Page 9 of False Start

I think my jaw hits the floor. “You never go to them.”

“Hence, why I should.”

“O—kay.”

He grins. “Okay.”

Well, fuck. That backfired, but at least I get to bring my best friend along to a party. That’s a win, right?

6

AUSTIN

Ican’t believe I said yes to this.What the hell was I thinking?

Okay, I know what I was thinking—that I wanted Vaughn to stop talking about girls and college. Because I’m lying to him about both and have been for quite a while. Maybe I could handle just one secret, but two? It’s killing me.

I’ve known I was gay for a long time. When all the other guys in our class couldn’t stop talking about girls, my eyes were firmly on Blake Stevenson—a senior when I was just a freshman. One I had an insane crush on and who likely would have crushed me if he ever knew.

Although, crush is probably not the right term for it. I didn’t want to date him, and I wasn’t hopelessly in love with him. I just thought he was hot and kind of had a staring problem every time I was around him. It was nothing like what I feel for my best friend and what I’ve tried to push away for so long. I’ve tried like hell to deny my feelings for Vaughn. It’s lucky no one knows my secret.

Well—make that almost everyone—Calvin is here, standing across the fire from me, and his eyes are locked-in. His threatening gaze is a bit much, if you ask me. It’s not like Iwant to be at this stupid bonfire party. I swear, what are they thinking?

More than half my classmates are drunk off their asses and dancing around an open fire—great plan.

I shoot Calvin a sharp glare, hoping he’ll get the hint and stop looking at me, just before Vaughn wraps a protective arm around me. He’s grinning with a beer in his hand, but it’s his first one, and he doesn’t seem to be inebriated at all. Just happy. Because that’s Vaughn.

Vanessa is standing on his other side, a beer in her hand, and her friend Katie stands next to her—glaring at my best friend. I can’t say I totally blame Katie because Vaughn’s attention is frequently on me. But she has to know it means nothing. Because to Vaughn—it does mean nothing.

“I’m going to go grab a water out of the truck,” I say, pulling out of Vaughn’s hold, and he starts dancing happily with Vanessa and Katie. He better not fall into that fire—but knowing him, he’d probably jump right back out and be totally fine.

Nothing touches Vaughn, and honestly, thank God for that.

I walk over to the truck and look around for water, leaning over the driver’s seat. When I finally grab a bottle of water and stand right up, Calvin is right there in my space. “What?”

I try to shove him back, but he has me blocked in. It’s clear he’s had way too much to drink tonight, and this is so not what I need right now.

“Move.”

He leans into me, and I can smell the alcohol on his breath as he gets in my face. “You better keep your fucking mouth shut.”

Oh, here we go. “You really think I want anyone to know?” I place one hand on his shoulder and try to shove him backward, but he doesn’t budge. “Move.”

“I think you like to run your mouth. Always with a snarky remark. Always judging us jocks. Running to your little boyfriend.”

I roll my eyes but look over his big shoulder to where Vaughn is still dancing and having a great time. “You and I both know Vaughn isn’t my boyfriend, but he’ll kick your ass if he sees you threatening me. So you better move.” I don’t love using Vaughn in this situation—I can handle it, but I know it will escalate if Vaughn looks over here right now.

“We both know you want him to be though.” I feel sick at the putrid smell of his warm breath. I can’t believe I ever let him kiss me.

“And we both know what this is actually about.”

“Fuck. You.” He shoves me back, and I do move, nearly falling back into the truck. I drop the water bottle. “I’m not gay.”

“Yeah,” I deadpan. “I know. You just fell, and your lips happened to fall against mine.” I shrug, goading him. “Happens all the time.”

He grabs my shirt, pulling me into him. “You little shit. Don’t you say a fucking word, you hear me?”

I brace myself for getting punched right in the face, my right eye closing so I don’t have to watch it coming. But it never does because Calvin’s grip on my shirt is gone, and he’s falling to the ground when Vaughn comes barreling into him. “What the fuck are you doing?”

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