26. Gavin

TWENTY-SIX

gavin

THE OBNOXIOUS SOUND of wolf whistles and hollering assaulted my ears the next morning as I trudged out the front door of the Towers, trailing Daire, who for once in his life had decided to be on time.

If it’d been up to me, I would’ve been climbing into the site of my biggest mistake on my own. As it was, I was making the walk of shame with the ass that had ruined this small luxury we had. Now, instead of enjoying a Sprinter ride across town, I would forever regret the moment I’d lost all my brain cells and let Daire fuck me in it.

Ugh. I was so stupid to think that I’d somehow managed to crack through the tough exterior that Daire presented to the world because I’d let him inside of me. I thought we’d shared a moment yesterday, that we’d finally gotten past the surly grunts and silent scowls. But as we approached the group of morons gathered outside the Sprinter, it was crystal clear that the scowl was here to stay.

“Would you look at that? Daire is on time.” West chuckled. “Guess he just needed incentive to get up in the morning.”

Oh God, this was worse than I’d thought. Sooo much worse. I’d figured the guys would give us shit for hooking up after Donovan finally told them what went down. But after Daire’s blunt dismissal of me last night, this ribbing stung all the more.

The only saving grace? Donovan wasn’t here. He had an early photoshoot in Brooklyn, and I’d never been more thankful in my life.

“Maybe he just needed to clear his…head.” Travis snorted at his stupid joke. “You know, blow his load? Clear the pipes? So he could remember how to use his brain and tell the time.”

“That why yours isn’t workin’?” Daire fired back. “Little hard up over there?”

“Ain’t nothing little about it. And why are you so touchy? I figured you be scaring us all by smiling this morning.”

“Fuck off.” Daire shoved past him and climbed into the Sprinter, leaving the rest of the guys staring after him, slack-jawed.

Great. Way to keep our private shit private, Daire.

It’d been bad enough when he practically announced what we were going to do yesterday. But now he was storming around like he’d stuck his dick in a beehive, and that beehive was me.

One by one the guys turned their attention back to me, confusion clouding their expressions.

“What crawled up his ass?” East said. “Because I know it wasn’t you.”

“How do you know that?” Preston said.

“Seriously? You think Gavin’s going to top Daire? Wow, you really have been in the closet a long time.”

“I mean, it’s possible,” Travis mused. “I could see Daire liking that burn and pain. Kind of matches his temperament.”

“Maybe, but—” West scrunched his nose up at Travis, all of them ignoring the fact that I was standing right there. “I don’t think Gavin has it in him.”

“Hey. Guys?” I finally said, and all four heads turned my way. “Can we maybe not talk about my sex life out here on the street?”

“Sure.” West nodded and hooked a thumb over his shoulder. “But before we go in there and talk about it, you did get the Sprinter detailed, right?”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.” I stomped past them, ignoring the snickers as I climbed inside. Daire was in the back seat sprawled out in the same spot he’d been in yesterday.

He leveled me with a stare that screamed: What? And it took everything I had not to march down the aisle and slap him again.

I got it. He didn’t want to date. Not that that was what I’d asked for last night. I just asked if he wanted to go to dinner, not go steady. He was acting like I’d wanted him to wear my class ring.

He didn’t have to act like such a grumpy bastard. But then again, was this really any different to the way Daire usually acted?

I planted my ass in the seat directly behind the driver, and farthest from Daire. But as the rest of the guys piled in, the tension in the air increased.

“I’m confused,” Preston said, eyes darting between me and Daire. “You both seemed fine yesterday.”

“Fine?” West snorted. “They were so high off orgasms I’m surprised their heads didn’t float off.”

“Can you please just shut up,” I muttered, wishing I’d taken a sick day.

How was it possible to feel so incredible one minute and so low the next? I thought the rollercoaster would end once Daire finally gave in, but it was even worse between us now.

I was such an idiot. West was right—I’d been off in the clouds with a huge, satisfied grin on my face from the second I stepped out of the Sprinter, so I couldn’t exactly blame them for wanting to know what had changed so fast. My head was still spinning.

“Ooh, Daire. You better be glad Donovan’s not here to see how you fucked over his baby brother.” Travis tsked. “I’d hate to be in your shoes when he sics his huge boyfriend on you.”

Yeah, right. After watching the beat-down Daire gave all those guys at the fight club, I doubted Kelly would be able to get even a hit on him, no matter how big his biceps were.

Not that I wanted a fight. I just wanted to know why Daire kept running off every time I tried to get close.

“Can’t you at least give us some of the dirty details?” Travis complained, and when Daire answered with a growl, he turned his attention to me. “Gavin, come on. How did it even happen? Was it the first time? A quickie or was there foreplay? Where exactly did you get it on in here⁠—”

“And why are you back to not talking this morning?” Preston added.

“Guys, guys.” East tugged at the sleeves of his blazer. “Isn’t it obvious? Daire’s scowl scared Gavin’s dick.”

“What the fuck,” Daire said, as I turned around to pin East with a scowl of my own.

East grinned, clearly enjoying kicking up dirt. “Aww, did little Gavin not want to come out to play? Can’t say I blame you there. No telling where he’s been.”

“Why don’t you shut the hell up and go make a few mistakes of your own so we can rub it in your face,” I said.

“Oh shit.” West’s eyes widened.

Travis shook his head and looked back at Daire. “He called you a mistake. The fuck did you do?”

I didn’t look away nearly quick enough, because Daire caught my eyes, and I felt the same stab of pain from last night twist in my gut.

I also remembered his rough kisses along my spine and the way it felt to be taken by him so completely that I was still aching from it today. It would’ve been a good ache, too, if he hadn’t been such an ass afterward. I should’ve known better. I shouldn’t have gone after yet another guy who was no good for me.

So when Daire turned away to stare out the window, muttering, “Nothing important happened,” it was entirely on brand.

Didn’t mean it didn’t suck to hear. He couldn’t even give me a full twelve hours to enjoy finally getting my way before going and ruining it.

Yeah. I’d definitely be slapping him again at some point today.

“I get it,” Travis said, leaning over the back of my seat to invade my space. “I always think I can change them too.”

“You wouldn’t have to change them if you’d stop going after the straight ones,” East said as he typed on his phone.

Travis shrugged. “What can I say? They love me. And I like a challenge.”

I looked up at his grinning face and kept my voice low. “This isn’t exactly the same thing.”

“Really? I can’t think of anything more challenging than trying to make Daire come.”

“I heard that, fucker,” Daire said.

Sighing, I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling stiff in all the wrong places. Travis dropped his hand to my shoulder.

“Sorry, man,” he said quietly. “I could’ve warned you off that one.” He gave me a squeeze and sat back, leaving me in peace for the rest of the ride.

Like I would’ve heeded his warning, or anyone’s. I knew all about Daire’s red flags—knew them and had brushed them aside to run straight into danger anyway. Why? Because I believed he was more than his tough exterior. Because I saw those flashes of vulnerability that no one else seemed to. Because he always protected me in his own way, and surely, surely that meant something. That I meant something to him.

Whatever. I’d fucked around and found out, and now I was done. If he didn’t want me, then I was moving on and I’d find someone who did. Preferably someone who didn’t need therapy or underground fight clubs.

Maybe things would even go back to normal eventually, whatever that looked like. Daire could be just my roommate again, and I wouldn’t have to wonder how it would feel to be with him or dream about every possible way I could have him.

He’d stay the same way he’d always been, and I knew I would at least feel safe in his presence. At least physically.

And that would have to be enough.