Page 20 of Twisted Minds

A storm brews in those emerald eyes. “I can be straight if I want. So straight! I would shock you with my straightness. I can be a real pussy hunter if I put my mind to it!”

“Please don’t ever say that again.” I feel bad for him. My family doesn’t like that I’m going to school to make video games, but my parents would never disown me. Ever. I know they love me even when their criticism hurts. It comes from a place of love, I know that. To live like Noah, though . . . I can’t imagine ignoring a huge part of my heart just to please my parents.

“I’ll have you know I love women.”

“That’s not the same as being attracted to them.”

“I will have an amazing lavender marriage. I’ll treat my future wife with the utmost care. We’ll get day drunk and watch reality TV shows. I’ll do her nails, and she can do my makeup. We’ll go on cute little vacations. She’ll be a reader, of course, that’s a dealbreaker. Have a vagina all you want but you better be a reader. We will never cap each other’s book spending either. We’ll have the most gorgeous library. Oh, baby girl, you want to talk about that bitch at the office? Girl, let me go grab the wine. You want a massage? Let me grab the oils. I will be the best husband.”

“Except when it comes to sex.”

“We’ll both be sleeping with other people, just like all the other marriages I’ve grown up watching. And whoever that man or woman is better treat my wife right!” He sighs. “She’ll be the luckiest girl in the world.”

My phone rings, scaring the shit out of me. Hunter’s name lights up on my phone, and I answer as Noah’s curious eyes land on me. “Uh, hey.”

“Hey, I’m really sorry about this, but I can’t have you over here today. Can we reschedule?” I hear yelling in the background. “Enough!” Hunter yells back.

“Hunter?”

“Sorry, some shit happened, and I’ve got a lot going on here right now. I don’t want you to have to see this shit. Can I call you later? I want to talk to you, I just can’t right now.”

“Oh, yeah, whenever you get time.”

“I’m really sorry. I’m not ditching you, I swear.”

“Hey, it’s okay.” He sounds so stressed out, and the loud noises in the background probably aren’t helping.

“I’ll make it up to you.” That makes me smile. “Talk to you later.”

Hanging up, I feel like shit. It’s only now I realize how much I was looking forward to today—not because of Derrick, I just really wanted to see him. “What happened?”

“He canceled. Something’s going on at home and he said he doesn’t want me to see it. Some shit with his roommate.”

“Oh, shit.” Noah scrutinizes me, making me feel uneasy.

“What?”

“You like him.”

“What?”

“You look sad. Damn. I didn’t realize how bad this was.”

“I was just looking forward to hanging out today. That’s it.” My fries are cold by now, but I’ve lost my appetite anyway. Noah’s right, I am upset. More than I want to be. I know it’s not Hunter’s fault, but I hadn’t realized until now how much I’d looked forward to today. “Just sucks is all. No big deal.”

“Well, why not take him pizza anyway. If he doesn’t want to hang out that’s fine, but it might be nice. Then he won’t have to worry about food, right? He can focus on the bullshit at home.”

“I’m not going to show up to his house like a crazy person after he told me not to.”

“It would be a surprise. It’s a nice gesture. You don’t have to stay.”

“Or it’ll creep him out.”

“If I were dealing with my father at home and all that bullshit, it’d mean a lot to me if a guy dropped by with food to take care of me and at least make sure I was fed. Just make it clear you’re only dropping it off. He’ll like it. Trust me.”

Maybe Noah’s right. Fuck, those are words I never thought I’d think. Maybe he is right, though. I know Hunter has some money issues whether he admits it or not. I can take him food and just be on my way. Then again, this is Noah I’m taking advice from. “The last time I trusted you I ended up with a sprained wrist.”

Noah pushes his glasses up his nose, flicking a piece of egg at me. “I asked you several times if you could bend that way! It’s not my fault you lied to impress me.” Noah leans back, folding his hands into his lap and not meeting my eyes. “I haven’t been able to look at a pool toy the same way since.”

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