Page 34 of LOT 62

His cheeks lit up like the cherry of a cigarette and his hands fumbled with the packet of crackers. Being something other than straight wasn’t that big of a deal these days, but it didn’t really have a place in the construction world. There was still a bit of a stigma around it here, so I understood his hesitation.

“I… I’m not… well, you see, I…uh.”

“Yeah, I get it,” I laughed. Basically felt the same a year and a half ago.

Dipshit Devon:Good. Busy. I miss you. Wanna dirtbike tonight?

Maddox:Sure. What time?

Dipshit Devon:I’ll be home at 6. Eat and then go?

Maddox:Eat, suck my cock, then go.

Dipshit Devon:We’ll race. Winner gets a smokie.

I grinned at my phone and sent him a thumbs up.

“Well, if you ever need someone to hash shit out with, I’m a terrible option, but I'm here.” Look at me being all supportive and shit, talking to the kid who drugged me about a sexuality topic I knew nothing about. I guess I was basically an influencer for messed-up shifts in sexuality.

“Thanks.” He blushed some more. It wasn’t as cute as Devon’s.

An hour later, I was almost done with work, and my phone chimed again.

Dumbass Brother:Nah. He left. Said he had an appointment at the bank.

Fucking hell, Devon.

Damnhimformakingme leave work early. Worry wasn’t going away, so I went home to check on him, but he wasn’t there. I pulled out of our lot, planning to head to the shop to ask Nate where he could be, but as I left Garron Park, I noticed Devon’s shitty truck at the Park Office.

What an idiot. This had his dad all over it. My blood burned hot in my veins, pissed at Devon for being dumb enough to get involved in something like this. He had no business being at the office, so I knew he was being sketchy. I parked the truck and waited, wondering if I should go in there and drag him out. Whatever Jim wanted, he could get it himself.

My mind was made for me when I saw Gary walk up to the front door. I hopped out of the truck to run interference, so Devon didn’t get caught red-handed doing… whatever he was doing.

Luckily, Gary got stopped by a resident as he entered the building. They stood there inside the door, Gary getting verbally assaulted because mail service had been fucking up a lot lately, and me glancing around to find my boyfriend. I spotted Devon through the glass window of Gary’s office, rummaging around his desk drawers.

“Gary!” I called when he turned, heading for his office.

Gary spun in my direction. “Maddox? What’re you doing here?” His back stayed to his office, giving Devon time to get out. Devon looked up, caught in the act, but he knew I was helping him. I’d kick his ass for this later.

“I heard there was some outside interest in our lot,” I said, making something up on the fly. “Just wondering if we should be looking for somewhere else?”

“Oh, no,” Gary said, waving me off. “There was some interest, uh, in the trail beside your lot. Not the actual lot.”

“The trail?” That interested me. Why? And if it was Jim, why the hell would he care about that trail? I kept Gary talking while Devon slipped out the door. I turned, making Gary turn with me so Devon could leave the building.

“A few residents wondered if they could use it or if it was private. I told them they could use it if they didn’t access it from your lot. That okay?”

I nodded. “Alright. Thanks. See ya around.” I walked out.

Devon’s truck had already left, so I hopped in mine and tried to calm down on the two-minute drive through the park. Gary either lied about Jim or my dad had been wrong about Jim asking about our lot. As foreign as the feeling was, I actually trusted my dad more than Gary.

Gonna kill Devon, though.

14

-Devon-

Ipacedthetrailer,wondering how Maddox planned to kill me. Nerves slithered up my spine and upset my stomach. Getting caught hadn’t been in the plan, but now that he knew, guilt and shame ate me alive—seemed to be my default setting lately. My hands shook and my palms sweated, and no matter how many times I paced the length of the living room, I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were about to have a fight. Not a good fight. One of those that ended with hurt feelings and emotional agony.

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