Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82250 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 411(@200wpm)___ 329(@250wpm)___ 274(@300wpm)
My phone vibrates against my thigh. I pull it out of my pocket. I have my favorite tight, gray swimming shorts on beneath them for luck.
It doesn’t surprise me to see my brother Malcolm’s name on the screen. I’m pretty sure I’ll hear from Martin, the youngest Waller boy, at some point as well. My gut twists into a knot that I honestly could do without right now. The last thing I need is to stress myself out even more.
Running my finger across the screen, I read Malcolm’s text: I’m sorry.
I close my eyes and think about the family getting together to celebrate Mom’s birthday. They’ll go to lunch, or maybe have a houseful of Mom and Dad’s friends over, who they’ll talk badly about afterward. It’s such a fucked-up situation, the way they treat other people and look down on them, yet feel like something is wrong with me. There’s not. I know there’s not, so fuck them if they can’t see that.
Don’t be. I’m sure I’ll have more fun today than you will, I reply.
What are you doing?
Malcolm and Martin don’t know I’m meeting with an investor. There isn’t a doubt in my mind my brothers will try to give me the money to get my own space, but I don’t want it because even though they both have their own careers, their money is still attached to Mom and Malcolm Senior. It paid for their college educations. They each got inheritances at twenty-three. Everything I have, I earned for myself.
Pool party, I tell him, which isn’t a lie, then I shove my phone into my pocket, and damned if someone isn’t at my door.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I mumble. I have an hour until I have to meet with Steven, and apparently no one will leave me alone before then.
When the door pushes open, I know who it is. I fall to the couch, force my legs to chill out, and say, “What do you want, Cody?”
He lives in the unit next door to me and is the only person at Metropolis I can honestly say is a good friend. Everyone is fun, nice to say hi to in the hallway or party with at Flirt, but Cody is different. The motherfucker forced his way into my life, and I haven’t been able to get him out since.
“Are you nervous?”
“No,” I lie.
“Would you tell me if you were?”
See? The bastard knows me too well. “Of course. You know I tell you everything. I can’t wait to see you so I can give you a rundown on my day-to-day life.”
He pushes a hand through the red waves on the top of his head and sits next to me. “One, you’re a liar because two, you didn’t tell me you fucked George from South Tower.”
Ha! I’m not the only one who fucked up his name. “Gary. And I didn’t fuck him. I fucked Jacob—are people saying I fucked Gary?”
“Do you know where we live and the places we frequent?” Cody asks, and I drop my head against the back of the couch.
“Damn it.” Not that I give a shit what people say about me, but I believe Gary might.
“I heard it at the gym. Some guy named Peter was there. I don’t know him, but I’ve heard about him, and I’ve seen him around. Apparently he’s Gary’s ex, and he was sort of losing his mind over the fact that you and Gary slept together.”
“Fuck him.” I roll my eyes. “He cheated on Gary with Evan for years, and then moved in with him. He doesn’t get to say shit about who Gary gets down with. Evan’s probably nearing his expiration date, so he’s jealous Gary’s getting new dick.”
“Because everyone wants you,” Cody teases me.
I nudge his arm. “Of course.” My nerves hit me again, and I let out a deep breath. “I can’t deal with this shit right now. I hate gossip.”
Cody drops his head to my shoulder. “You know…it would be okay if you were nervous, T.”
I shrug, moving his head. “But I’m not. I’ll be fine. If it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.” Please fucking happen.
“Mr. Macho gay man who doesn’t talk about his feelings. That’s why you have all the boys begging for your cock. Sexy, slightly brooding but also sarcastic and outgoing. You’re like the trifecta. Good thing I’m immune to you.”
Even though I try to fight it, a smile pulls at my lips. “You said four qualities, not three, and you even missed a few: muscular, vers, and the ability to deep throat like a fucking champ.”
“Oh, God. I remember. That’s the only thing I hate about being your friend.”
Cody and I hooked up once a few months after he’d moved in next door. It was fun. I try not to deny myself things I’ll enjoy. I spent too many years doing that, too many years denying myself or hiding who I was or what I wanted. But with Cody, it had been awkward the next day. That’s when I realized that somehow in the months leading up to the hookup, we’d become good friends, and there was no attraction. Don’t get me wrong, Cody is fucking beautiful—soft features, all sinewy and flexible, with killer blue eyes he knows how to use to his advantage. But the physical attraction for him just isn’t there.