Page 32 of Bitter Truths

“I think he might swing both ways,” Aaron murmurs, and I chuckle humorlessly.

“Oh, he does,” I say without thought.

Aaron swings my way with raised brows, and I smile darkly. “He was my boyfriend for half a minute in high school, but he’s also been with my brother.”

His eyes light with a flash of humor as he says teasingly, “Wow, that’s some trashy talk show shit.”

I laugh because, on its face, it’s true. How twisted is that?

“Yeah, well, he’s not a nice dude.”

Sensing my discomfort, he nods slowly. “What about lover boy?”

“Who?” I ask, pretending ignorance, and he gives me a knowing look.

“The guy who pissed all over you the other night. Man, that was hot.”

“Ha! Griffin? He’s a dick.”

“Is that so?” Griffin’s silky voice says behind me, and I glare at my soon-to-be-dead roommate, who’s smiling at me devilishly.

Clearly, keeping secrets from my friend isn’t doing me any favors. Damn.

“What do you want, Griffin?” I ask when he drops beside me and looks at Aaron.

“What’s up, man? I’m Griffin.”

“Aaron,” my mischievous roommate says, looking Griffin over with wary eyes.

A girl wandering by stares at Griff with a flush and I curl my lip. I don’t blame her. If you stare too long, you’re liable to burn your damn retinas, especially today because he’s in a tank top and basketball shorts with his muscular arms bulging in the sun.

Damn him, his arms, and the dragon tattoo rippling with his movements.

“So, you were chatting about my dick?” Griffin turns back to me with the wicked curl to his lips that I’m pretty sure I hate.

“Yeah, no,” I mutter sourly.

“No? C’mon, sweetheart, don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. I made you come so sweet—”

“Enough,” I slash my hand through the air, liquid fire burning a trail through me.

If I miss anything about Griff, it’s the way he made me forget, and I know it’s because I’ve loved him for years. I lusted after him long before the incident, and the feelings didn’t wane even in the wake of everything that went down. The problem is, what if I can never have the same experience with another guy?

I’ve thought about it with Aaron. He’s cute and unencumbered by my past but after being with Griffin, I’m ruined for anyone anyway. He’s the only one. He always has been. It’s a fucking dilemma I don’t have the headspace for, so I push it aside along with every other thing I don’t want to consider, and the list is long.

With his eyes alight with devilish amusement, Griff shifts, and I glance down, blushing to the roots of my hair to see a telltale bulge behind his thin, silky shorts.

Fuck me, but my entire body lights up like a roman candle, and despite the warm weather, my nipples tighten in reaction.

“Just say when . . .” Griffin purrs, trailing off when he spies Jason across the grass, still tossing the frisbee.

His entire body stiffens before his eyes go wide and then narrow. With a pulse of alarm, I clutch his arm when he goes to stand. “Griff.”

His eyes fly to mine at the nickname I refused to use before, at least not without a sarcastic lilt, and the emotion that flashes behind his beautiful irises causes a painful thump in my chest.

Dropping his arm, I say softly, “Leave it alone.”

Nodding slowly, he searches my gaze before glancing back at Jason with an intensity that worries me. He looks away but unfortunately focuses back on me. It’s not that I wouldn’t like to see Jason go down. And if anyone should do it, it’s probably Griffin, but I don’t need him messing with anything more in my life, it’s complicated enough as it is.

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