Page 21 of Fracture

Levi is suppressing a laugh behind his hand, one hand on his hip as he watches the scene play out in front of him. Jared looks from me back to Stella, and starts to stammer out an apology.

“Stella, look, hey, it was a long time ago, and kids do stupid things, and well, Dylan, I mean-“ He turns to me helplessly. “I’m sorry, man. I really am.”

“Not. Good. Enough.” Stella starts to push past us, out of the water.

Jared lunges forward and seizes her hand, which she yanks away from him, spinning to face him, her amber eyes blazing.

“Donottouch me.”

“Stella, honey, I’m sorry.” He leans over her, and I can practically feel him trying to use those preppy good looks to win her over.

But it doesn’t work at all, as Stella shoves him in the shoulder, a move he doesn’t expect as he stumbles in the water.

“You should be ashamed of yourself. Zee is my best friend, and Dylan is my-” She catches herself, swallowing hard as her eyes land on me, and the air is charged for a second. But then she shakes her head, storming out of the water. “I’ll find somewhere else to get my coffee in future!”

Levi’s shit-eating grin lands back on Jared, and he shrugs. “Too bad, man. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

Jared looks so lost I almost feel sorry for him.

Then I remember him slamming my head into my locker when I was fourteen, asking me what anal felt like, asking me if I had AIDS, and then telling everyone I did when I told him no. Maybe it’s petty. Maybe I should let it go. Maybe he was just a misled asshole kid. But petty or not, I look down at him with nothing but pity and disgust.

“Dyan, I’m sorry, I really am.” Jared stammers. “I was an asshole in high school, but I’ve changed. I have. I’ve worked on myself to be a better person.”

I nod, looking out over the water. “Good for you.” I turn and start to walk away, stopping to turn my head over my shoulder. “Twój tatuaz wyglada jak tanie psie gówno,”I spit at him.Your tattoo looks like cheap dog shit.

“What? Sorry, I don’t speak Mexican.”

I laugh as I walk out of the water, following Levi back to the rock to retrieve our clothes. I spot Stella hastily packing up her things, throwing her sun dress over her wet bikini, and Levi and I follow her back to her car.

“Got to work on that taste in men, baby girl!” Levi calls after her, and is met with Stella flipping him off over her shoulder. Levi laughs. “Oh, come on, you didn’t know Jared Marshall was a raging homophobe?”

“No, I didn’t.” She gets to her car and presses a button to open the trunk. “I wouldn’t have gone out with him if I’d known.”

“Sorry to burst your bubble.”

Her poisonous gaze is back as it lands on me, and she throws her bag into the trunk, slamming it shut and crossing her arms over her chest.

“I’m sorry he said those things to you in school, Dylan. I had no idea. It was wrong. But you two coming down here like a pairof fucking GI Joes to ruin my date? I don’t think those two things are in any way connected.”

“Sure they are.” Levi gives her a brilliant smile. “We’re just looking out for you.”

She steps up to him and jabs a finger in his face. “You’re pissing on my leg, that’s all. Stop pulling the big brother act.” She backs away from him, and shakes her head as she regards us both with a face of sheer fury. “You do not own me. Neither of you. So stop acting like it.”

Before we can say anything else, she climbs into her car, gunning the engine and tearing out of the parking lot in a shower of dust.

CHAPTER 6

LEVI

I'm not gay.I’m not gay. I’m really not.

My fingers claw into the car door as I repeat the mantra over and over in my head. But it’s pointless, because a man I just paid a hundred bucks to suck my cock has his head in my lap, bobbing up and down as his mouth works me hard. If I wasn’t about to blow my fucking load right down his throat, I could almost believe the words I keep telling myself.

But here, in the dimly lit parking lot, I look down at this man, run my fingers through his thick dark hair, and I know I’m lying to myself.

I’d never been attracted to men before. I was popular with the girls in high school, and had a reputation, one I was proud of. The back seat of my Camaro was the scene of plenty of moaning and screaming, girls telling me they loved me, trying to tie down Levi Fenton because he was good in bed and loved eating pussy.

But then in prison, being close to Dylan every day, things started to shift. He grew into a man, bulging with muscle, and he was just so fucking beautiful. I’d never been intimidated by a man before. I’d never been intimidated byanyonebefore.

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