I hadn’t even had to ask Billy to stay with Henry; he’d simply shown up the past two mornings with coffee in hand for me and juice for his little buddy. But today, there was a group coming in to tour Harmony House before making a decision about a grant and Billy couldn’t miss it.
It was strange how you could live your life a certain way and not notice what was missing until the hole was suddenly filled. And once he was gone again, nothing felt quite right.
“Hey, don’t pout.” I ruffled Henry’s hair and gave him a playful grin. “Uncle Billy needs to help other people too, you know. But I'll be here with you all day, and we can do whatever you want. How does that sound?”
Henry nodded slowly, a little smile creeping onto his face. “Can we build a spaceship?”
“Out of your Lego blocks?”
“Yeah!”
“Sounds like a plan, buddy,” I said, returning his smile.
I spent the day nursing Henry back to full health, doing my best to balance work emails and building the most epic Lego spaceship known to mankind. Henry was as resilient as ever, but I could see the tiredness etching its way back onto his face.
Despite the busyness, my thoughts kept wandering back to Billy. I was unnerved by how much I missed his presence, his help, his comfort. We were friends, close friends, but this felt… different. And I wasn’t sure what to do with these feelings.
4
BILLY
As I pulledinto the driveway, I saw Michael through his living room window. Papers were strewn across the coffee table, and he was hunched over them, a pen clasped tightly in his hand. His face, lit only by the screen of his laptop, looked pale, and his eyes were rimmed with dark circles. The clock on my dashboard read 12:17 a.m., no earlier than yesterday or the day before when I’d driven past on my way home and saw the lights on.
My chest tightened. This couldn't go on.
I climbed out of my Jeep, my boots crunching on the gravel driveway. I marched up to his front door, my determination overcoming any hesitation. The door was unlocked. I walked in, and Michael jumped, looking like a deer caught in headlights.
“Billy? What are you doing here?” he whispered hoarsely.
“Saving you from yourself,” I replied. I moved toward the coffee table, scooping up papers and closing his laptop.
He protested, but there was no conviction in it. His shoulders slumped, and he finally gave in, letting me guide him down the hall to his bedroom.
“You need to sleep,” I said sternly.
He sighed and muttered, “I just have a couple more things to finish up tonight.”
“No. You’re running yourself into the ground. Henry needs you to stay healthy,” I replied. He needed no further convincing as he collapsed onto the bed. I grabbed his ankle and kneeled in front of him, stripping off his socks.
Soft snores filled the room, and I debated whether to let him sleep in his work clothes. It was unusual that he didn’t change as soon as he got home so he’d be ready to play with Henry. For some reason, him not being in comfy clothes irritated me even more.
I hefted him into a seated position, chuckling softly when his head flopped against my chest. Things weren’t nearly as funny when he started rubbing his hands up and down my thighs as he burrowed his face into my stomach.
“Thanks, Billy,” he slurred.
I jumped back, pushing him away when his hands moved around the backs of my thighs and between my legs. “Woah, buddy. Let’s not do anything foolish.”
I quickly unbuttoned the top two buttons on his shirt and yanked it over his head. The undershirt could stay.
“You’re too good to me.” He nuzzled my stomach again, this time pressing his lips just below my sternum. I doubted he even knew what he was doing.
I closed my eyes and offered up a quick prayer as I helped him lay with his head on the pillows. I was committed at this point to helping him get comfortable. That was the story I was sticking with.
I flicked open his khakis, very carefully unzipping them to make sure I didn’t do anything inappropriate, even by accident. He was asleep, and therefore unable to consent.
Where in the fuck did that come from?Michael was my best friend, not someone I wanted to play with. Consent didn’t mean a fucking thing because nothing was going to happen between us.
And then, damn him, Michael’s hips arched off the bed, pressing his semi-erect cock against the back of my hand. He moaned softly as I moved my hands to his waistband.
