Page 18 of Lust

“Like you don’t already know,” I snarl. Don’t even know where the hell that came from. Like with most things that involve Luke Waters, seems safe to blame him for the primal responses he activates in me.

“Why bring me out here if you’re gonna continue being evasive?”

“Why did you come to St. Lawrence, Luke?”

He looks stunned. “St. Lawrence has one of the best English departments in the country, and I’m an English major.”

“Bullshit.”

His face scrunches up. “They’re ranked third in the US, between Harvard and Yale.”

“I meant that’s a bullshit reason. There’s another one.”

His gaze wanders, and he bites his bottom lip. “My dad went here, okay?”

“I already know that. We did a background check before you came here. And I don’t give a fuck what you tell most people about why you came here. Why did youreallycome here? What are you trying to do to us?”

His head jerks back, his eyes widening. “You guys are the ones fucking with me. Seth that day on the field. Cody bringing up all that horrible shit from my childhood. And then you…you…look what you just made me do.”

He might as well have slapped me. “Made you do?”

“I told you: I’m straight.”

“You think you’re the first guy who’s ever told me that?” Although I must admit, when he said it, that made messing around even hotter.

“I’ve known I’m straight as well as I’ve known anything about myself, but suddenly I come here, and I…” He glances at the house, lowering his voice when he turns back to me. “You’re doing something with my head like your friends did. Like when Seth made me back down from fighting you. Is that your game? You find straight guys and make them hard for you? I hope you know what that makes you: a fucking sexual predator.”

It’s a sobering accusation, and his scowl appears sincere. In case there is any truth to what he’s saying, I quickly defend myself. “I don’t have the ability to make anyone attracted to me. My power makes people’s desire for me stronger, but it must already be present. So yeah, I’ve helped a few bi and gay guys figure their shit out, but I’m not coercing people to fuck them against their will, so don’t put this on me.”

He’s still eyeing me suspiciously, like he doesn’t buy it. If this is an act, he’s damn convincing.

What am I saying? It has to be a fucking act!

“You just said your power. So you admit you guys are fucking around with… God, this is so fucking dumb, I don’t even want to say it.”

I chuckle because some days I find it hard to admit to myself.

“Magic.” He says the word through his teeth, softly, like he’s embarrassed. Reminds me of how Seth, Cody, and I felt after we stumbled across this stuff.

“Like you don’t already know that.”

“I didn’t know it until you guys started bullying me. And you guys weren’t exactly subtle.”

“That was the point. And now that you know our secret, it’s time to cop to yours. Where did you learn how to use your powers?”

“I don’t have powers, Brad.”

His continued denial makes my rage flare up again. “Shut your lying mouth. You know how long it’s taken us to get to where we are? We found out about this shit last year, and we’ve been training ever since. Enough to know not only that you have powers, but that you must’ve been training for even longer.” It’s the reason I became so suspicious of him after what he did to Cody. The reason I was convinced what he was doing must’ve been intentional.

“Are you messing with me?” he asks.

“What you did to Cody. You got another explanation for that? Because I’d love to hear it.” Real eager to hear how he tries to weasel his way around that.

“I just resisted what he was doing to me.”

“Yeah, and he’s been having the biggest fucking panic attacks since that day. He still can’t get out of bed.”

“I didn’t do that, but you expect me to feel bad for him after what he brought up in me?”

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