30. Phoenix

CHAPTER 30

Phoenix

" Y ou're sure you don't want to go?" I asked, stopping at Charlie's front door. We'd just gotten back from a day out wading through the creek looking for arrowheads and I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye just yet. "You don't have to be part of the speech or anything. You can just watch."

"I can't, Nix," he replied, his tone apologetic and maybe a little exasperated. I'd been bugging him to go for a couple days now. "I'm just not ready to be in a car just yet." He gave a wary glance at the abandoned SUV in his driveway. "It… It scares me too much."

I wanted to argue with him. To tell him that the accident with his mom was a one in a million chance. Hell, he was probably more likely to get struck by lightning on a cloudless day than have something like that happen again. But how could I ever convince him of that? It was easy for me to tell him not to worry. But for Charlie, the impossible had already happened, and he was waiting for it to happen again .

"Alright," I sighed at last. "I understand." I gave him a quick grin. "Would you go if we took my motorcycle instead?"

He laughed at that. "You will never get me on that bike, Phoenix. Ever."

"You and my mother," I laughed. "The pair of you are so freaked out by that motorcycle."

"She worries about your safety." He turned his gaze to the ground, shifting uncomfortably. "And… so do I."

"I promise I'll be safe. Don't worry." I lifted his chin with my forefinger, giving him a kiss. "You're sure you won't go with me?"

"You're making me feel guilty," he said softly, his smile fading.

"Don't feel guilty," I replied, trying to stop my words from doing further damage. "It's not that this speech is important or anything. Actually, it's probably better that you don't go. It's gonna be boring as fuck." I wrapped my arms around him, holding his body close to mine. "I just want to stay here with you is all."

"You'll have Tony ."

I pulled back, chuckling. "Who's the jealous one now, huh?"

"I'm not jealous!"

"Uh-huh. That's why you make a face every single time I say his name."

"I just… I don't know what kind of morals he has. What if he tries to seduce you?"

"I'm stronger and heavier than him. I'll just throw him."

"Yeah, but what if–"

"Charlie," I said, holding his face with both hands. "Nothing is going to happen between him and I. We both respect one another's boundaries and we're just friends now." I kissed him again, trying to assuage his fears. "Besides, I have a boyfriend now."

Charlie looked suddenly worried. "Who?"

"You, ya dummy!"

The concern on his face melted into a smile. Then it slowly shifted into terrifying realization.

"If you don't want the label, we can wait," I added quickly, worried I'd gone too far. "I wasn't trying to rush you into anything. I didn't think before I said it. Sorry."

A hand came up, pulling my gaze back to him. "I like it," he said at last. "I'm just surprised."

"Surprised?" I scoffed. "How could that be surprising? I've been wanting to date you since the ninth grade!"

"I just… I know it's been a nice week with you, but I guess I didn't expect it to go any further. I thought you'd visit, we'd talk about stuff, and then you'd go home. And maybe, if I was really lucky, you'd care about me from afar, visiting when you could." He shook his head. "I never expected you to want a relationship with me."

"You're the most wonderful man I know," I replied, stroking his cheek with my thumb. "And the most beautiful."

His hands were shaking as they came to rest on my shoulders. I could feel his pulse pounding in his neck and the shallowness of his breath.

"Can… Can I have some time to think about that?" he asked at last. "It's not that I don't want to," he added quickly. "Just that I need to process it and calm down a bit."

"Of course." I pulled my hands away, giving him the space he needed. "Take your time. I like you a lot, Charlie. You're worth waiting for. "

He rolled his eyes, pushing me away. "Alright. Go do your author stuff and take your cheesy Hallmark lines with you."

"I'll be back tomorrow. Do you think we could talk then?"

"Yeah," he nodded, smiling at me despite his anxiety.

"Bye Charlie," I said, grabbing his hand and placing a kiss on the back of it. "Until next we meet, fair maiden."

"Get out of here," he laughed, pulling his hand away. "Let me go freak out in peace."

I lifted a hand to wave, and he smiled, not saying anything as he watched me walk back down the street to my parent's house. Even when I walked up to the front door and looked back, he was still there. In the distance I saw him raise a hand and I returned the gesture, heat flooding through my body.

After three days in Charlie's presence and in his bed, I was so smitten I could barely breathe. What had started out as an unrequited crush had quickly turned into the most all-consuming passion I'd ever experienced. I had no idea how I was going to survive even a single night without him now. But I'd have to figure it out somehow.

And I couldn't wait to see him again tomorrow.

"So, you gonna tell me about it?" Tony asked as we stepped into our hotel room after the speaking event that night.

"Tell you about what?"

"The reason you've been sighing all day. And staring wistfully out the window like a love-struck schoolboy." He tossed his suitcase onto one of the queen-sized beds, claiming it as his own. "And why you disappeared the moment you stepped foot in Creekside. "

"I didn't disappear ," I said, taking the other bed. "And I don't know what you're talking about."

"Alright. Then I guess you won't mind letting me ride your dick then, will you? You know. Since nothing is going on."

"I… I'm not in the mood."

"Bullshit, Phie." Tony trotted over to me, poking me in the chest. "You've been up to something with that boy, and I know it. Now spill the beans."

Tony's insistence only made me want to fight harder. But I knew the more I resisted him, the more he'd push. He was like that at work, and he was like that in our friendship. Before I found it kind of nice, like I never had to hide anything and even if I tried, he'd get it out of me, eventually. But now, with Charlie asking me for some time to think, I didn't want to jump the gun and make it sound like we were dating without his approval.

However, as Tony stared at me, his finger poking me insistently, I recognized that look in his eyes. He wasn't going to give up until I gave him something . Maybe just a little bit would make him happy and get him off my back.

"Fine," I said at last. "I had a good week. Happy?"

"The kind of good week where you feel relaxed and happy or the kind of good week where you got laid and fell in love?"

I looked up at him, no words leaving my lips.

"Ah. So, it was the latter."

Turning away, I put the bed between us and opened my suitcase. I wasn't the type to unpack my clothes and put them into hotel dressers. That felt really fucking weird. But it was something to do, and it meant I didn't have to look Tony in the eye. He could always tell when I was lying that way .

"You already knew I liked Charlie," I said, taking my clothes out one piece at a time and fixing the folds. "And you knew that we were coming down here to visit him."

"Yeah. But I figured you were too chicken shit to take it much further than that."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

"Anytime."

I let out a long sigh. "Well, he read my book." I rolled my eyes as Tony gasped dramatically. "And he figured it out of course."

"He'd have to be blind not to."

"Anyway. We talked and decided to go on a date. While we were out on that date… my old high school bully showed up and started calling us some nasty things. I'd intended on just walking out and forgetting about it. But when he grabbed me, Charlie stepped in and knocked one of his fucking teeth out."

"Jesus Christ…" Tony sighed, shaking his head. "It's a good thing you didn't hit him."

"I wish I had."

"No you don't," he corrected. "Not when your net worth is suddenly sky fucking high. The dude probably targeted you on purpose, hoping you'd hit him so he could sue."

I shrugged. It was possible. Of course, I didn't think Jordan Peterson was that smart, but maybe he was more conniving than I suspected.

"Well, Charlie took care of it. Then we left with the owner's blessing. He called the cops on Jordan for being a drunk piece of shit. I doubt he remembered much anyway. He was pretty far gone, and his head did hit the table really hard. "

"So, this boy protected you," Tony said with a sly grin. "And then you immediately fell head over heels for him, didn't you?"

"That's none of your business."

Tony's jaw dropped. "You did ." A mischievous smile filled his face. "And then you fell into bed with him, didn't you?"

"Tony…"

"I'm sure that boy was happy to throw his feet over your shoulders for that."

My face turned bright red as I looked away. "It… It wasn't like that."

A sharp gasp pulled my gaze back up. "Oh my god! You insatiable slut!"

"What?!"

"You put your ankles over his shoulders, didn't you?"

I didn't reply.

"Didn't you?!"

"Can we not talk about this?"

"I'm gonna talk about it," he laughed, coming around the bed and punching me in the arm. "Mr. I'm definitely not a bottom !"

"I'm not!"

"Not for me ," he shot back. "Or for anyone else except this Charlie guy, apparently." He gave me a good once over. "Was it good?"

"Jesus, Tony…"

"Alright fine. Be a prude. But at least tell me you had fun."

I sighed again. "Fine. I had fun."

Tony's grin widened. "Boy must know what he's doing to get you to bottom. Or maybe you just like being a damsel in distress."

"It's not that," I said, going back to unpacking. "Besides, it was his first time."

"First time topping?"

I bit my lower lip. "First time… ever ."

Tony smacked my arm. " Stoppit ."

I nodded.

"Well, I can see why you bottomed now. It probably lasted all of fifteen seconds."

My irritation with Tony quickly turned to anger. "Don't you talk about him like that!" I snapped. "He did great. All three times! And his technique was incredible! Nobody has ever made me cum hands free before him!"

Tony grinned wider, and I realized I'd fallen right into his trap. He wanted more details from me, and he worked me up until I gave them without realizing. I felt like I'd betrayed Charlie's trust. And to top it all off, I felt like an idiot.

"See? That wasn't so hard, was it Phie?"

"I hate you."

"That's fine." He wrapped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. "But all that aside, I can tell this boy is good for you. You've been dreaming about him for years and now that you're together… well, let's just say it looks like it agrees with you."

"We're not together," I said maybe a little too quickly.

"Well, let me know when you are," Tony replied, his tone implying it was only inevitable. "And I want to meet him when you two finally make it official. I want to meet the man who's friendship just made you the most successful author of the year."

"Right," I nodded, giddy at the idea of having Charlie at my side as my partner. I knew socializing wasn't his favorite thing to do, but meeting a small group of friends was okay, right? "I'll let you know."

Tony walked back to his bed, pulling open his suitcase. "Oh, and let me know when he wants to open up your relationship."

I looked up at him, confused. But he just smiled.

"If his dick is that good, I want a turn too."

"Tony, I say this with all the love in the world," I growled. "Touch him and you die."

He laughed, but I could tell he knew I was serious. "Message received."