Page 10 of Past Lovers

“Iwasn’tdoing her bidding.” Adam tossed the bottle into his recycling bin before reaching for his keys. “I’ve got somewhere I’ve got to be. You know where the guest room is.”

Clay stood there, his mouth open and eyes wide. It looked like he wanted to keep prodding, but he sighed, lifting the bag and taking the box. He turned away from Adam without another word.

Adam weighed the keys in his hand. He had nowhere to go. He’d planned on watching the game and ordering a pizza, and hanging out with his best friend for the night. Instead, he found himself walking out to his car, no destination in mind, only knowing he needed space before he broke down and told Clay the truth.

Thewholetruth.

About how he couldn’t let that night go—that it was burned inside his brain—that it fueled a need he’d never known he had until he’d been claimed, body and soul, four years ago.

He drove for about an hour, not sure where to go. He didn’t want to have to answer any questions. If he went to Jesse’s or Hayden’s, there would be questions. Same for his parents.

There was the gym… burn off some stress…

Adam ended up sitting at the bar at some dive across town, drowning his sorrows instead. From the looks on faces of the handful of solitary patrons, he surmised that most were lonely, broken men. It felt like the perfect place to lose himself for a few hours, feeling quite broken himself. He drank, trying to wash away the visions that filled his wakingandsleeping mind now. His obsession threatened to consume him—an obsession that was now going to be sleeping in the bed next door.

Later, when he knew he was nowhere near capable of driving, he reached for his phone. He pulled Clay’s number from his contacts, his finger hovering over the Call button.

The familiar fire burned in his gut thinking about the man.

He hesitated, knowing that one call could be the end of their friendship.

Adam felt the sting of tears burning his eyes. He loved Clay. And another stupid mistake could end their friendship. And then where would he be?

Having enough sanity to call an Uber, he left his car behind. Once home, he stumbled into the dark house. He paused outside the guest bedroom, his hand itching to turn the knob and slip into Clay’s bed—and hope he got another night to obsess over.

Eventually, he crept into his bedroom, falling onto the bed.

Adam drifted off to sleep within seconds, and the dreams followed soon after.

* * * *

Clay poured some coffee into another cup and added sugar and cream to it, hoping he remembered right. He carried it from the kitchen into Adam’s bedroom. The faint smell of alcohol filled the room, and he wondered what Adam had done the night before. He paused at the edge of the bed, seeing the guy was still fully dressed—down to his very shoes.

Yet his jeans were unzipped and his cock was out, lying soft near his hand. Another scent filled the room—Adam had been quite busy through the night.

Clay shook his head, grabbing a blanket from the end of the bed to cover Adam’s nudity. He then nudged Adam’s knee. “You’re going to be late for work.”

Adam’s eyes fluttered a little before he opened them, wincing. He growled and rolled to the side, covering his head. “What time is it?”

“Nearly eight.”

“Fuck,” Adam muttered, scrubbing his face.

“I brought you some coffee,” Clay said, watching Adam closely. Had his questions the night before caused all this?

Adam dragged himself to a seated position, looking like hell. Clay handed him the coffee, earning a barely whispered, “thanks.”

He drained half the coffee before setting the cup on the nightstand. “Why the fuck did I do this to myself?”

“Good question.”One I had myself.

Adam lifted his stare to Clay. He lay back on the bed, groaning. “Just go in. I’ll come in as soon as I get my shit together.”

“Where’s your car?”

Adam groaned again. “Fuck… I took an Uber home.”

“Looks like you were in no condition to drive, so I’m glad you didn’t. But you could’ve called me, you know? The least I could do for giving me a place to lay my head.”

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