Page 20 of Finding Delaware

Ending the recording, I hit send when the front door slams shut, echoing throughout the house. My breath catches as I scramble to pause the music, listening for Dad and Maisie in case they’re back from their date.

Instead, all I hear is a grunt and a series of thumps as someone tumbles down the stairs.

“What the fuck?”

With my phone still gripped in my hand, I tuck myself back into my boxers and launch off my bed, yanking open the doorjust in time to see Taylor lying at the bottom of the stairs, grumbling into the tile.

As I climb down the stairs toward him, my phone immediately drops to the carpet. “Did you just eat shit, dude?”

He raises his head and squints at me, licking his lips, a dark bruise blooming on his cheekbone. “Where’ve you been?”

My hands grip him under the arms as I haul him up. “Did you break your face on the steps?”

“Nah. Christian clocked me,” he laughs hoarsely, burying his face in my chest with a deep inhale.

“What? Why?” I pull him up the stairs, struggling against his weight as he leans on me. I’m not exactly weak—football and the swim team keep me fit. But the way he’s putting his full weight on my shoulders has me fighting to stay upright.

“Caught me with my dick down Tatiana’s throat.” His glassy eyes narrow as he glances at me sideways, and my brows shoot to my hairline.

“Seriously?”

“Yeah. S’okay, though. I punched him when I caught him with Salem. We’re solid.”

Well. That’s...fucked up.

“You guys seem like great friends,” I mutter sarcastically, tugging him up the last few stairs.

His answering chuckle brushes along the crook of my neck, his breath smelling like smoke, liquor, and vomit.

“Christian’s m’best friend. I love that guy so much.”

His speech is slurred, and I fight a smile when we step onto the landing. “Okay, Romeo. Let’s get you to bed.”

We barely take a step before I feel his body go rigid against me. He stops with such force that I lose my grip on his arm,spinning around to find his eyes laser-focused on the ground. It takes me exactly two seconds to figure out what he’s looking at, but it’s too late.

“Who’s fucking dick is on your phone?!”

I feel all the blood drain from my body as we dive simultaneously. Like an idiot, I’d left the phone unlocked when I’d dropped it to the ground, and the video of me playing with my cock is on repeat. I almost have the phone in my hands when Taylor yanks me back at the last minute, climbing onto my chest. We battle for a short second before it’s in his hands, and my throat closes in terror.

Fuck.

“Give it back, Taylor!”

“Aw, lil’ Hucksie’s got a boyfriend.” He sneers down at the screen, thumb swiping as he no doubt reads through my messages.

I grab for the phone again, but he lifts it out of reach. “Give me back my fucking phone!”

“This what gets your dick up, bro? Who is this guy, anyway?”

Digging my heels into the carpet, I lift my pelvis and rotate until I have him pinned on the ground beneath me. He tucks the phone against his chest, snickering as I try to pry his arms apart.

“Give me his number.” He wriggles beneath me, trying to free himself. “I’ll show him what arealcock looks like.”

“I doubt his phone can even zoom in that far.”

Taylor blinks, lips twitching before his features twist into a nasty scowl. “Tell me, does the good Bishop know what his precious son does in the middle of the night?”

Whatever anger I felt completely dissipates as ice forms in my veins.

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