Page 160 of Finding Delaware

Right. And there’s that. He caught us making out last night.

“So, you and Matt, huh?” I counter, narrowing my gaze. I’ve never brought up what I saw that night at the Prospector, but if he wants to go there, we’ll go there.

He shrugs a leather-clad shoulder before glancing away, sweat dripping from his brow. I don’t know how he always wears that jacket, especially in this heat.

“Not anymore.” Swallowing hard, Xed keeps his voice low as he stares at the ground. “He wants to try and work on things with Valerie, even though it’s never worked before. Guess he thinks he owes it to Hannah to have her mother in her life. I’m not enough.”

“That’s...” I trail off momentarily, glancing at Matty’s broad back, unsure what to say. Being a father is something I have no experience in, nor do I think I ever will. But still. Something about the situation feels so wrong. “I know I haven’t been around long, but from what I can see and what Taylor’s told me, you’ve practically been another parent to Hannah. She’s lucky to have you.”

“For now. I’m really going to miss her. Miss him. It’s not fair.” Xed’s eyes are also on Matt, shining under the midday sun with unshed tears, and I clear my throat against a swell of emotion.

“This probably doesn’t make it any better, but Taylor might be in the same boat as you come August. I don’t know if this is just a summer fling or not.”

That surprises him, his brows rising. “And does he know that? How long have you two been a thing?”

“It’s...complicated.” My attention shifts forward when Arya shrieks in delight, Taylor tossing her over his shoulder as he laughs. Seeing them get along is new. “Our history goes back to the eighth grade, with bits and pieces in high school. We didn’t officially start anything until a month ago. There’s a lot of shit between us that we’re still working out. And you know how Taylor is, how much he needs to touch and be touched. I don’t think forcing him into a long-distance relationship is fair, but I can’t ask him to wait.”

“Is it forced, though, if he agrees to it?”

Sighing wearily, I shake my head. “I don’t know. It feels like it is. He already waited so long for me to pull my head out of my ass while I was in California, and this just feels like going backwards. Relationships are supposed to move forward.”

“You’re going into the NFL, and he’s working on his motocross career,” Xed scoffs. “That’s the definition of moving forward.”

Yeah. It is. I’m just worried we won’t be able to do it together. Because even though we’re new to this, I’ve come to understand that Taylor needs someone he can feel in his life. And no matter how you slice it, loving someone from a distance goes against his human nature. Even if he had spent the last four years wanting me, he hadn’t spent them alone and single. I’d never ask that of him. He can’t even go for a week without showing up to drag me out the front door, aching for contact, and who am I kidding? Neither can I. We crave each other. Two thousand miles of distance between us will make seeing each other every weekend impossible. In the back ofmy head, I can hear the clock counting down as our time slowly runs out.

Tick, tick, tick.

Xed and I fall silent as we try to catch up, lost in our own thoughts. When we return to the group, everyone is standing on the side of the trail, watching a small waterfall cascade down the mountain into a clear lake. It’s not the one we’re trying to hike to, but this entire trailhead is littered with smaller falls and rushing rapids. Taylor shoots me a questioning look when I step up beside him, but I just flash a soft smile and brush my hand against his, wishing I had the guts to claim him in front of Logan, who’s currently barreling toward the lake like he’s on fire.

“Jesus, slow down,” I holler, laughing as he strips off his shirt and dunks his head into the water.

“I could go for a swim myself, it’s hot as fuck.” Matt begins to undress when Christian slaps him in the chest, halting him.

“How about a cliff dive?” He points up to the top of the waterfall. “Should be an easy climb. Not too high, and the water looks deep enough, yeah?”

Taylor bounces up and down, ever the adrenaline junkie. “Hell yeah, let’s do it!”

Xed sits down near a tree, crossing his legs as he pulls out his pipe. “I’m good, I’ll watch the packs. You kids have fun.”

“We’re the same age, you goofy fuck.”

The rest of us spend the next twenty minutes clambering up the small cliff, my muscles screaming at me for help. Once up to the top, I take a minute to admire the beauty of the Colorado wilderness, lush green trees, and clear blue skies. All of us strip down to our underwear, even the girls. I try to keepmy eyes off Taylor, but he looks so damn good in his red boxer briefs, dick perfectly imprinted in the crotch. He catches me ogling and winks, wiggling that ass like he’s asking me to smack it, which I almost do.

At the last minute, Salem whips off her sports bra and jumps topless, cackling at the shocked look on everyone’s faces. Arya follows suit, tits bouncing as she runs to the edge, Christian and Matt cheering after her when she careens down to the lake below. Logan’s got a dopey smile on his face, and I pat his cheek before taking off, too. My stomach leaps into my throat when the ground leaves my feet, my body spinning through the air for far too short a time until it smacks into freezing water.

When I come up for air, there are two more splashes, Christian and Matt surfacing next to me with choked laughs and curses at the tepid temperature. Logan follows soon after, and I watch for my stepbrother to make his jump. Of course, in true Taylor fashion, he leaps off the cliff completely nude, cock and balls fucking flapping in the wind while his friends hoot and holler. He hits the water just as Logan covers his eyes, screaming.

“You’re such a dumbass,” I shout when he comes up, shaking hair out of his eyes with a grin.

“Now everyone here has seen my junk! You’re welcome!”

“I could have gone my entire life without that image, thank you.” Logan swims over to the shoreline to pull himself out, teeth chattering, while the rest of us swim around to get used to the water. Knowing he’s naked under the surface has me swimming close to Taylor, wanting to cop a feel.

Christian moves to the shallow side of the lake, pulling Arya onto his shoulders as he stands. “Topless chicken! Matty, put Salem on your shoulders. Xed, keep an eye out for people.”

Making sure Logan’s back is turned, I tread over to Taylor and lightly brush my fingers over his ass, making him shiver. His eyes reflect dark green against the water as he peeks up at me beneath his dark, dripping strands, a sensual smile curling his lips. Feeling a little bold, I reach down again to grip one of his cheeks in my palm and squeeze, causing him to squeak in surprise, my dick immediately going rigid when I touch something in between his crease.

Yanking his back to my chest, I place my lips next to his ear as I grind my hard cock against him. “Did I just feel what I think I felt?”

---