Page 119 of Splintered Hearts

“Noah—” Hunter sighs, sitting down.

“Oh, he doesn’t have to use a towel!”

“Jamie.”

“What?!”

“Nothing. I just wanted to see your face when I said his name. That was good stuff, I must say.” Hunter grins.

Trying to steady myself, I glare down at the cards, not having it in me for another round. I set them down and sit back in my chair. “Is that, uh, what you wanted to talk about earlier?” Mark’s soft voice catches me. When Mark wants tobest friend, goddammit, he can best friend the shit out of me.

“What?”

“Why were you upset earlier? What’s going on?”

“You really want to talk about this? You hate him.”

Mark’s eyes flit to Hunter. “Hate is a bit much. I just don’ttrust him.”

“He’s not a bad person.” In fact, he may just be the best person.

“Yet here we are. Upset.”

“It’s not him, it’s me. He’s been honest and I’ve been—”

“Sucking his dick constantly?”

Well, that is all Jamie really wants from me. The sting of those thoughts hits me deep. The shelf though... The drawings... The reading and soft moments... Fuck.

“Enough, okay. We aren’t doing anything. We’re just two guys who happen to find each other attractive. Sharing orgasms. That’s it.” The words taste sour. Mark’s eyes don’t leave mine. Thankfully my phone vibrates, and I can’t help my quick reaction to grab it or the embarrassment I feel at how fast I did.

Jamie: Where did you go?

Another message pops up a second later.

Jamie: Not that I need to know

Jamie: I don’t

Jamie: I’m fine

Jamie: I barely even want you home, honestly

Jamie: Like, the least amount someone could want to see someone else. That’s me. That’s how I am. In fact, wherever you are definitely stay there

Smiling as message after message pops up, I type back.

Noah: Seems like you want to see me desperately.

Jamie: Desperate is a word that could be used to describe someone who wants to see someone else badly

Jamie: Which I am not

Jamie: You still at Mark and Hunter’s?

Jamie: Not that I care. Because I don’t

Noah: No I’m not

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