“Is Leo always like that, by the way?”
“Like what?”
“A little cocky, but also, like, a little nervous? It’s hard to explain.”
Kai considered it. “A little cocky, yes, but don’t worry, he’s never an asshole. You’ll see. Especially when he’s at work, he’s just got a lot of energy and focus. I don’t know about nervous, though.”
“Maybe I’m still getting used to his office energy.”
“He’s chill when we’re at home. And if you ever want to play his Nintendo Switch with him, he’ll love you forever.”
I laughed and slunk back into the booth. “If I’ve made it this far past high school without playing any new videogames, I doubt I’m going to start now. But good to know.” I caught a concerned look in Kai’s eye, then hurried to add more, not wanting him to think I was dissing his best friend. “I’m excited to get to know him. I know he’s a big part of your life.”
“Yeah,” he said and relaxed into a smile. “And I know that my life and your life have gone in really different directions, but I’m excited for you to get to know some of my people, even if all of yours are in Europe.”
I smiled back. I always carried some guilt about leaving the country like I did and splitting off from Kai, but I hoped this time could be a chance to make up for some of that.
If it took giving up on love for a while to make it happen, the tradeoff definitely seemed worthwhile.
Chapter Five
Leo
Haveyou ever tried specifically to not think about something when you jerked off?
I remembered it from when I was a teenager and still denying the fact that I was gay. I’d try desperately not to think about guys and sweaty muscles and hot asses, and I’d always fail.
Not thinking about something was really, really difficult.
Especially when the someone you were trying not to think about was sleeping across the hall and regularly walking around with his bare, beautiful chest out in the morning.
As I jerked off that evening, I almost made it, too. But when I fisted my sheet and shot my load, the orgasm blinded me, and the only thing I could see was River’s body, splayed out in naked climax across my bed.
Close enough. I cleaned myself up and took a minute to tidy the room and tuck the grey sheets neatly under the mattress. Ever since college, so long as my bedroom was neat and orderly, I felt like I could focus on whatever chaos came my way in the rest of the world.
It was Thursday evening, and I had plans with Shawn and Cass, my brother and my high school bestie who got engaged to each other last winter, so I changed into a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt and hurried toward the door. Before I got out of the place, though, River walked in the condo. He wore a purple shirt with a wide, round collar that hung loosely off his shoulders, and my eyes caught on his exposed clavicle, which made this perfect line.
“Oh, hey,” he said, then fingered the silver chain that hung around his neck. “How’s it going, Leo?”
“Pretty good,” I answered, mustering all my power to act normal.
Stop thinking about him naked in your bed.
I swallowed. “What are you up to?”
“I just went for a walk, explored the neighborhood a little. It’s so nice. I could have spent all day in that park.”
“Frick Park,” I agreed. “I jog there. It’s the best.”
River lingered by the doorway. He had a sway to his hips as he rocked his weight from side to side. I couldn’t tell if he was just relaxed from the walk or preparing to hurry away from me.
All I knew for sure was that way he slung those hips was hypnotizing.
“What about you?” he asked. “Are you heading out?”
“Just to meet my brother and my friend for a drink down the street,” I said. I paused for a second, my eyes on his fascinating face and the high angle of his cheekbones, and thought about the fact that he didn’t know anyone in the city. Before I could help it, I started talking again. “You should join us, maybe make some new friends.”
River’s face twisted, his lips quirking to the side and his brow furrowing. “I don’t think I can. Kai is in for the night. I should let you go and have fun with your friends.”
