Page 24 of Drag Me Up

“Did they kick you out or something?” I ask in confusion. “They don’t seem like that kind of guys, but if they are then I’m going back to my mom’s couch.”

A watery giggle comes from my right and I see a real smile on his face.

He’s beautiful.

“They…” He swallows a few times before he manages to steel himself to continue. “They didn’t kick me out. I decided to leave…”

Something tells me there’s more to the story, so I start the truck and pull out on the road directly into the trailer park. I don’t give a fuck about the lawn, so I pull his truck directly onto the grass on my lot behind my trailer. If he wants to hide away from his roommates, he can hide right here.

“The landlord is going to make you pay for the landscaping if this gets stuck,” he giggles out. I’m just glad that his sadness has passed for now. Judging by howquickly his mood shifted, yeah, Clarence was right. He’s in a full blown manic phase.

“Alright, Cutie, Let’s sneak inside and then you can tell me who I have to plan the demise of over some breakfast.”

He shuffles up to my front door and lets himself in like he already lives there.

If I can convince him to say yes, he will by the end of the day.

Before heading inside, I reach into the bed of the truck and grab his big suitcase and a couple of the bags to bring into the house. Maybe he won’t notice that I’m moving him in before asking. Setting his stuff down next to the futon, I don’t see him in the immediate area. I can hear water running from the bathroom, so I leave him to it and go out to grab the rest of his things.

After I have all of his stuff in my living room, he still hasn’t made an appearance. Glancing down the hallway, I notice my bedroom door is open. I should have figured he wouldn’t be able to resist being a snoop. Chuckling to myself, I head into the kitchen to start making something to eat.

“You good with eggs, Cutie?” I call out but get no response.

Closing the fridge, I head down the hall to see what he’s up to. Reaching my bedroom, I find the little minx asleep in the middle of my bed, clutching my pillow. Shaking my head, I turn to leave the room when I notice Eric’s painting is missing from the wall above the bed.

Fear grips me, and I have to resist the urge to shakethe man in the bed until he wakes up so I can demand what the fuck he did with the only treasure I have from that beautiful boy.

Logic finally filters in and I realize it must have fallen behind the headboard while I was out running. Exhaling, I grab the blanket from the foot of the bed and go to tuck in my surprise houseguest. Leaning over him, I notice the painting lying on the bed between him and the wall.

Why the fuck would he want that on the bed with him?

“Mattie, don’t leave me,” he whimpers as I step into the hallway.

I freeze. I never told him I go by Matt, let alone Mattie.

“Please come back, Mattie,” he mumbles in his sleep while I’m impersonating a statue in the doorway. “I didn’t mean to make you leave. I’ll be a good boy. You don’t have to love me back…”

Before my brain can catch up to my body, I am outside, gulping in air like I’ve just run a mile. Eric is my cutie. Eric fucking Mendleton is the man who stole my heart last night.

No.

Eric stole my heart the very first time I met him. I just never realized my love would shift from brotherly to this all encompassing passion he lights inside of me now. Torn between joy and pure unadulterated shock, I start laughing.

By the time Clarence and Eli find me, I’msitting on the curb with tears streaming down my face trying to catch my breath again.

My unicorn escaped his evil father’s clutches.

19

ERIC

Raised voices from outside wake me up. I didn’t mean to fall asleep, but Mattie’s bed is so freaking comfy. I bury my face in his pillow and take a deep breath. I love the way he smells. He doesn’t use stinky aftershave and the Axe body spray craze definitely never crossed his path. Even as a kid, he always smelled like clean laundry and Mattie.

The blanket pools at my lap when I sit up. I don’t remember grabbing the blanket…

My hand bumps something hard and I see the painting I pulled down from the wall. My lips twitch up in a smile against my will.

Eli said he forgot me. He didn’t. He said he would keep this forever and he did.

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