Nick slipped out of the car, collected his bike from the back, and walked up to the house without a look back. Oliver watched him the whole way.
He had a problem, and not an insignificant one.
If this was Nick’s idea of casual sex, Oliver was going to be screwed when it came time to let him go.
11
The next week started out as one of the best in a long time. Nick saw Oliver on Sunday, and the sex was as good as it had been the morning of their run. He ignored the look Anya gave him as he came back home after lunchtime.
“Where did you go?”
“Lumber yard.”
“For three hours?”
He nearly told her to stop bugging him, but if Nick let his emotions fuel his words, he’d wind up sounding like Hayden. Except Hayden was on a short leash, whereas for Nick’s good behavior, he’d been rewarded with Oliver’s careful attention, including his hands on Nick’s body and his mouth sucking Nick’s brains out through his dick. Nick had brought his uniform. The awkward feeling from the day before, stuffing it into a duffle bag at work and trying to convince himself no one noticed he’d changed his routine, had totally been worth it to see the need in Oliver’s eyes when he undid the flat blue buttons of Nick’s shirt.
Nick’s fast start to the week ended abruptly on Monday when Hayden was late coming home from school again, this time with a bruise under his eye slowly turning purple. He still hadn’t been able to give a reason for his lateness or the black eye, other than that he’d slipped and banged his face. No one, familial or correctional, bought that excuse, so now he was no longer allowed to ride the school bus home. Either Anya or Nick had to pick him up right after classes let out, and Hayden was required to check in with the probation officer as soon as he was in the car. The new requirement wasn’t easy for anyone.
“Why are you like this?” Anya said, hands in her hair.
“Like what? Why don’t you leave me alone if this is such a problem?”
“Leave you alone? So you can go to jail? Is that what you want?”
Hayden rolled his eyes and slumped off to his bedroom. Nick held Anya while she cried.
“I don’t understand.”
“I know.”
“I’m so glad you’re here.” She gave him a watery smile.
Nick swallowed down the lump in his throat. Lately, he hadn’t been around as much as he should. Too busy hooking up with Oliver and pretending everything else was fine.
“It’ll be okay,” he lied.
Anya hugged him tighter. “If it were just the two of us, I don’t know what would have happened. He needs you. I need you.”
One of Oliver’s texts said the same thing.
I need you.
It had been part of a series of messages sent in the middle of night, something they were doing more and more often while Nick ate his dinner and Oliver did—well, while Oliver was in bed.
I need you so much.
Oliver’s message filled Nick with desire. Anya’s words filled him with dread. He hated himself for that. He still hadn’t told her about Oliver. Who knew how long this thing they were doing would keep going? No sense in making Anya worry he was any less committed to Hayden and their little family arrangement. He was home when he needed to be and had promised to pick up Hayden most of the time after school. What he did in the little free time he had was no one’s business but his.
Except Brian apparently missed that memo. Again.
“Did you and Oliver get together again?” Brian asked at work.
“Jesus, would you back off?” Nick snapped before he could stop himself, and Brian blanched. Nick’s phone buzzed in his pocket, probably a text from Oliver asking when his break would be. Tonight, for once, it felt like extra pressure he didn’t need.
“Sorry,” Brian said, moving away from Nick’s workstation. “I didn’t mean to pry.”
Nick sighed. The phone buzzed again, and he turned it off. “It’s fine. Sorry.”
