Page 15 of Say Uncle

This time, it was me that turned away, intending to leave his ass there.

“Sam,” he called.

I stopped but didn’t turn back. But when the silence continued, I glanced back over my shoulder to see Mattie slumped down in the sand, his elbows braced on his knees with his head hanging sadly.

Fuck.

I dropped beside him in the sand, but remained silent, giving him the space he needed to find his voice.

Finally, he said brokenly, “It’s my dad. He’s a fucking asshole.”

That explained everything. It all made sense now—his attitude, his instant dislike of Nicky who was obviously gay, acting out at work and getting fired—I had a dad like his, and I knew that anger intimately.

Taking a deep breath, I slid my arm around his shoulders, pulling him into my side. He came willingly.

“The most important thing I can teach you this summer is how to live your own life. Fuck your father. It’s his loss, you hear me?”

He nodded, and I surprised myself by planting a kiss on his head. His vulnerability was bringing out my softer side, a side of me I hadn’t seen in a long time.

“He talks nonstop about how disgusting and immoral gays are. Makes snide jokes, thinking he’s funny or some shit. It makes my fucking stomach turn. So many times, I just wanted to scream in his face that I was fucking gay, just to see what he would say, to have the last word, you know?”

“Yeah, I know.” This time, when I brushed my lips against his hair, I let them linger against his warm scalp.

CHAPTER FIVE

Fuck me, but here goes nothing.

The sun beat down on the front door, making the wood burn hot against my knuckles as I knocked. I hitched the strap of my backpack higher over my shoulder and knocked again. The guy I was hoping to see answered the door, looking sleepy and… absolutely ridiculous.

“Mattie?” He rubbed the grit from his eyes.

“Hey Nicky, did I wake you?”

“Uh, no?” He stretched his arms behind his head, revealing a glimpse of the words on his cropped purple T-shirt—Daddy’s Good Boy.He wore tiny purple shorts, and his feet were bare. “What are you doing here?”

“I, um, did you want to hang out? You know, if you don’t have plans today.”

His grin spread quicker than a rash on a hot day. “I don’t got nothin’ planned today. I’d love to hang out!”

“Great, maybe you should change first.”

He looked down at his shirt, and then back up at me, and two bright spots appeared on his cheeks. “Let’s pretend this isn’t super awkward.” I couldn’t help but laugh. I mean, how could I not? “I’ll be right back,” he said, dashing off.

He left the door wide open, and I came inside, taking a seat on the sofa. Cass appeared, dressed in cargo shorts and a loose tank top. He grabbed his sunglasses and keys before he noticed me.

“Mattie, what are you doing here?”

“Waiting on Nicky. I figured we could maybe kick around town today, grab lunch or something.”

“Really? That’s great,” he smiled, reaching for the door. “Keep an eye on my boy. Stay out of trouble.” And then he was gone.

His boy?And Nicky with hisDaddy’s Good Boyshirt. It was straight out of one of those cheesy-ass porn movies I’d seen. What kind of kinky shit were they into?

When Nicky rejoined me, he didn’t look much better, in my opinion. He’d combed his wild waves and washed his face clean, but his shirt wasn’t much of an upgrade. This time, it was black with a giant seahorse on the front. The yellow bubble letters read‘Seahorses are awesome. I am awesome. Therefore, I am a seahorse.’He wore tiny cut-off denim shorts and blackChucks.

“All ready!”

Fucking seriously?!

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