody.”
“Thank you. You are too.” As we finish eating, I realize how easily I told Hayden about Doc when I’d held back from telling Travis earlier. That it feels sort of nice to talk to Hayden in a way I haven’t noticed with anyone else. Like, it doesn’t feel the way it would to tell Travis the same thing.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Hayden asks as he stands and carries his plate to the sink.
“Sure.”
“Okay. Let me go change, and I’ll meet you in bed.”
We could totally watch something on the TV without using the DVD player in my room, but it’s become sort of a habit for us to watch movies in my bed. “Okay,” I reply again. As I watch him walk into his room, the truth comes slamming into me.
I think I have a little crush on Hayden.
Weird.
17
Hayden
The thumping beat of a Lady Gaga-Madonna mash-up fills Pump.
Gary, Derek, and I dance together beside the large-screen TV playing a video of swirling colors—I imagine for the guys who’ve already taken their pill.
Gary has his arms over his head, his cocktail in his hand, smiling and moving to the music. I see a freedom in him that wasn’t there when we used to dance together at bars and clubs. Derek backs his ass up to Gary’s pelvis and starts shouting, “Breed me! Oh, yeah. Just breed me, Superass!” He glances over his shoulder, looking to Gary. “Am I doing it like Travis does?”
“Shut up,” Gary replies, slapping Derek’s ass.
“Again, but a little harder.” Derek whimpers after he says it, and I can’t fight my laugh. “Hayden, come on. Get back there with him. You know what to do.” He winks.
“Whatever,” I say before taking a sip of my drink.
Empty.
“Do you guys need another drink?” I ask.
Gary checks his half-full cocktail. “I’ll wait for Travis to get here before I get another. He had to meet up with Steven to talk shop.”
I look to Derek, who glances between his empty hands and shrugs. “Guess so.”
I head to the bar and order some drinks.
Cody’ll be meeting us here soon. He went out to dinner with some friends. He invited me to come with him, but I’d already made dinner plans with Gary and Derek, and we had a great time at Luigi’s before making our way to Pump.
I’m excited about Cody coming out tonight to hang.
I enjoy the time we spend together—even when we’re just lying in his bed, watching a movie. Last night, we stayed up watching an action film. It would have been easy as fuck for either of us to suck the other off, but there was something nice about being able to watch it without feeling like either of us had any obligation to fuck around. Granted, we weren’t exactly innocent because after poking my side with his finger during part of the movie, he realized I’m ticklish, and he turned it into a game that I was only able to stop by wrestling him off of me. I got a little hard when it happened, but there was no pressure to do anything or uneasiness about what was going on.
It’s just roomies with benefits and fuck, that’s awesome.
I can’t imagine I could get away with this sort of thing with most guys. And being with Cody is helping me heal from being around Lance so long. It’s nice being with someone who doesn’t think about sucking cock as being any more important than having a shot with a friend.
When I return to the dance floor, I give Derek his drink and close my eyes, getting lost in the music with my buddies. I glance around at the crowded bar when I notice a familiar face behind the DJ booth, which is set up on a platform in the corner of the bar.
It’s that DJ who jerked off beside me in the restroom at Mike’s. I recall his name from the card he left me: Sebastian Reaves.
I’ve thought about him a few times since that night, but haven’t had time to schedule anything, but I figured I’d get to it eventually. I decide to go ahead and approach him. That way maybe we can have a real convo before we decide to fuck around.