Chapter 8

8

Baylor

“ S o, what are you going to wear to the party tonight, babe?”

This is probably the tenth time Taya’s asked me this question in the last two days.

“I don’t know.” I shrug, giving her the same answer I did yesterday and the day before. Not sure how many times I have to repeat myself. And why is it so fucking important? Us guys don’t exactly plan out our outfits ahead of time. We just throw on whatever shit is clean—usually jeans and a shirt—and call it a day.

“Can you wear your black waffle knit shirt and your faded jeans? You look so hot in that outfit.”

Now, she’s trying to pick out my clothes? Play dress up with her Ken doll? Shit, I really am her pet.

“If it’s clean I will.” It’s pathetic to think that before I would’ve gone home after school and washed the outfit just to make sure I could give Tay what she wanted. Now, I don’t fucking care what she wants. I’m counting down the hours until I can end things with her. Come tomorrow, we’ll be broken up.

“I’m going to be in my black mini dress, so can you at least wear a black shirt?” She sounds annoyed.

It’s just a party. Why the hell do we have to coordinate our outfits? It’s not like we’re going to prom. Chase is just inviting people to his house to drink and hang out. There are going to be a few kegs and music playing. It’s not a special occasion.

“Fine.” I nod. Whatever it takes to get her off my case about it. I’m sure I can find something black to wear.

“What’s with you? You’re in such a sour mood.”

What’s with me is the fact that I can’t stop thinking about Ryeson. I can’t stop thinking about what happened between us. My thoughts are spinning out of control. My body feels like it’s on fire. And everything I’ve ever felt and known is coming into question. Meanwhile, Ryes is acting like nothing happened. Not that I expected us to sit down and talk about it, but he’s been completely normal all day. As cool as a fucking cucumber. And here I am completely on edge.

It's not like it just happened once. A collision of testosterone that accidentally overcame us. We’ve made out twice now, and yesterday was way more intentional than some stupid bet. I saw the look in Ryeson’s eyes. It matched the heat that was burning through my veins.

“Nothing’s with me,” I tell her, but my voice begs to differ. “I’m just worried about how I did on my chem test.” It’s not a far stretch from the truth. My mind was so fucked up, I know I got some questions wrong.

“I’m sorry, baby.” She snuggles in closer. “Don’t be stressed.” Her fingers run through my hair, rubbing it against the grain and annoying me further. “I’m sure you did great. My boyfriend is so smart.” Everything she does irritates me now. She’s just trying to be nice, but I don’t even want her to touch me anymore.

“Hey, man!” Ryes comes up, holding his fist out for a bump. My stomach gives me a good kick with nerves. I try to keep my hand from shaking as I give him a bump. He’s as steady and as calm as usual. It’s like he’s completely forgotten he double fisted us yesterday. That he grabbed my cock and rubbed us both off until we erupted all over each other. There was something so intense running between us, but he’s not even phased by it, and it’s making me feel like I’m fucking delusional.

He takes his seat, and Brennon comes right over and sits down next to him. The two of them seem to be paired at the hip these days.

“Hey, man. Willow just texted. She says that Tierney doesn’t like Italian food. Are you good if we go to The Grill instead?” Bren looks over at Ryes for his answer, and I’m looking at him too. Sounds like they’re making plans, but I haven’t gotten an invitation. Usually, Ryes would include me in everything.

“Yeah, I’m fine with that.” Ryeson nods, picking up his fork and winding it around his pasta. The guy could live on Italian food. It’s one of his main food groups.

Brennon types something out on his phone then looks up. “They’ll meet us there at seven. So, I’ll get you at six thirty. Then you can ride with Tierney over to the party and I’ll ride with Willow. Is that cool?”

Ryes nods again, his mouth full of food. I look down at the pizza sitting on my plate and offer it to Taya. “You want this?” Of course, she takes it. “So, are you guys going to dinner before the party tonight?” It sounds like they’re going on a double date.

Ryes nods and takes another bite of food, not giving me any details. He’s never been big on airing his business when others are around, but I’m not big on wondering what the fuck is going on. Thankfully, Brennon chimes in. He’s always eager to share.

“Yeah. We’re going on a double date. I’m trying to hook this one up with Willow’s cousin. You’ll finally get to meet my girl at the party tonight by the way.”

Now the nerves have spun their way into jealousy. Ryeson has agreed to go on a date tonight. After swearing off high school girls, he’s diving right in, isn’t he? Seems like he’s not just trying to ignore what happened between us, but has quickly put it in his past.

“That’s cool,” I state, holding out my hand for another bump, trying not to let the tension curl around my features. “So, is she hot?”

I want to punch him in the arm and ask him what the fuck, but it’s clear that I’m the one with the problem. I’m the one reading into shit. To him it really was just a bet. I’m surprised he hasn’t come at me yet for the money. Make me pay up for his services rendered.

“She’s really hot,” Ryeson answers, smiling. Now, he’s eager to share the details. “Bren show him a picture of her.” I don’t even want to see. I just want to know why I’m the only one rattled by what’s happened between us.

“Here, I’ll pull up her page.” Bren nods, and I feel my jaw growing tighter by the second. The tension railing up my spine.

Bren pulls up an Instagram page and shows me the girl. She looks right up Ryes’ alley. Tall, thin, blonde. Blue eyes. Big boobs. She’s definitely pretty. Usually, I’d be giving him a high five and hoping he ends up making the score. Right now, my stomach is heavy with a dreaded feeling. I’m jealous over a girl he’s never even met. It’s fucking madness.

“Not sure she’s a keeper,” I tease. “She doesn’t like Italian food and that’s your favorite.” And now I’m trying to sway him out of it, like some jealous fangirl. I need to keep my mouth shut before he picks up on my vibe and starts questioning whether I have the hots for him. I don’t know the answer yet, but my dick is pointing right to yes.

He shrugs. “Not a big deal. I don’t choose who to spend my time with over what they eat.”

Clearly, he’s attracted to the girl if he’s willing to look past the fact that she hates his favorite food. Which is not something I should be pissed about. He’s straight. Ryeson has always been into chicks. And so have I.

“Well, she’s definitely hot, dude. Hope it works out.” No, I don’t. I hope she’s obnoxious and irritates the hell out of him.

“Hey, baby.” Taya wraps herself around me. As soon as I said the word hot, I felt her stiffen next to me. “Do you want to go out to your truck, and I can help cheer you up?” Taya’s voice prickles over my skin like pine needles. No, I don’t. But I definitely can’t sit at this table anymore. The tension is crawling through my veins like toxic spiders. I can’t sit here and watch Ryes shovel food, acting like everything is completely normal between us. Things are fucked. He fucked me so good I’m losing my mind.

“Yeah, sounds good. Catch you guys later,” I say, grabbing Tay’s hand and leading her right out of the cafeteria. She’s struggling to keep up as I storm out of the building and straight to my truck. I hold the door open for her then practically hoist her up inside and climb in after her.

“Baylor, geez. Calm down. What’s going on with you?”

I grab the back of her neck, ignoring her comment, and slam my lips to hers. I’m desperate to curb my thoughts and get my head back to normal, but the kiss doesn’t feel the same. It feels like I’m kissing my own palm. There’s no excitement or spark, no blood rushing to my cock. I run my hands down to her breasts, giving them a squeeze, rubbing my thumbs over her tight nipples. I’ve always been a tit man, so they should get me worked up, but my dick isn’t budging an inch. I’m so fucking screwed.

I press onward, determined to feel something, but she pulls away. “I can’t believe you called that girl hot right in front of me. She is not hotter than me. And that is so rude to say in front of your girlfriend.”

Fuck me. Way to strike my nerves down further. I sit back, nearly slamming my head back on the seat. Her insecurities always kill the mood.

“I didn’t say she was hotter than you.” My sanity is on the verge of snapping. I can’t believe she’s trying to pull this shit right now. “I think I’m done, Tay.” I don’t even think I can wait until tomorrow to break up with her. I’m not even sure I’m going to go to the party anymore. I’m not sure what the fuck I’m going to feel when Ryes shows up with that girl. I need to lock myself behind closed doors and not come out until I’m back to my normal self.

“No. I’m sorry.” She quickly climbs onto my lap. “It just feels like you’re distant, and then you said that, and I felt insecure. You’re not done. Just let me make it up to you.”

She reaches for the button on my pants, scooting back to get me out. I place my hand over hers and stop her.

“Nah. I’m good. I’m really not interested.” My dick isn’t even hard. She could probably stroke the thing all the way through next period, and I wouldn’t get off.

“Then why did you drag me out here?” She huffs, crossing her arms. “I thought we were going to make out.”

And now she’s back to being bitchy. Her personality flips on a dime. One second she’s begging me not to end things, and now she’s pissed. The reason I dragged her out here was to prove to myself that I’m not gay, but I just made things a thousand times worse.

“Earth to Baylor!”

“I wanted to do stuff, but then you got all insecure and now I’m not interested. Jealousy is a mood killer, Taya.” And my jealousy over that girl Ryes is taking out tonight has definitely killed my mood.

Taya opens the door and climbs out, slamming it shut before she stomps her way back into the building. I give her ten minutes before she’s blowing up my phone and apologizing, begging me not to break up with her. When my phone buzzes in my pocket, I realize I overshot my timing. Looks like she’s already texting.

Ryeson : Thought you were breaking up with the girl?

And I thought he wasn’t into dating high school chicks.

Me : Told you I was planning on doing it after the party.

Ryeson : So why are you leading her on? That’s a dick move.

What’s it to him? He doesn’t even like Taya. And I’m not leading her on. I just told the girl I think I’m done.

Me : I’m not leading her on. She should be walking back in there any minute. And why do you care what the fuck I do with her? You hate the girl.

Ryeson : What? Couldn’t get it up for her?

Motherfucker is just taunting me now.

Me : My dick has lost interest.

Ryeson : Should I be flattered? It was stiff for me. Standing tall and proud.

Shit. What the hell is he doing? Is he trying to fuck with me or flirt with me? Because my cock is definitely reading it as flirting. It’s getting nice and hard for him in my pants.

Me : I wouldn’t let it go to your head. Sometimes a guy’s just horny. I owe you that two hundred by the way

Ryeson : Nah. I just like knowing I won. You should call me the Two Minute King.

I roll my eyes. Now, he’s gloating. But he is a king. I’ve never come so hard or so fast in my life, but like hell I’ll admit that to him.

Me : Cocky much?

Ryeson : You fucking know it. I’ve got inches on you.

My cock pulses at the vision of his big dick. Thick and long, with a perfect crown. But I wouldn’t say he’s inches larger than me. I grab mine through my pants and groan when a shudder of sparks runs through my shaft. Mine definitely comes close in size.

Me : I think the water was distorting your view. It acts as a magnifying glass. I think we’re the same size.

Ryeson : Hate to break it to you, but you’re wrong.

Me : You want to measure them again?

I know I’m playing with fire, but I still hit send on my text. My dick is so hard, waiting to see his response. If he takes the challenge, I’m pretty sure that means he’s game for another round.

Ryeson : Are you out in your truck?

Me : Yes.

Ryeson : Coming to show that dick who’s boss

Oh, fuck yeah. I reach into my pants and give my cock a few strokes, reading his message over and over again. The cum is already dribbling out with anticipation.

I turn my head, watching the front doors of the school, waiting for him to appear. When the door busts open, my cock lurches upward. His eyes lock right on me from across the lot and he stalks forward. His stature tense. His pace brisk. Those dark eyes of his holding me hostage.

Determination is locked in his features and it’s making my pulse race. I stroke my shaft in time with his every step, fast heavy strokes. A tense grip mimicking the tension locked in his jaw and in his stare. A wave of need vibrates in my gut. The heat is coursing through my body. I’m ready for his dominance to take control and force me to give myself over to the pleasure.

He stops right in front of my door, peering at me through the window. I slow my pace, rubbing my thumb over the slit at the top, feeling the slippery cum slide across my skin. He’s not budging. Just glaring at me like I’m an enemy. I release my cock, edging too close to the heat. Finally, he yanks the door open.

“Move over,” he practically seethes, climbing inside. I start to slide across the bench, but he grabs me by the hips and pulls me forward. My back hits the seat and my head is now scrunched against the door. “This is the last fucking time,” he grits, wrapping his heavy palm around my shaft. “It’s never going to happen again.” He gives me a tug and my hips thrust up into his fist. It’s too fucking good. He starts jerking me roughly, the anger rolling off him. It’s like he’s mad that he wants to do this. Like he’s pissed that he’s attracted to me.

“This dick is going to stop invading my thoughts. Do you understand?” He squeezes me hard, and I nod on a groan.

I know it needs to stop. We’re both straight. Whatever the fuck is happening doesn’t make sense. Yet…as his tight grip jerks me faster, it feels like it makes perfect sense. Nothing has ever felt like this. It’s like there’s a magnetic force between us. My pleasure drawn to his dominance. My need under his direct command.

“Fuck, Ryes,” I grunt as the pressure starts to build. “It shouldn’t feel so fucking good.”

I never knew I liked it so rough—or so tight. Or that I’d be turned on by the strain in his forearms. Or that his clenched jaw which is pulsing as he strokes me off would make my cock pulse just as fast. But it’s all taking me to the edge. It’s all intensifying the pleasure.

“Fuck you and your cock,” he grunts as his free hand slides down his pants and starts to pump. “Never again will I let you tempt me.” He strokes me faster. The vein in his neck now bulging as he draws closer to his peak. “Get there, Bay. Now.”

His command snaps the chord. My orgasm tears through my system, limb by limb. Pleasure sparking across every nerve. His grunts fill the cab of my truck, and his body freezes up as the pleasure strikes him down. I ride through the heat until it slowly starts to dim. When I finally open my eyes, it’s there—the destruction of everything I once knew. This wasn’t just an accidental hookup or a bet. This was desire guised under the falsehood of some lame need to see who has the bigger dick. And now, these feelings are so deeply rooted within my core that I can no longer deny it. I can’t excuse it away or pretend like this never happened. I’m definitely into Ryeson.

“Fuck, man.” He drops back on his seat, taking heavy breaths as his body settles. “Why the fuck does that feel so fucking good?” His hands run down his face and there’s tension tight within his features again. He sits up, fixing his pants. “We’re done, Bay. Never again. We need to forget this ever happened. Our adrenaline just got the better of us. That’s all this fucking was.”

He can keep telling himself that, but it’s bullshit and he knows it. And like hell I’m going to forget what happened. It’s too fucking late for that. My first gay experience is burned into my memory now. Along with my feelings.

“You really think I’m going to forget?” My brow goes right up with my disbelief. “I get that you’re freaked, man.” Hell, so am I. “But I don’t think adrenaline is the cause.”

His eyes turn even darker. “Dude, neither of us is gay. We both dig chicks. So whatever the fucking cause doesn’t matter. It’s done. And neither of us is going to tell a soul about it.”

“You don’t have to worry about me blabbing about this shit, Ryes. It’s not like I’m going to spread it all over school.” I don’t need anyone up in my personal business. And I certainly don’t need the backlash from the girls or our teammates.

“Good. So, we’re on the same page. Now, we need to get inside for class. I’ll go first so no one sees us walking in together.” Not sure why the fuck that matters. We’re always together.

He climbs out and shuts the door. My fist slams against the roof. “Fuck!” Goddammit. He’s right. I wish this shit never happened because now I’m fucked. I don’t want it to stop. I’ve never had such intense feelings before. Maybe my hormones are going crazy, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s never felt like that with a girl. Yeah, I’ve always been able to get off. But this… This was on a different playing field. This was me two feet from the endzone, getting tackled by his huge frame and scoring the championship goal. This wasn’t some lukewarm field goal.

I sit up and shove my dick back in my pants. Maybe’s he’s right. Maybe we just need to let this shit go. It’s not like either of us wants to rock the boat in our lives. And it’s not like we’re going to start dating. It’s a fucking whack notion. We’re never going to cuddle up and whisper I-love-yous to each other, which means it needs to end before we end up getting caught and become the brunt of everyone’s jokes.

I grab my bag and climb out, heading into my class. It’s time to get my shit back under control.