Chapter 29
What the fuck was that? I come out of the bathroom, leaving Arch in there, and I don’t know what came over him. One minute, I have him by the throat; the next, he punches me, then kisses me, then follows me into the fucking shower and, fuck, what the hell is he playing at?
I take a breath and get dressed quickly. I need to get out of this room. I head down to the bar, my mind reeling. I don’t hate the guy, but I actually hate the guy, he makes my blood boil, and he’s not even gay or fucking bi. He’s straight as the day is long. I’ve seen him with the track bunnies draped all over him. He started that short-lived hate campaign against me being gay. I have a Jack and Coke and then another.
A hand presses to my shoulder, and I turn, expecting to see Arch, but it’s Mouse.
“Hey.” He smiles.
“Hey.” I nod back.
He slides into the chair beside me and rests his hand on my leg. I could fuck him, I know I could. I’m wound up enough to. All that went on in the room left me fucking horny, to say the least, but I didn’t want to push Arch too far. I wanted it to go slow for him, so he has time to process everything. I could fuck Mouse again,but I don’t know. It feels different now, like I shouldn’t if Arch wants to go further. I shouldn’t really go fucking another guy.
What the hell am I thinking? Arch is just playing while he’s away from home. He’s not fucking gay. This is going to end so fucking badly. I can see it now, so I turn and smile at Mouse. I don’t owe Arch anything. We’re not together. We’re barely even roommates at the minute.
Mouse’s eyes light up when I turn to acknowledge him, and he gives me a wide smile. “Do you wanna come to my room?”
I shouldn’t, I know I shouldn’t, but my motherfucking balls are bluer than the ocean right now, and my dick likes the idea of throwing Mouse around again. He was a great little fast fuck. I wonder what I could do with a little more time. I smile, and his hand slides up my leg. I glance down at it. A cough rings out through the room.
Arch
Chapter 30
When I come out of the bathroom, he’s gone, and that just makes me more confused. I start to overthink. Maybe I wasn’t good enough, maybe he didn’t like it, that’s why he didn’t push for more, maybe he didn’t like me. We’ve had little disagreements, but surely he doesn’t hate me. I mean, he brought me home from the bar that night and helped me the next day. I just want more.
I throw some clothes on and head downstairs. He can’t have gone far. When I walk into the bar, he’s sitting there. I watch as Mouse joins him and touches his leg, and I seethe at that. I clench my fists at my side and grit my teeth, but the second Ryder turns and smiles, I can’t help myself. The jealousy rises up, and I storm over. Did what we do mean fucking nothing to him?
I cough from behind them, arms crossed, glaring at them both, and when they both turn to look at me, Ryder cocks a brow, and Mouse just looks at me with a blank expression.
We’re silent, having a weird, three-way stare-off until Mouse says, “Did you want something?”
I glance between them both and then glare at Ryder. He turns on his chair and crosses his arms, waiting for my reply. I try and hold it together till hesmirks, and I lose it. I drop my arms and clench my fists, and I’m just about to scream at them when Ryder stands up, making me step back a little. “Maybe you should go back up to the room. You look tired.”
“I’m not fucking tired,” I snap at him, and he smirks again and sits back down.
“What do you want?” Mouse asks again. “We have plans, so if you don’t want anything, we're gonna go.”
My eyes bug out of my head. “Plans?” I spit. “Go?” I bark out. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?” I step closer. “Ryder?” My voice breaks on his name, and I stutter a breath before turning and running out of there and back to my room.
Ryder
Chapter 31
The way he said my name, the break in his voice, does something to me, and as he stutters a breath, then turns and runs out of there, I feel fucking awful. “Ready?” Mouse says, totally oblivious to the inner turmoil this whole interaction has caused.
“Sorry, Mouse. I should really go after him.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s the right thing to do.” I stand and leave.
Taking a deep breath as I push through the door. I can hear him sobbing on the bed, and I feel terrible. I know I shouldn’t have agreed to go back with Mouse, but I didn’t actually do anything, and we’re not together and… “Hey.” I step closer. “You okay?”
“What do you care?” He sniffles.
“Hey, don’t be like that.”
He turns on the bed and pushes up to face me. “Be like what?” he snaps.
