Page 55 of The Hookup Situation

“Stop, I didn’t mean for you to have to go,” Jackson says when he reaches me.

“It’s fine.” I slide my shoes on and grab my coat off the hook. “You’ll have to find a ride home. Sorry.” Once my coat is on I open the front door.

“Preston, wait,” he says, before I shut the door in his face.

JACKSON

Shit. I was a gigantic asshole. I know I was. I was just so fucking scared, and it turned into anger. He doesn’t deserve to be treated like that, and I feel sick over it. I know I hurt him, and I never want to hurt him. I hated seeing the sadness in those beautiful blue eyes. I just can’t risk people, especially Lucy and Rory, finding out about us. I’m already struggling to keep my head and heart in check when it comes to Preston, and them knowing will just make it that much harder.

I know the right thing to do would be to end it now, so that he can stop worrying about it, and so can I. We can say it was fun and go our separate ways. But I’m selfish, and I don’t want to let him go. I can't. Not yet. I need him too much. I need his kisses and his laughter and his smile. I need his touches and his neediness. I need him to want me. He’s the thing that is keeping me from falling apart every time I think about my parents. He helps distract me, makes me laugh, makes me feel safe, and like maybe, some day, I could be good enough. I’m not ready to let that go.

After Preston is gone I get an uber. The snow has let up and the roads are a bit better than they were when we got here, butit will still take twenty minutes for them to arrive, so I find Rory and Lucy and tell them I have a headache and will be leaving soon. It’s not a lie, because I do. All the stress with Preston is making my head hurt.

I ask Rory about Parker, because I can see that there’s more between them than just friends, and he flushes adorably and confirms they’re sleeping together and that he’s pretty crazy for the big burly golden retriever, but that they aren’t actually dating. I feel like a bit of a hypocrite when I encourage him to tell Parker how he feels, and he says he’s trying to work up the courage.

“I’m happy for you,” I tell him. “Parker’s a great guy. And I don’t think you have anything to worry about, babe. He’s clearly smitten with you, too.”

Rory bites his lip and flushes an even deeper shade of red and Lucy smacks his arm.

“Told you,” she says, a grin on her face.

I chat with them for a while before my phone alerts me that my ride is here, and they hug me, and press kisses to my cheek and tell me to feel better and have a good Thanksgiving. They still think I’m going home to enjoy time with my parents. I wish them the same, plastering a smile on my face, and tell Rory not to have too much fun with his roommate when he tells me Parker is going home with him for Thanksgiving.

He grins and I say goodbye before heading out the door.

When I get to Preston’s apartment I knock and wait, hoping he’ll even answer the door. When he doesn’t I start to realize I may need to do some groveling.

“I know you’re in there,” I tell him. “I also know I was an ass earlier, and I’m sorry. Please open the door. I came to apologize.”

The door slowly opens and he’s standing there looking sexy as ever in a white T-shirt that clings to his muscular frame and red track pants. And of course, that ridiculous hat. The T-shirt has holes in it, like most of his shirts do.

“You were saying?” he asks.

“Can I come in?”

He steps aside and I enter. He closes the door behind me. “I could have handled that better, back at the party,” I tell him. “I know I hurt you, and I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to be such a jerk.”

He saunters into the kitchen and grabs a glass from the cupboard, filling it with water, before he drinks. I follow him and stand across from him, leaning against the counter, waiting.

“How long are we going to do this?” he asks. “Fuck each other in private and pretend not to know each other in public, around our friends, or specifically around Rory and Lucy, and Parker, because Chris already knows, and has known the entire time, and so do your roommates. So what does it matter if more people do?”

“If Rory and Lucy know they’ll be all up in our business. There’ll be questions and opinions and pressure. I’m not ready for that.”I can’t have them trying to convince me that we could be more. I can’t let myself think about a future with you. Once they know, it stops. Once they know I have to let you go. Because falling for you isn’t an option. I can’t get hurt again. Not by you.“Please, I just need things to stay the way they are for a little while longer.”

He frowns and looks down, playing with the rim of his glass. I decide to risk moving closer and step towards him. “Let me make it up to you,” I murmur, gripping his shirt in my hands andpressing him back against the counter. His gaze meets mine, and I take the glass from his hand and set it down beside him.

“For being a jerk, or not letting me tell people about us?” he asks, his voice rougher now as my dick lengthens, pressing against his thigh. I feel his erection against me as well, and hum.

“Both,” I say, then press kisses to his neck as I slowly rut against him. “I’m sorry.” I move to his ear and nibble on it. “I’m sorry.” I move to his jaw, and then his lips. “I’m sorry.” I kiss him then, one hand on his neck and the other on his hip as heseizesmy hips and moves against me. The kisses get deeper and more desperate, and we grip each other harder. His hand moves up to run through my hair and I take hold of his face now, my hips increasing their pace as we suck and nibble and moan. He clasps on to my thighs and I jump, wrapping my legs around him as he carries me down the hallway and to his bedroom. He tosses me on the bed and climbs on, hovering over me. We kiss until our lips are swollen and our dicks are leaking, and then we strip each other and I fuck him, his legs draped over my arms and my dick burried inside him as I thrust and he pants, and gasps, and moans.

He’s a vision underneath me as his fingers dig into my shoulders and his cock leaks onto his abdomen. I lower myself and wrap my arms around him as I fuck him, and his arms come around me, clinging to me, his legs wrapping around my waist as I bury my face in his neck, drinking him in, smelling peaches and wishing that I could keep him forever.

FOURTEEN

PRESTON

When I wake the next morning the sun is pouring in the window, my ass is sore, and I have to pee.

It’s not until I open my eyes, though, that I realize Jackson is gone. I know he was here when I fell asleep because my arms were around him. He must have left sometime in the night or early this morning. I guess that answers my question about Thanksgiving, but maybe it’s a good thing because that means his parents want him to be home?

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