Page 54 of Grave Misgivings
Mateo cocks his head, and then Geo turns to look at me, and...
The smile that forms on his face is absolute perfection and melts all the tension away.
I push off of my car, taking one step, then two, then three.
Geo slides one hand in his pocket while the other pulls a rolling suitcase, his guitar slung over his back, grinning like a damn kid as he picks up his pace, and before I know it he’s in front of me.
“Hey,” he says, pulling me into a tight hug.
I startle for a moment, because I wasn’t expecting a hug.
A handshake, maybe, but ahug...
My entire body sinks into him like ink into paper, and instinctively, I wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his shoulder.
He smells exactly the same as I remember. Like orange blossoms and spicy cedar. Like a core memory.
His fingers grip my shoulder and I feel him relax instantly.
Whoever said hugs are the best medicine, wasn’t fucking kidding.
I break away, if only because I know if I don’t we’ll never make it to my truck, and it’s still running.
“Hey,” I reply, grinning with excitement.
He brushes some dark hair out of his eyes, and I reach for his suitcase.
“Oh, you don’t have to?—”
“Don’t worry about it.” I turn to see Mateo staring at me like I’m a science experiment. “What’s his problem?” I ask as I stroll toward my car.
“Who? Mateo?” Geo asks. “Nothing. He just suggested we all should get together and hang out.”
“Who’s we?” I ask as I toss Geo’s luggage in the back bed.
“Like, my friends. You know, the guys... Felix, Duncan, Dare, Hailee, Richie...” He rattles their names off so comfortably. “You.”
I shoot him a raised eyebrow. “Your famousfriendsknow about me?”
Geo shrugs. “Why wouldn’t they? You are my... friend, right?”
I don’t know why that thought or his question bothers me, but it does.
What exactly has hesaidabout me?
I relax slightly. “Yeah.” I nod, even though I’m not entirely surefriendis the right word.
Sure, once we were friends. But the word doesn’t feel like it fits now, though I’m not sure what I’d really define us as.
“Of course we’re friends.” I smile. “No reason, I guess,” I say as I open the door for him.
His amber eyes glance up at me, and I realize I’m actually a little taller than him now.
Not by much, but it’s noticeable. Ten years ago, I looked up at him.
“Thanks,” he says as he climbs in the passenger side, and I don’t miss the way his shirt slides up his sides, showing off those dark, black lines of ink that dip below his waistband.
I pretend I don’t notice, but my cock definitely notices.
