"Sick," I corrected. "That's the word you used earlier."
"And he has to be fucked in the head to wanna screw some guy!" Jaxon insisted. "I mean, he could have any woman he wanted."
"Oh, but you men are gross?" I asked. "So, the women at these bars, they should go home together?"
"That's different," Jaxon grumbled. "Women are hot."
"But men aren't," I reminded him. "And believe it or not, some of us like your type. Some of us are into men, but by your logic, we shouldn't let you touch us. We should stay far, far away because 'eww.'"
Which made Jaxon roll his eyes. "That's not what I'm saying, Cody. Women are supposed to like men."
"And if you bring God into this," Jake warned, "I will make sure you fucking regret that. You don't get to ignore the Bible when you want, then use it when it's convenient for you. Don't even try that shit."
"He's just scared," Ty offered. "Probably thinks those two are gonna try to fuck him next, not realizing he's just as disgusting to them as they are to him."
"Fuck off!" Jaxon huffed, shoving out of his chair. "I'm just not ok with him being gay!"
"He!" I yelled. "Is. Not.Gay!" And I turned away, just about done with this. But before leaving, I had to say one more thing. "He's bi. They both are. Know how I know? Because it's hot when I get a pair of men in my bed. Now stop and think about that the next time you jack off to two women, you hypocritical piece of shit. And I hope J.D. makes you pay for betraying him."
"I didn't!" Jaxon tried, but I was already walking away.
I still heard Ty say, "Go. I got this."
But I wasn't slowing down. I wasn't completely sure who he was talking to, me or Jake, but I had a feeling it was the latter. Mostly because I was already going - and I needed one hell of a drink to take the bad taste of that from my mouth.
"Cody?" Jake called when I was nearly across the room, proving me right.
I spun back around. "All day, J.D. was upset about that. All fucking day, Jake! He doesn't trust easily, but those two? Kaleb and Jaxon? He gave them a bit, and Jaxon just trounced all over it!"
"And Ty's making sure that kid knows it," Jake assured me. "I also don't want you to go starting a fight you can't win."
Oh, that was the wrong fucking thing to say. My jaw clenched and my chin lifted. "Oh? Because you think standing up for them isn't worth at leasttrying?"
Jake caught my arm and pulled me a little further away. "Did you miss hearing about me kissing Ty? Well, I promise I didn't do it because Ty's sexy. Now, maybe you liked jumping on his dick, but he's not quite my type."
"Oh, saying I shouldn't have gone there?" I asked.
"Cody!" he barked. "Stop. Please?"
That "please" made the fight drain from me. It wasn't just the word. It was the way he looked at me when he said it. It was how he didn't budge, but he wasn't immediately jumping to my side either. Most of all, it was the way his grey eyes made me feel like he saw me. All of me.
"Sorry," I mumbled.
He shifted a little closer. "By fight, I meant fists. You're tough, but any of these men could probably beat your ass. You also wouldn't be alone, but there are more of them than us. That's the only fight I meant, because changing minds?" And he reached in to cup my face, lifting it a little more. "You are doing amazing at that part."
"Yeah?" I asked.
He nodded, easing his hand away. "Yeah. See, I used to think women couldn't do this. I was convinced it took too much upper body strength - and then you proved me wrong. I thought J.D. was the straightest of all the men here. You made it clear there are other options, and who he fucks has nothing to do with how he acts. I also thought I was riding bulls to make some money, but you made me realize I'm doing this to figure out a hell of a lot more."
"Like?" I asked.
He rocked his head. "My father, and what I want there. It's fucking hard to give up on a life-long dream, you know? But he'sshit, and I don't want that in my life. I also don't want to do that to my mother, a woman I respect ahellof a lot more after seeing the shit you deal with all the time."
"Yeah," I agreed, knowing what he meant.
"But Jaxon?" he continued. "He made his bed. Let him lie in it."
I grunted at that. "Easy for you to say. You didn't see the look on J.D.'s face! You didn't spend all day watching that man - one who I always thought was unstoppable - drag himself through the day. I think he'd be fine if someone else hated him. Fuck, he was expecting it. But one of the guys he'd always thought of as being on his side? Jake, that hurts. That's the kind of pain that cuts deep, ok?"
