46. Huckslee

Huckslee

M y jaw clenches so hard at Maisie's words I swear I hear a molar crack.

I've never hated her more than I do at this moment.

"I just don't understand why you'd think this was a good idea. He's violent and unpredictable, just like his father was."

But he's not. And I can't believe my ears are even hearing a mother talk about their child this way right now. Over the last few months, I've grown to know Taylor better than I know myself—all his scars, hopes, and dreams. He's beautiful, inside and out. It took me far too long to realize that, and it eats me up that his own mom can't even see that about the human she brought into this world.

"Now, Mais, let's just catch our breaths." Dad tries to calm the storm brewing in the room, but his wife is having none of it.

"I do not want him here. Not after what he did to you, Aaron. And Huckslee, have you forgotten that he wrecked your car? You boys never got along, I don't know what's changed—"

The anger inside me bubbles to its boiling point, and finally, I snap, unable to stand her vitriol any longer.

"Taylor and I are dating."

I shout it out loud enough for the whole house to hear, cutting off her words. A shocked silence permeates the air, my dad and Maisie wearing matching expressions of astonishment. When Dad's features morph into appalled, I speak again, feeling like I've just been shot in the chest.

"I love him. I have for years, and I won't stand here and listen to you break him down when he's already been broken enough by one parent. We all make mistakes and do things we regret, but people can change. He's the one for me, and if you can't accept that, then this is the last time you'll see me."

Without a backward glance, I exit the kitchen, intending to find Taylor so that I can kiss him breathless. It's dead quiet in the house, aunts, uncles, and cousins gaping at me, but I don't give a fuck. My feet barely make it through the dining room when Logan pulls me back by my arm, an odd look on his face. I'm surprised to have his attention on me, seeing as we haven't talked in weeks.

"Taylor's gone," he rushes out, eyes like saucers, and my brows slam together.

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?"

"He heard everything Maisie said and got upset. Said he was going for a ride with my Uncle Dev before your big announcement."

What the hell?

"Your uncle's here? I didn't even see him. "

We both hurry to the front door, my gaze sweeping over the porch and lawn, hoping to catch them before they leave, but they're nowhere to be found.

Logan rubs the back of his neck. "He must have shown up shortly after you did because I didn't see him either. I don't think I told you this, but things between him and my family have been bad ever since he came out as bisexual."

My stomach drops, my mind racing with all kinds of scenarios, jealousy simmering deep in my gut. What the fuck is Taylor thinking? He doesn't even know Devon; why would he go off with a total stranger instead of talking to me? Pulling out my phone, I thumb over to the group chat, finding a message from him already sitting in the thread. I only smile slightly at the contact name he made for himself after I showed him the movie Superbad :

McLovin: Sorry, Huck, I can't be there anymore.

Met Logan's uncle, he's pretty chill. Offered me a ride on his motorcycle.

Stay as long as you need, there's no rush. We'll be at Flytrap when you're ready.

A muttered curse leaves my throat. Flytrap is a gay bar in the next town over, about ten minutes from here. Why the fuck would he be going to a bar? With a strange bisexual man he's never met?

Goddammit, Taylor. God-fucking-dammit.

"I gotta go." Shoving my cell into my pocket, I march toward the Audi, seeing red. I'm about to shift into drive when the passenger door opens, and Logan meets my bewildered gaze with a half-smile as he slides on his seatbelt.

"I've seen you two fight; someone's gotta be there to limit the bloodshed."

"Oh, trust me," I growl, taking off down the road, "you don't want to witness the things I'm gonna do to him. Not unless you want therapy afterwards."

He only shakes his head, saying nothing during the drive while ‘Blackout' by Breathe Carolina blasts through my speakers. We're almost to the bar when he turns to me thoughtfully.

"Did you mean it? What you said to your dad and Maisie about Taylor?"

"What? They'll never see me again if they can't accept Taylor and I?" At his nod, I give him one of my own. "I meant every word. The way I feel about him, Loge...it's everything. They've got him all wrong, and if they won't take the time to understand him, then I want nothing to do with them. He's my priority. I won't lose him because of what they think."

He's quiet for a long time, processing my words, and I have a feeling he's thinking about his own issues, but I'm too anxious right now to ask him about it. I definitely will later, after I've taught my boyfriend a lesson about getting into vehicles with strangers since he didn't learn when I bent him over my knee for picking up a hitchhiker.

Seriously, this motherfucker is going to make my blood pressure higher than it already is.

The parking lot is packed by the time we pull in, sunset on the horizon. Flytrap is on the smaller end, but as the only gay bar in the surrounding rural areas, it draws quite the crowd. I've never been inside, but Royce mentions the place from time to time. People exit and enter the front wooden door in all kinds of attire, ranging from patriotic body suits for the holiday to leather halters and platform boots.

Music thumps from the sound system when we step up to the large bouncer at the door, giving him our IDs, and as we make it onto the dance floor, I search the space for my man. It's not lost on me how similar this is to the frat party, how much our stories intertwine like the universe is trying to find our perfect balance. Like finding Delaware.

We saddle up to the bar, pushing between people to get the bartender's attention. He's wearing nothing but a pleated skirt and a bow tie, bare torso on display, and his eyes light up when he catches me waving at him.

"What can I get for you, sweetheart?" He leans an elbow on the countertop, a seductive smile playing on his lips. I pull up a photo of Taylor on my phone that I took at the San Diego Zoo back in California.

"Have you seen this guy around?"

He briefly eyes the picture, rolling his lips between his teeth. "That cutie? Yeah, he's here with Devon. Booth in the other room, far back corner. Why? There's no trouble, I hope?"

"Oh, there will be." My teeth are clenched, so I don't think he can hear me, but his wary eyes follow Logan and me as we push through the dance floor into the second room where the tables are. Following the bartender's directions, I spot Taylor huddled in a corner booth with an older-looking Devon than I remember.

Logan's uncle has my boyfriend's hand in his, holding it up to his face while he studies the markings on his knuckles, and I cross my arms to watch. I'm sure he's asking what the four Japanese symbols tattooed there mean, and I hope Taylor tells him that it's my name forever inked into his skin. I fucked his brains out after he admitted to me what they meant.

Taylor pulls his hand away, looking slightly uncomfortable as he lifts a drink to take a sip, and I tense. It's a clear glass with dark brown liquid. Is it whiskey? Rum? Beer? Devon reaches out to touch the dragonfly on Taylor's throat, causing my hands to flex with the urge to break his fingers, which shocks the hell out of me. When did I get so violent? My boyfriend backs away, his gaze bouncing around the room uneasily, eyes darkening when they land on mine. He visibly swallows, and I know he can feel the rage radiating off of me.

Logan follows silently as I stalk over to them, Taylor's attention holding mine the entire way. His teeth sink into his bottom lip as he tries to hide his smirk.

Oh, you're in so much trouble.

My cock swells with ideas about what I'm going to do to him, and I mentally thank whatever higher power is out there for choosing to wear a long enough shirt today to hide it. When we step up to the side of the table, Devon whips his head around before flashing us a wide grin.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite nephew and his best friend, the football star. Made a break for it, too, huh?"

I ignore him, focusing on Taylor instead as I point a finger at his drink. "We're doing this again? I thought we agreed that you'd come to me the next time you felt like drinking?"

Devon looks peeved as Taylor leans back in his seat, eyes like green pools of fury when he flicks a wrist at me. "Why don't you take a sip, asshole, and see what's in the cup before making assumptions?"

With nostrils flared, I do as he says, tasting nothing but Dr. Pepper on my tongue as I glower at Taylor's smug face.

Devon scoffs, glancing between us. "I don't know what I'm missing, but your stepbro can make his own decisions."

Logan chokes on his spit, coughing into his arm as I raise a brow at Taylor expectantly.

"That so?"

He swallows again, the column of his throat flexing, and I catch how he subtly shifts in his seat to adjust himself. "Yup. I'm a big boy. I can do what I want."

"Hmm," I hum, tapping my chin. "You're right. And so can I. I'm going to find someone to dance with."

"Wait, what the fuck—"

Without giving him a chance to finish, I stride toward the dance floor, knowing full well I won't get far. I've barely entered the crowd when a hand grips my arm, spinning me around, and I grin down into Taylor's blazing eyes.

"Got you."

He jabs a finger into my chest, lips curling into a snarl. "First off, fuck you. And second off, why are you mad at me?"

" Me?" Wrapping my arms around him, I grind my hard cock against his thigh as I yank his head back by the hair. "Why am I mad that you took off with a stranger without a word?"

His breath hitches, pupils blowing wide with desire as he licks his lips. "Devon's not a stranger, and I told Logan where I was going. Plus, I texted. Those are words. "

"But he's a stranger to you," I growl as I capture his bottom lip between my teeth. "You can't just take off on bikes with men you don't know."

"I...I couldn't be in that house anymore, Huck," he breathes, matching my thrusts as we rut against each other on the dance floor. "The shit Maisie was saying, everyone's judgment. I don't belong there but I didn't want to ruin your holiday. They're your family."

"You're my family, too. And if you're ever in a situation that makes you uncomfortable, communicate, and we'll leave. Understand?"

He nods, small whimpers of pleasure working his throat as he clings to me.

I grip his jaw firmly. "Words, baby."

" Yes, goddamn. Now, can we go? Everyone's at Christian's mom's, and I want to get off before we go blow shit up. Plus, we didn't get to eat, and I'm starving."

Ah, that's cute. He thinks he's off the hook for ditching me, but I'm not easily distracted.

Spinning around, I yank him toward the back, where a sign hangs from the ceiling pointing toward the bathroom. There's a dimly lit hall and, thankfully, no line, so the toilet is empty when I pull him inside and throw the lock. As soon as I turn around, he's on me, clawing at the button on my jeans while our mouths crash together, sucking, biting, a mess of spit and teeth.

He practically climbs me like a tree, wrapping his thighs around my hips to writhe against my cock, desperate and needy for me. I fucking love it when he's like this. Taylor has an insatiable sex drive, much to my delight. Every morning over the past few weeks has been spent with his cum on my tongue, some days swallowing, some days feeding it back to him, and I've come to crave it more than caffeine.

But my baby is in trouble. He has a lesson to learn, and I'm going to make sure I get my point across.

"Turn around, hands on the sink," I command, reveling in the shiver of anticipation that visibly shakes him. He bites his lip, letting go of me as he obeys, eyeing me in the mirror with a mixture of lust and defiance. Pressing my chest to his back, I hold his gaze as I slide my tongue along the side of his neck, tasting the salty sweat on his skin as I push his pants and briefs down just past his ass only, keeping his hard cock trapped.

"Bend forward."

That gorgeous face of his twists into a sneer. "Hmm...nah."

"That wasn't a request." Biting down on his ear until he hisses, I lick the sting away, unsure of when this kinky game between us started but loving it all the same.

His eyes flash, ass pushing back against my bulge. "Make me."

Placing my palm against his back, I hook an ankle around his leg and roughly force him down until he has no choice but to brace his forearms on the counter or risk smashing his face.

"Jesus," he chokes, a flush blossoming on his skin as I lightly trail a finger through his crease. That tight, pink hole puckers under my touch, begging to be filled.

"Remember what happened in Cali when we talked about going on rides with strangers?" I ask softly, gently rimming him as he moans softly.

"Y-yeah. I remember. "

"Obviously, someone wasn't listening." Reaching into my back pocket to grab my wallet, I pull out a packet of lube and rip it open with my teeth, squirting some down his crack while he whimpers. My finger slips right in up to the knuckle, soft heat surrounding it as I fuck into him.

Taylor rocks his hips back, groaning. "More. Please."

He's pressing his groin against the counter, seeking friction, but he knows better than to try and touch himself before I let him. That knowledge makes me heady with power, and I add another finger while my free hand whips the belt out of my pant loops.

"You need to learn not to talk to strangers."

Folding the belt in half, I drag it down his ass cheek before meeting his wide gaze in the mirror. His eyes are nearly black, lips parted as he pants from my fingers still inside his body, sweat beading on the back of his neck. Suddenly, I'm unsure, not wanting to hurt him. This dynamic between us is still uncharted.

I tap the belt gently on his ass. "This okay?"

Swallowing, he fucks himself on my fingers. "Yeah. I can take it."

Oh, my god.

Taking a deep breath, I raise the belt, keeping my gaze on his. "If it becomes too much, tell me to stop."

The belt comes down against his flesh with an audible crack, leaving a bright red welt in its place. Taylor cries out, jerking forward on my fingers, his yelp morphing into a moan of pleasure, and I add a third digit while I bring the belt down again .

"Oh, shit," he whimpers through clenched teeth, meeting my thrusts as I massage his skin before whipping him two more times.

"Take out your cock and stroke it, baby," I tell him, pulling mine out as well to relieve the pressure in my jeans.

He complies, an almost painful sound coming from him when he wraps his fist around his length and begins to jerk. I get one more smack in before I can't stand it anymore, and I pour more lube on my dick before lining myself up with his hole. Grabbing his throat, I pull him up against me as I thrust inside, feeling his muscles clamp onto my cock like a vice.

Someone chooses to bang on the door at that exact moment, hollering at us to hurry up. We both freeze, meeting each other's gazes in the mirror, and my hand moves from his throat to cover his mouth.

"Shh..." Biting down on his neck, I pull out slowly before slamming back in, his own teeth sinking into my palm to stifle a moan. Pounding on the door continues, nearly in sync with the pounding I'm giving Taylor's ass as I take him over and over. A single drop of moisture drips from his lashes, and I catch it with my tongue, feeling him shake when I hit his prostate just right.

"Mmfuck, fuck, fuck." He explodes into the sink, spurting cum all over the counter and mirror, cries of pleasure barely muffled by my hand. As always, the sight of him losing control and his ass spasming on my cock sends me right there with him, coming so hard I nearly blackout as I pump him so full, he'll feel it for days.

Taylor collapses forward, his legs giving out, but I wrap my arms around him to keep him steady. My forehead drops to his back, both of our breaths ragged, and his trembling hand lifts to pull my face in for a searing kiss.

When we pull apart, our eyes find each other, emotion passing between us, making my heart skip a beat. He smiles, a sight so beautiful that I realize I'd burn the world down just to keep it on his face, and I have to clear my throat before I end up doing something stupid. Like dropping to one knee and proposing.

"Are we going to communicate now like a normal couple, or do I need to worry about you running off with hot guys on bikes next time you're upset?"

His grin turns wicked, a chuckle brushing against my lips. "Well, I mean, if you're willing to chase me down, baby." When I growl in response to that, he bursts into laughter. "I'll come to you first, I promise. I just couldn't go in there with Maisie talking shit, and I didn't want to make everyone suspicious by pulling you away, so...yeah."

Oh, which reminds me.

"There's no need to worry about that. If you'd stayed just five more minutes, you would have heard me announcing to the entire house that we're together."

"Y-you what?!" His jaw drops as he pulls himself off my dick, turning around in my arms. "Are you fucking for real?"

"Yep." Lowering my gaze, I wet some paper towels to clean him up. "It kind of just came out. You mad?"

"The fuck? Hell no, I'm relieved. Lying makes me gassy."

A choked snort makes me cough as I wipe off my dick and wash my hands. "That's a very odd reaction."

The banging on the door starts again, someone on the other side shouting angrily, and I holler at them to hold up while we quickly clean up the mess. With our clothes righted and junk tucked away, I grab Taylor's hand, kissing his knuckles before opening the door.

Angry eyes of the bartender in the skirt greet us on the other side, surrounded by two bouncers. "Seriously? Can't you two read?"

He points to a neon sign hanging on the wall that reads ‘ no fucking in the bathroom ,' and we share a baffled look as the bouncers walk us to the door. A few people clap when we're marched out, but I can't even find it in me to be embarrassed. Not when Taylor squeezes my hand and gives a princess wave to the crowd, hair a mess, lips swollen from my kisses, a hickey forming on his neck where I bit down.

Mine. Absolutely mine, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

"Why do they even need a sign like that?"

"Right? Are people getting fucked regularly in the bathroom at this place?"

As we cross the parking lot toward my car, I spot Logan and Devon standing near the motorcycle several spaces over. A sensual smirk rests on Devon's pierced lips when he flicks his gaze over Taylor before dragging it to where our hands are clasped.

"Ah, young love," he sighs, straddling his bike, and I turn to where his nephew stands with his hands on his hips.

"Well, I see no blood, so that's a good sign." Logan checks us both over with an assessing gaze. "No bruises. I think it's safe to say everything's sorted? "

"Yep," Taylor grins, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. "Though, I wouldn't be so sure about the bruises. My ass is so sore, I won't sit right for a week."

Logan sputters while Devon throws his head back to laugh, and I pull Taylor against me, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"We're going to light some fireworks at Christian's mom's if you both want to come," he says, his gaze bouncing between them.

Devon angles his head. "Will there be booze?"

"Oh, yeah. And the best pozole you've ever tasted."

"Shit, I'm in."

My brow lifts at my best friend. "What about you, Loge? Salem's gonna be there."

He deliberates for a moment, chewing on a cheek. "Thanks, but I should probably head home. I've got work in the morning."

My shoulders sag slightly with disappointment, but I offer to drop him off at his car because I won't make him pay for an Uber. Doubt there's one this far out from the city, anyway.

As the three of us pile into the Audi, Devon calls to Taylor from his bike.

"You sure you don't want to come with me? I'll even ride bitch."

Taylor freezes, eyes brightening with excitement. I glare at Devon, knowing precisely what he's doing, preparing to begrudgingly watch my boyfriend drive off with another man because I can't say no, but Taylor surprises me when he shakes his head.

"Nah, man, I'm good. Thanks for the ride earlier, though. I need to invest in one of those. "

As we're buckling in our seatbelts, I throw him a curious look. "You could have gone with him if you wanted to. I know you're dying to drive a motorcycle."

"Yeah. But I'm dying to be with you more." He throws me a cheesy grin, which I roll my eyes at, even though I'm secretly pleased with his answer.

Because honestly, I've been dying to be with him, too. For a very, very long time.