Page 45 of Absolutely Pucked
Bodie was definitely not going to let me build blanket forts or jump on the bed, and since Hugo was taking all of Micah’s time, I was stuck with my salad-loving nerd with a too-tight butthole.
“Sounds awful,” Alessia said.
Fuck. I was so tired, I was pulling a Tucker and saying all my quiet thoughts out loud. “I’m not mad about a trip to Canada. Bodie’s dad is flying us, so we get first-class seats, and the food’s always good. But I really don’t want to take off right now, considering everything, even if it’s just for the weekend.”
“Considering what?” she asked.
Fuuuuuck my life. I needed to stop speaking to people altogether until I could get some real sleep and deal with the major fuckup I was currently committing.
“Ford,” she said, warning in her tone.
“Can we talk soon? Like, when I see you?” I asked. It was hard keeping this secret from the people I loved most, but I sure as shit wasn’t going to tell someone over the phone and let gossip spread like wildfire.
She was quiet for a long beat. “Are you in trouble?”
“Not the kind of trouble you’re asking about. I’m safe, I don’t need money”—I did need money, but that was beside the point. I always needed money—“I haven’t made deals with the mob or a demon.”
“That leaves out so much, babe,” she said, sounding tired. “Life isn’t a movie.”
“I know.” I did. I knew that. I just related easier when I could make movie references.
“Are you at work?”
I was. It had been a week since Killian had moved in with me. A week since that first shift when I caught him rescuing a child like he was some kind of Hallmark movie hero or something. A week since I started jerking myself raw because I wanted to fuck him again, despite the fact that it was forbidden.
Or maybe because of it?
I was so twisted up right now it was hard to tell.
“Ford! Seriously, are you on drugs? Because you didn’t mention that, and?—”
“I’m not on drugs. I’m not drinking,” I told her quickly. “I’m sleep-deprived, and I haven’t gotten laid in forever, and I feel like my whole life is falling apart in spite of the fact that it’s barely changed. I don’t know what that even means.”
“I think it means you need a vacation. Let me talk to Deo and see when all of us can get away. He and I can rent a cabin in the woods for all of us.”
That sounded like a dream, but also a nightmare because I couldn’t bring Killian along, which meant leaving him at the house again. Still, if I said no, I was really going to out myself.
“Sounds good. The season is almost over, which means we can bring the dipshit twins, and Bodie and Tucker will have a few weeks before PPHL camps start.” There. That would buy me a few weeks to figure this all out.
“Sounds good. I gotta run, but call me if you need me, okay?”
“I love you,” I sighed at her. Maybe I was clinging a little too hard, but she just laughed, repeated the sentiment, then hung up.
Glancing at the clock, it was well past time for me to go. Killian had the day off, and when I’d left, he was napping on the couch with Nugget on his chest. I took a few photos and sent them to my secret folder with all the gay hentai tentacle drawings I never wanted anyone to find. I was well aware it was weird to put Killian with those images, but he was my dirty little secret.
Or…not dirty. That didn’t seem fair.
He was very tidy, showered every day, and cleaned up after himself. He’d even started doing Nugget’s litter box, which was amazing because it was the one thing I hated about having a cat.
He also spoke softly—when he spoke at all. He didn’t intrude, never asked me where I was, always made food for me if he was making something for himself, and was always scarce while I was around.
That part wasn’t great.
I wanted him to feel welcome. Not like some squatter who had imposed himself on my life. Though…that was kind of what he was. In a nicer way.
A squatter I’d fucked and kind of fallen for, then found out he was supposed to be my mortal enemy.
I needed to start writing this shit down. I could write a whole TV script based on the bullshit that had gone on in our small town over the last few months.
