Chapter Two
Rip
I threw my legs around Mars’s hips, then clenched my thighs, pulling him into me. He arched his back and groaned deeply. In the dim fluorescent light of the motel room, I could just barely see the sweat dripping down his chest and the tremble in his bottom lip that told me he was about to come.
“Fuck yeah,” I growled, fisting my cock as he plunged into me over and over again. “Fucking give it to me, Mars.”
All at once, Mars fell forward, landing with a thud against my body as our cocks sprayed jizz. My hole clenched around him with tight spasms, and my load made a sticky puddle between us.
“I love goddamn motel rooms,” he whispered in my ear.
I laughed, then pulled him in for a quick, sweaty kiss. “Nothing like some scratchy sheets and stale air to get you horny.”
We slowly disentangled ourselves, and Mars plodded over to the sink. He filled a tiny plastic cup with water and bolted it quickly, then filled it again to bring it to me. I was always struck by how sexy his skin looked after he fucked. It was like his rich, golden brown tones had a new glow to them and like the dark lines of his tattoos popped against his biceps and chest, crisper than usual.
I was lucky to have a guy like him as my fuck buddy, but even luckier to have him as my best friend.
“I can’t believe I’ll be back in Seattle tomorrow,” I said as I took the glass and gulped it down.
“I’m just glad to skip another Detroit winter,” he said, tossing himself back on the bed. “I’m sorry that your aunt is having a hard time, but I’m glad for the excuse to switch things up.”
“Yeah right,” I teased. “You’re just over Detroit because you’ve already slept with every decent-looking guy in town.”
“And a few others,” he joked back, grabbing his boxers and tugging them on. “But I hear there are a lot of hotties in Seattle. Grunge types. Rock-and-roll badasses. Geeky indie boys.” He pursed his lips, then hummed like he’d just eaten a delicious meal. “Should keep me occupied for the next two years.”
I sat up and rubbed my hand across my beard. With the explosive release of the sex fading, my senses were starting to come back. “Still, I’ll miss Detroit,” I said. “It was good to a couple of runaways, don’t you think?”
“Better than Salt Lake City was,” he said, referencing the city where we’d first met almost a decade ago. We’d both been living on the street at the time, kicked out of the house and fleeing demons from our pasts. Despite the fact that I was only a year older than him, Mars had looked up to me. He’d seen me as stronger, streetwise. I’d learned to get a hustle and pull in some money, and I knew how to flirt my way into a free motel room or scrounge up some quick cash with a scam.
Honestly, in a lot of ways, it was a miracle either of us survived. I was hurt and damaged back then, and I had a self-destructive rampage to show it. I got more than my share of beat-downs after stealing from the wrong guy and spent plenty of nights in jail, too. I’d done things I’d regretted, and hurt people who deserved my kindness. I was a seriously damaged, confused teenager, and I took that pain out on the world.
Then Mars came along, and for some reason, the way he looked up to me made me want to be better. I started making smarter choices—not for my sake, but for his. I guess it was because of how he made me smile. Having Mars around was like having family. Sure, he was a playboy, always looking for another hot hookup and totally incapable of settling down with the same job or boyfriend for more than six months. But that was part of our magic.
I didn’t try to change Mars, and he didn’t try to change me. But together, we were both stronger than we ever were apart. Together we could survive, no matter how shitty of a hand the world dealt us.
Thank god he offered to move to Seattle with me because I had no idea how I could face what was coming on my own.
“You’ll like Seattle,” I said. “I think it’s going to treat you right.”
“Sure,” he said, crawling into the bed beside me. “If you say so, I don’t doubt it.”
“And you’re still good splitting off tomorrow night? Camping still sounds fun?”
Mars laughed as he propped a pillow behind his head. “Sounds fun. Plus, it will give you and your aunt a chance to reconnect and for you to get a sense of how she’s doing before I barge in.” He grabbed the remote, then flipped on the television. “Anyway, I could use a night off from your snoring, buddy.”
I laughed and settled back into the pillows. Mars quickly foundStar Trek, his favorite show, and soon enough, my eyes were drifting shut. I threw my arm over his chest and pulled him a little closer, happy to inhale the familiar scent of my best friend and fell asleep.
* * *
“Rippy!” Aunt Grace laughed, throwing her arms around me. Her arms felt light and bony against my shoulders, and I couldn’t help but notice the bags under her eyes.
Still, despite the wear, there was no doubt it was her. From the flower tattoos on her arm to the gentle sass in her voice, she was the same badass aunt I had always known.
“Let me help with your bag,” she said, stepping aside to let me into her home. Her apartment was on the first floor of a small house, and I had signed the lease for the unit above her when I got word of her nervous breakdown and recent unemployment.
“It’s fine,” I said. “Some of my junk is in the car, and Mars will show up tomorrow with the rest of it in his truck.”
As I stepped into the small living room, I could tell she had prepared for me. The piles of unanswered mail were tidied, and some of the junk she tended to accumulate was carefully placed behind a sofa or shoved in the bookshelf. She had a big cup of black coffee going, and her hair was tied back in an easy ponytail.
