Page 21 of Angel

Just in case I want to go gay for pay.

CHAPTER

SEVEN

RHYS

A part of me feels terrible for bringing it up again. But another part of me—the devilish counterpart to Angel’s… well, angel—is having a fucking field day.

I cannot believe Angel’s been watching videos on The Camboy Network website. There’s only one reason why he would be doing that, right? Well, maybe two reasons. But both of them are like, whoa, what the actual fuck?!

Either Angel’s seriously considering the whole gay-for-pay thing and is conducting some “research”, or Angel is not as straight as he claims to be.

Please. No straight boy takes the initiative to dig up our website and watch not just one, but several videos. No straight boy has a favorite video.

Hayden pokes me with his toes. “Are you messaging Teddy Bear?”

I poke him back. We’re on opposites ends of the couch. Hayden’s laid out on his side, watching TV, and I’m curled up in a ball with my phone an inch from my face.

“Maybe.”

“You definitely are. You’re smiling so hard, I’m surprised your face hasn’t broken.”

“Shut up. I’m not smiling.” Except I totally am. If I wasn’t having this conversation with Angel in real time, I wouldn’t believe it was real. He doesn’t know what a peach emoji means. Or an eggplant emoji for that matter. It’s so sweet I think I’m developing cavities.

Teddy Bear

Thanks.

I wait a moment for another message to come through, but there’s nothing. Fuck. Did I push too hard? Come on too strong? Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up at all. I was trying for a teasing tone, but that doesn’t always come across very well over texts.

Shit. Fuck. I’m typing an apology when another message finally pops up.

Teddy Bear

I’m still not sure how I feel about all that.

My thumbs hover above my screen.

He’s not sure how he feels. Which isn’t an outright rejection. Which means there’s a chance he might actually be interested.

Oh my god, can I talk him into it? Should I talk him into it? I can be very persuasive, but being an enabler doesn’t feel quite right when it comes to porn. It’s something a person needs to decide for themselves because once it’s on the internet, it’ll be impossible to take down. There’s no going back.

Rhys

Did you want to talk about it?

My message appears in the thread, then three seconds later, my phone starts ringing. I almost drop the thing—no one but Mom ever calls me. That’s such a weird, old-person thing to do.

But it’s not Mom. It’s Angel. Why the fuck is he calling me?

Oh shit. Did he think my message was an invitation to actually talk? Like, with our mouths?

I jump to my feet, holding my phone away from me like it’s a bomb I don’t know what to do with.

Hayden’s gaze flits to me, otherwise he doesn’t move a muscle. “Everything okay?”

“Uh… I don’t know?”

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