Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73828 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 369(@200wpm)___ 295(@250wpm)___ 246(@300wpm)
Mark gets up and starts toward me. I want to tell him to back off, but at the same time, it’s nice that he’s not ashamed of being seen around me, even though he should be.
“Jeff was catching me up on some stuff about Morgan,” he says, acting as though he hasn’t just violated our big rule. “Evidently, he and that new guy are moving in together now. He moves fast.”
“What are you doing over here?”
“I’m not ashamed of what we’re doing,” he says, his expression serious.
I know he’s been thinking about this for a while because he keeps pressing when we’re alone—keeps trying to get me to fucking come to one of these things with him. I know it wouldn’t be as big of a deal as I make it in my head, but I don’t like the idea of people gossiping about him. About thinking he’s making this horrible life choice by being with me. About telling him what an idiot he is for thinking something could ever work out between us.
“You don’t need your mom barking down your throat about this,” I say, using my only bargaining chip with him right now.
“Who the fuck here is going to blab to her, really?”
“I just saw Greg five minutes ago, and considering he’s the son of your mom’s lawyer, you know it’d get around.”
He rolls his eyes.
“Like I give a flying fuck. Shut up. Just be glad I’m not kissing you right now, okay?”
“I’m not happy about that at all.”
He winks and smiles. He’s come a long way from that night when he felt like shit after Greg tried to win him back.
“I’m about to head out,” I say.
“I’ll walk you out to your bike.”
“Oh, you are just trying to get in trouble now.”
“Maybe.”
“Now come on,” he says. “Let’s go because the sooner we get out there, the sooner I can get my goodbye kiss.”
Goodbye kisses. Something else I’ve grown to appreciate.
Only with Mark.
My bike sits next to the cars in the packed driveway. As we approach it, I hear behind us, “Hey, Tim!”
I turn around and see Brody heading toward us, two guys trailing behind him.
Judging by his wide-eyed expression, these guys have encouraged him to make an introduction to see if maybe they can work up a deal with me. Considering how much money he offered me, I’m amazed he thinks this’ll work.
One of the guys behind him with curly dishwater-blond hair wears a cream-colored long-sleeved shirt, jeans and boat shoes. The guy with him is dressed more fratty—bright blue hoodie, jeans, and Pumas. Both well over six-feet tall, I can tell by their swagger that they’re a little too cocky—the kinds of guys who are used to getting what they want from mommy and daddy.
I don’t say anything. Just stand there as they approach, the guys behind Brody stumbling enough that I suspect they probably already need to call it a night.
“Look,” Brody says, “I told them you didn’t have any on you, but—”
“Come on, man,” the guy in the long-sleeved shirt says. “We can pay triple what your regular guys would pay you. We just want a little for tonight. Even if you take it from your stash for one of your clients, what’s the chance they’ll know?”
“It’s not gonna happen, guys,” I say. “Sorry to be a buzzkill, but you’ll be getting your blow through someone else tonight.”
“Seriously?” the guy in the hoodie asks. “You won’t go for triple for your shit? That’s bullshit. Brody, I think your guy’s got a problem with a little more than what we’re offering.”
He approaches me quickly. In a way I can tell this is going to be trouble.
“What’s wrong with our money?” he asks.
Mark steps between us.
“Mark,” I say. He doesn’t know how guys like this can get. I grab him and start to pull him back, but he pulls away.
“Can we calm down?” he asks.
“I’ll calm the fuck down when your boyfriend gives us some fucking crank, you little faggot.”
Rage swells within me.
Faggot?
Why the fuck did he take it there?
I see red. I want to pound the shit into that stupid face of his, but Mark puts his hand out before me, letting me know that that’s the last thing that needs to happen right now.
I’ll just make the situation worse, and if Mark wasn’t here, I wouldn’t mind, but I’m not putting him in the middle of this bullshit any more than he already is.
“Guys, let’s go back inside,” Brody says.
It’s shitty that he has to deal with this, but he shouldn’t have told them I could hook them up to begin with.
That’s not how this works.
“Come on, Tim,” Mark says. He grabs my jacket and pulls me toward the bike.
“I’m not done talking to you, fairy,” the guy in the hoodie says.
I swing around as he snatches my arm and throws a fist with his other hand.