47. Taylor

Taylor

" F uck yeah! Happy fucking birthday, America!"

Christian makes a run for it after lighting a monster of a firework, barely escaping before it erupts, shooting balls of flame high into the air. They explode above us, blooms of light booming loud enough to echo off the surrounding mountains. Hannah and Christian's siblings cheer, screaming in laughter while his brother prepares the next one. Huck holds me on his lap as I finish my fourth bowl of pozole , Matty pressing in next to us, and I sigh contentedly.

This is where I belong. This is my real family.

"I still don't understand where you put all that food," Huck laughs, running his hands over my abs until I squirm.

Christian wiggles his brows. "Probably his dick."

He whispers low enough that no one could possibly hear, but Devon must have superhuman senses because he swings his head our way from where he sits across the lawn with Salem and Xed tucked under both his arms. He sucks his piercing in between his teeth, eyes glinting as he winks, and Huck's arms tighten around me.

"Dev sure seems to have hit it off with those two," he comments, and Matty scoffs, scowling in their direction.

"They look ridiculous."

"I dunno." Studying them, I watch Devon rub a hand over Xed's chest while he plays with Salem's hair. "I think they all look kinda hot together." Huck grabs my jaw, turning my face to his with a raised brow, and I bite back a grin. "Subjectively speaking, of course. Like, from a purely platonic standpoint."

"You don't think it's a little messed up that Salem's flirting with her ex's uncle?"

I shift uncomfortably, not wanting to get in the middle of it. "She's a big girl, and Logan can handle himself."

That makes him narrow his eyes. "You are the meddler of all meddlers but you're choosing now to turn a blind eye?"

"I mean...yeah. We tried, right? It's been six months. Maybe we should just let them move on. If it's meant to be, they'll find their way back to each other."

"Like me and you?" He asks softly, lips pressed against mine.

"Yeah, Huck. Like me and you."

We're splashed with ice-cold water from the hose a moment later as Christian's mom sprays us down.

"N o besos delante de la mamá, cari?o! "

"Aye, friendly fire! I wasn't involved!" Matty jumps out of the way while I laugh, shaking my damp hair onto Huckslee like a dog.

"Sorry, ma. Won't happen again. "

Another firework goes off above, brightening the sky as it cracks under the stars.

Huck's eyes sparkle when he grins and wipes the water from his face. "What did she say?"

"No kissing in front of her," I pout, batting my lashes.

"I didn't even know you could speak Spanish."

"I can understand it from being around Christian my whole life, but I can't really speak it."

My best friend snickers, reaching over to ruffle my dark strands. "Yeah, fucker can't roll his r's. Sounds like a gringo."

Hannah gasps, holding her palm face up, and Christian winces when he pulls a dollar bill out of his wallet and hands it to her for swearing.

"Did you guys really jump off that thing?" Devon asks, pointing up to the ramp bolted to the roof we never took down. Christian, Matty, Xed, and I all answer yes simultaneously. He whistles, looking impressed. "I'd like to see you ride."

"That can be arranged." Christian turns to call for his little brother, who's in the middle of lighting another firework. "Yo, Carlos! Where's your dirtbike? In the garage?"

"Yeah, dumbass."

"Ah, ah!" His mother sprays him off, too, as he yanks out a few dimes and some lint from his pocket, passing them off to Hannah. The toll was never discussed; she just marched around one day demanding money for bad words, so she got what she got.

A few minutes later, Christian wheels his brother's bike to the backyard, where a few other ramps are set up while we follow. Before he climbs on, Salem gasps dramatically, falling into manager mode .

"Wait! This is the perfect photo op. Let me grab my camera from my car. I want a shot of both of you in the air while fireworks go off in the background."

"Aw, come on Sally, no working. It's a holiday."

"It'll only take a sec, quit bitching."

It did not ‘only take a sec.'

Thirty minutes later, after Christian and I did jumps while Carlos lit fireworks, we were finally back to having fun, switching off as we rotated between doing tricks on the dirt and our old foam pit. Each landing makes me wince with my smarting ass cheek. Devon seems super into it, commenting on our form as Xed slams beer after beer, still hanging off him. Matty doesn't seem pleased but chills with Hannah and Christian's sisters, keeping them entertained. Huckslee even gets in on the action, taking a few jumps with a finesse that surprises me, considering he's pretty rusty. I'd be lying if I said my cock didn't perk up at the sight of him in a helmet.

"Kinda wanna ride you while you straddle a bike," I whisper to him after he lands in the parking lot behind the house, and he has to take a moment to get his boner under control.

Everyone begs me to show them the trick I'm doing for the competition next month, even though they saw it at the qualifier, so I give them a show. None of our ramps are high enough for me to do the backflip, and I don't feel like climbing onto the roof, so I keep it minimal. I can't fucking wait to show it off to all of them again. Well, other than Huckslee. Because he won't be here…

The thought drops my mood for the rest of the night.

I do a pretty good job of hiding it for a while, but eventually, Huck catches on because he's become so attuned to me and my emotions. Pulling me aside, he gently grips my chin, lifting my face up to his while he searches my eyes.

"What's wrong?"

I shrug, smiling sadly up at him. "Just wish you could be here for the competition, that's all. But I understand why you can't."

He exhales slowly, dropping his face to my neck without responding. Christian does a few tricks, drawing hollers from Devon, who convinces my best friend to teach him the basics. All the while, I'm holding Huck and rubbing my palms over his tight back muscles. When he raises his head, he brushes a kiss against the corner of my lips.

"Wanna get out of here?"

His thoughtfulness makes my chest ache.

"Yeah. I wanna show you something."

We say our goodbyes and slip into the Audi after I hug everyone tight, especially Hannah, because I don't know when I'll see her again. I'd like to think I'll be able to say goodbye next month, but plans don't always go how they're supposed to. As we pull away, I give Huck the address to my dad's old trailer. I need to check on it anyway since I haven't driven by in a few months, but also because...something in me just wants him to see it. To show him this part of my past.

He eyes the metal arch of Arbitrary Hills as we pass beneath it, pulling into the trailer park slowly because of the speed bumps on the cracked asphalt. "This is where you grew up?"

"Yep. This one on the right." I point out the trailer, noting the weed-filled yard and tire tracks permanently etched into the dirt from peeling out on my bike as a teen. It looks super rundown, worse than when I was growing up–the front wooden stoop is sagging, the siding is falling off in places, and some shingles are missing from the roof. Out of all the units on the street, mine is definitely the worst.

Unbuckling my seatbelt to get out, I throw Huck a pained grimace. "Come on, let's make sure no one's squatting."

"Do you own this place?" He follows me up to the splintering front door, and I nod as I search through my keys.

"My dad gave it to me in his will. I lived here for a while after he died, but when things started getting bad, and I moved to the city with Christian, I kind of let it fall apart. Can't decide if I wanna fix it up to sell or rent it out."

Once the door opens, I flick on the living room light and immediately yelp as a large black ball scurries into the kitchen.

" A fucking raccoon! "

The most unmanly shriek leaves my throat as I jump into Huck's arms, the vile creature causing chaos as it bounces off the cabinets like a basketball.

Scrambling around Huck's body, I climb up his back, pointing to the old broom leaning against the closet. "Get it out! Get it out!"

He jumps into action, grabbing the broom and chasing the hissing raccoon all over the living room like a hockey puck, shouting curse words that would probably make his grandma's hair curl.

"Go on, git!" With a shove from the broom, the filthy animal rolls out through the open front door and shuffles away, its claws scraping on the wood, making me shudder.

After it's gone, I climb from Huck's shoulders while we watch it leave momentarily, catching our breaths. Then the asshole throws back his head and laughs, a loud guffaw barreling out of his mouth as he holds his stomach and crashes to his knees, his whole body shaking.

"You screamed like a girl," he chokes, eyes watering, and I seethe at him.

"Those things have rabies, Huck!"

"You're scared of a little trash panda?"

"That thing was far from little. Fucker looked like he eats all the trash in the trailer park like some raccoon kingpin."

That only makes him laugh harder, doubling over. "But they're so cute!"

"No, they're creepy. They have thumbs, and they eat cats."

"They do not," he gasps, gaping at me.

Yanking the broom from his hands, I nudge him with it. "Do so. I read it somewhere."

"Sounds legit."

"Stop being a dick," I grumble, despite the smile pulling at my lips, and Huck grins as he wipes his eyes.

"Payback for putting that spider in my locker sophomore year."

My gut twists at the memory of how awful I treated him, causing my smile to immediately drop.

"Guess I deserve that." Turning toward the kitchen to hide my face, I spot an empty bag of cat food on the ground, probably left over from when Lasagna was alive. "Guess we know what he was living off of, that fluffy fuck."

Huck's arms envelop my waist as he holds me from behind, his stubble brushing against my cheek. "I forgive you, you know. "

"You shouldn't." My throat tightens as tears sting my eyes, my lashes fluttering to blink them away.

"I do anyway." He pulls back after a quick kiss, turning with his hands on his hips. "So, this is where you grew up. Give me the tour."

"Not much to see." I clear my throat, spinning to focus on the broken window above the peeling leather sofa where the raccoon must have gotten in. "We need to board that window up before the rodent mafia makes this their base."

"We can figure it out before we leave."

Thankfully, all doors were closed when we dealt with the raccoon problem. I walk down the short hallway to my old bedroom. "This was my room. I used to sneak in and out of the window at night to hang with Christian and the gang. That one across the way was my dad's, and here's the bathroom."

I open doors as I go, showcasing the empty spaces because I sold almost everything once my dad died—not that there was much to sell. All that's left in the trailer is the sofa, my old mattress, a dresser, and a TV stand. The bathroom is the last room I stop at, turning to see Huck standing in the hallway, studying various holes in the drywall. His eyes flicker over to me, and I smile tightly, leaning against the doorway.

"Most of those are from his fist. A few from mine. Couple of the lower ones happened when he shoved my body into the wall."

Stepping back into the bathroom without looking at him, I gaze down at the porcelain sink and run my finger over the chunk missing from the corner, wincing at the phantom pain that shoots through my temples. "That night I stole your car...this came from my head when he slammed me down. It's why I had the concussion. That's where I got the scar."

Lifting up the side of my hair to show him, I find him closer than he was a moment ago. He wraps himself around me, pulling us flush as he buries his face in my neck.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't there," he whispers against my skin, and I quickly shake my head.

"It's okay. I forgive you, too."

Honestly, there's nothing to forgive, but I hate the thought of him feeling guilty about anything. I was the one who screwed up, not the other way around.

Huck's lips gently trace around the tattoo on my throat. "He should have gone to jail for what he did to you."

With a shaky inhale, I pull away, licking the dryness from my lips. "Jail sucked, to be honest. Did he deserve it? Yeah, probably, but it's all in the past now. No use dwelling on it, you know? He's dead."

The words stick in my throat and I cough around them, unsure of what's come over me. It's been three years, and it's not like I didn't mourn—if you can call it a month-long bender and then three months of forced sobriety mourning. I'm fine. I've moved past it. And I lived here after I got out of jail, for fuck's sake. It's not like I didn't see the evidence of the abuse day in and day out. But something about being here with Huck, having him see it for the first time, see me…

"My mom called me a compulsive liar," I blurt out, my voice cracking to my horror. We gaze at one another for a few moments. When my jaw quivers, I clamp down on my molars, and the shock on his face quickly hardens .

"She doesn't know you like I do," he says firmly, pulling me into his arms again. "You didn't need to bring me here to prove anything, baby. Those that matter know the truth."

His words settle something deep inside of me, easing an anxiety I didn't know was building until this moment. Emotion tightens my chest, skipping a heartbeat, and I force a chuckle to hide the relief washing over me.

"But if we didn't stop by, Al Capoon would still be living on the sofa."

His lips twitch. "Capoon?"

"Yeah, tried to mix Capone and raccoon, but that just sounds dirty, huh?"

"You're ridiculous." Our lips find each other, and he gently pushes me against the wall.

"You know...we could always replace the bad memories with new ones. Better ones."

"Yeah?" I'm suddenly breathless. The hard lines of his body press into mine, and the scent of his aftershave floods my senses. "What did you have in mind?"

"Hmm..." He sinks his teeth into my shoulder, sending a jolt of heat straight to my groin. "I have a lot of things in mind, but what do you need, Taylor?"

"I..." The feeling of his cock rutting against mine short-circuits my brain, a hiss rolling off my tongue when he pinches a nipple over my shirt. "I just need you."

Always. Forever. In every way.

He growls softly, kneading my welted cheeks. "Is your asshole sore?"

I clench it and wince. "I'll be okay."

Fuck, I want him. I don't even care how much it hurts .

"Nope, not happening. You need to heal." He nibbles on my bottom lip when I pout before dropping to his knees and reaching for the button on my jeans.

"Huck, this place is filthy."

"Maybe I like it filthy. Already fucked you in a bar bathroom. How much worse could this be?"

"Considering that bathroom probably gets mopped way more often than–" I'm cut off by a sharp inhale when he takes my semi-hard dick in his mouth, swirling his tongue over the tip until I'm rock solid. "God, you're so good at that."

He gives me his all, letting the spit drip off his chin while swallowing around my shaft, but I don't want to be the only one feeling this way. Want to touch him, feel him inside me.

"Come on." Pulling him to his feet, I tug him toward my room, shoving him backwards onto my old bed. He bounces with a grunt, dark eyes glittering when I quickly shed my clothes and practically tear his off. Once we're both naked, I climb on top, spinning around so that my ass is in his face while his cock juts up toward my lips.

"Mm, what a view." Huck flicks his tongue out, licking a wet-hot line from my balls up to my tender hole. "I love the way your pretty ass gapes for me, baby. All sloppy and used, with my cum still dripping out of you."

I groan as I take him to the back of my throat, immediately gagging but loving every second of it. Ever since that night in the shower in Cali, Huck's been obsessed with rimming me, and I'm not complaining. Never thought I'd enjoy getting my ass eaten, but apparently, I love everything he does to me.

Gently, almost reverently, he circles and prods my hole, occasionally breaching it with his tongue in a way that feels too fucking good. My cock slides between our writhing bodies, slick with precum, as I ride his face, and he thrusts into my mouth. Feeling a little brave, I take his sac in my hand, lifting it to massage a finger against his taint, causing him to gasp sharply.

His orgasm comes quick and unexpected, flooding my mouth with so much cum that it drips from the corners of my lips, his loud moans sending me free-falling into my own release. I unload between us, a sticky mess coating our abs, as I continue to suck and wring him completely dry.

Afterward, we lick each other clean before collapsing side by side, my muscles aching but content. As he catches his breath, Huck's head rolls sideways to gaze at me, brows raised, curls disheveled in a way I love.

"Where did you learn that little trick?" he breathes, dark eyes narrowing. "I've never come so hard in my life."

A hoarse laugh bursts from my throat as I close my eyes, grinning smugly. "You're supposed to be the gay one. I did research."

"Research?"

"Mm-hmm."

The bed shifts as he moves closer, running a hand over my jaw while he nips at my earlobe. "Did this research include watching gay porn?"

"Uh..." Shit. "I plead the fifth?"

He snorts, shaking his head as he moves to his feet. "You know, if you ever have any questions or want to try something, you can just ask me, right?"

"Really?" Lifting up onto my elbows, I watch him slide on his underwear and jeans. "Anything? "

That makes him pause, and he crawls on top of me. "Anything, baby. There's no judgment here. If it's something I don't know a lot about, we'll look into it together."

"Oh. Okay." I bite my lip, searching his open expression, words on my tongue I'm dying to speak but too worried to say out loud. He notices my apprehension because, of course, he does and leans down to brush his lips against mine.

"Just say it, Taylor. Whatever it is you're thinking so hard about, let it out."

"I want to fuck you." The words tumble out in a breathless rush, and when he goes still above me, I turn my head into the mattress, losing my nerve. "I-I mean, I know it's not something you're into, and I'd never...never force you to do something you don't like, Huck. I just... I'm really attracted to you, and your ass is so damn hot. I think about it all the time, and just...fuck, but it's not a big deal if we never do that because I really like having you inside of me, too, and–"

He cuts off my rambling by biting down on my nipple, causing me to yelp, my still-naked cock twitching.

"You're fucking cute when you're flustered," he chuckles, licking away the sting with a grin, and I cover my face to hide the redness on my cheeks.

"Like I said, it's not a big deal."

"Baby. Look at me."

Lowering my hands, I tilt my head down to look at him where he rests his chin against my sternum.

"Not gonna lie, I've never been interested in bottoming before." His thumbs run calming circles over my inked ribs. "But the thought of trying it with you is... I'm not entirely against it. "

"Yeah?" My dick jumps at the possibility of being deep inside his tight hole. "You think you'd like that?"

"Maybe. Probably. When it comes to you, it seems I like everything."

"God, me too," I laugh, lifting my hips to press my hard-on into his hip as he rubs his stubble against my stomach, making me squirm.

"Can I think about it?"

"Of course you can. Take all the time you need, baby. Like I said, I'm happy with what we've been doing. Really happy."

As our lips meet again, I try to forget that we only have about a month left until he leaves. There's only this moment, with Huckslee in my arms, and there's no rush for us to do anything tonight other than just be. Even though we're currently in my childhood home, where so much went wrong, it feels lighter.

His very presence seems to strip every negative word and action from the walls, replacing them with his touch, his scent, the way he looks at me like I hung the moon. He's the love of my life, and he's slowly healing me, making me whole.

I just hope I can still remain in one piece when he's gone.