Page 58 of Dire Straights

“My party is definitively not ruined,” he assured me. Taking a step toward me to get rid of the space between us, he slid a hand up my chest to hook it around my neck. “We still get to watch people brutally die in all those creative ways.”

“Arie really knows how to pick them,” I said, growling a little in my throat as his fingers stroked the back of my neck. It was so relaxing. “That feels really good.”

“Oh yeah?” He asked, rubbing a little more firmly. “If you stick around for the after-party in my room, I’ll give you a full body massage.”

Even though it had barely been an hour since we’d done it, my cock twitched with interest at his suggestion.

“But you’re the birthday boy. I should be the one giving you a massage.”

“We’ll switch off, how about that?” He offered, bumping his forehead into mine so there was barely any space between our faces.

“Wow. Very generous, birthday boy.”

“We’ll discuss payment at the time of service,” he said, and I grinned.

“Always a catch.”

He kissed me, his lips warm and soft, moving against mine just the way I liked. When I hooked my fingers into the waistband of his shorts, pulling him against me, he curled his fingers into the back collar of my shirt, parting his lips so I could slip my tongue in.

“You’re gay!?” Gwen’s voice rang out at a volume that felt like it could shatter windows. I groaned, squeezing my eyes closed as I felt Maddy’s warm body drift away from me. When I cracked one eye open, she was standing there, gawking at us. “God, that explains so much. No wonder you don’t want to get back together.”

“Yeah, that’s why I don’t want to get back together,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Not because I don’t like you or anything.”

“You’re unbelievable,” she said, but at least she sounded repulsed enough by catching us that any fantasies about us working out were definitely off the table. “You’ve really changed.”

“You’re right,” I agreed. “I have changed. But you’re still the same judgmental, self-absorbed, entitled bitch that I remember. So I hope you change one day, too.” I shouldn’t have said that last part. But it had just come out, and I hadn’t been able to hold it back. Maddy’s eyebrows raised at my statement, but he looked impressed.

She shook her head at me, looking hurt at my words but I didn’t regret them. Still, she didn’t say anything else before storming off again. This time I followed behind her, making sure she got in her car and actually left this time. When she did, I sighed, a sense of relief overtaking me. I was still pissed at my mom, but that could wait until Maddy’s birthday was over.

“You know she’s going to tell your mom about this, right?”

“There’s not a doubt in my mind,” I said. “We should go back inside.”

He nodded slowly, tilting his ear up into the air like he was listening for something. “Yeah, I think I hear the tormented screams of agony calling our name.”

“That’s just Aspen being forced to sit next to Caelyx on the couch.”

Throwing his head back, Maddy laughed before hooking an arm around my waist to lead me inside.

Definitely, definitely worth throwing a party for.

MADDOX

I’D NEVER DREADEDanything in my life the way I was dreading winter break and the trip with the swim team. The semester ended in two days. I felt like I was going insane, drenched in misery. In the week leading up to it, I was barely sleeping, and barely eating. Everyone could tell something was wrong, especially Ren.

Since my incident with O’Conner, I’d completely avoided the three of them during practice. I didn’t make eye contact, or respond if they spoke to me. I probably seemed like a mental patient to the rest of the team, but I didn’t know what else to do.

I’d never felt so isolated and ostracized by a group of people before. In high school, I’d more or less been at the top of the social food chain. Things had definitely changed. But despite no longer schmoozing with the popular crowd, I was happier than I’d ever been in every other aspect of my life. With Ren, and everyone else. Since my birthday party, I’d come to appreciate all of them in a new way. Even Caelyx. It was a weird feeling, but I wasn’t going to fight against it.

During practice, Coach Larson had asked me to stay behind to talk to him, so once everyone was done eating, I slipped into his office.

“You wanted to see me?” My stomach was thrashing like an ocean in a storm.

“Sit down, Holmes,” he invited, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. I sat, eyeing him cautiously. I hadn’t been a teacher’s pet do-gooder in school, but I’d never gotten a see meafter class type lecture either. “Don’t look so nervous,” he said. “You’re not in trouble.”

“Uh, okay. What’s up, then?”

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about your place on the team. I’m just a little bit concerned that maybe you aren’t as invested as some of the other guys on the team.”

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