Chapter 9

9

ISAAC

" T ell me what you need, Isaac."

Brody's fingers were flexing on my waist as he thrust against me, slow, erotic rolls of his hips that had me grasping the material of his shirt, clutching it hard between my fingers. I could barely think as he kept up that sensual rhythm, every press of his cock sliding along my crease. I almost stopped breathing when he moved me up and down his hard length, when I felt it glide along my taint all the way to my hole. My jeans were too restrictive, though, not letting me feel him like I wanted to, and a frustrated whimper left my lips as I looked down between our bodies. I felt delirious, like if I didn't get to touch him, skin on skin, I was going to die of disappointment.

"Baby. Tell me what you need," Brody urged, his own voice so much deeper and huskier. Just the sound of it sent little bursts of arousal skittering down my spine, and I pushed my throbbing cock against him as hard as I could, groaning at how good it felt. I started moving with the pace he had set, the building pleasure making me feel light-headed. My eyes locked on his lips again, and then I remembered he had asked me something.

"I need you to…to kiss me," I panted, leaning forward. "I want to—" A long moan was wrenched from me when he began rolling up into me faster. "—taste you."

"Yeah?" he said breathily, his eyes fixed on my lips. He moved one hand around to palm my lower back as he started to sit up, which only forced my legs to part wider, pressing me harder onto his erection.

"Ye—aaah," I gasped out. He was so fucking close now, his lips a breath from mine. We were practically panting into each other's mouths, and I couldn't wait, I couldn't fucking wait to feel those lips against mine, wanting to suck his lower one into my mouth, to play with his piercing with my tongue?—

BZZZ! BZZZ! BZZZ!

I jolted when the harsh vibrations started near my groin, my eyes widening as I wrenched my head back. Brody's eyes flew down to where the strong buzzing was coming from, and I didn't think I'd ever get over the horror of what happened next.

I started coming so hard and fast my vision blinked out. I grabbed at Brody's shirt, my entire body curling into him as I wailed into his neck with the force of the orgasm, his big hand gripping my waist so hard that I prayed it would leave bruises. When the most intense part of it was over, I kept panting and moaning through the aftershocks, and my phone was still going off in my pocket.

My head was swimming with euphoria, my body buzzing with it, and when I finally came back into myself, Brody was rubbing his hand up and down my back, whispering, "That's it. You came so fucking hard for me, didn't you? Do you have any idea how hot that was? How sexy you are, baby? That was so fucking good."

The humiliation that had been starting to rise and heat my face receded with his words. When I finally leaned back, pushing against Brody's firm chest with my shaking hands, when I looked into his eyes, I knew that I needed to kiss him. To taste those words on my lips, to have that wicked tongue?—

BZZZ! BZZZ! BZZZ!

My phone started vibrating again, and with a frustrated growl, I yanked it out of my pocket. Who the fuck was calling me back to back? During the most erotic moment of my life—because yes, this definitely topped watching Brody jerk off, I'd gotten to touch him this time—no less. I angrily flipped the phone around as Brody laughed softly. Probably at my annoyance with the situation and not because I'd just come with the assistance of a phone call.

Jordan's name flashed across the screen, his stupid face smiling up at me, and for a brief, unhinged moment, I wanted to strangle him. "Are you kidding me?" I muttered.

"You should probably answer that," Brody said, sounding amused. How could he be amused right now? Weren't we just lost in the most delicious throes of passion? Hadn't it been life-changing for him, like it had for me?

"Ugh," I said, answering the call. "What?" I snapped into the phone.

"Oh thank god you finally answered. We have a situation," Jordan said.

I wanted to tell him that I had a situation, and I was currently sitting on it.

Brody's dick.

That was the situation. And it was a big one.

Instead I said, "What, Jordan? What couldn't possibly wait until I got home?"

"Oh I'll tell you what! We have a new roommate, Isaac. And he. Is. A. Hunk. He is the hunkiest hunk to ever hunk, and I think I need to move out because I'm not going to be able to control myself around him. In fact, enjoy these last few days with me because I am definitely going to prison."

"Oh my god , Jordan, this definitely could have waited until I got home!"

"But you haven't even heard his name yet?—"

"I'm hanging up," I said flatly.

"No wait the real reason I'm calling is because Ikindasortacloggedthetoiletandnowit'soverflowingandIdon'tknowhowtomakeitstop," he said so quickly that I almost couldn't decipher his words.

But I got the gist of it. "Okay, tell Cam or Josh or the new hunky roommate, Jordan."

"I can't tell them! Especially not my new husband! It's too early in the relationship for that kind of honesty. Jesus, Isaac, I'm really upset with you right now. How could you even suggest such a thing?—"

"Fine!" I shouted. "I'll be there soon, you unbelievable sack of baloney!"

"Isaac you really are the best friend?—"

I hung up. I couldn't believe this. Jordan couldn't even handle an overflowing toilet on his own. What a fucking cockblocker. And I bet, even if he had known what I was up to, he still would have called rather than figure things out on his own.

"Why am I friends with him?" I mumbled.

"You gotta go?" Brody asked, and I'd almost forgotten I was still sitting on top of him. Almost, because that hot rod digging into my ass was entirely unforgettable.

"Yeah," I said. "But shouldn't I help you with?—"

"No. I'll be fine, Isaac."

I desperately wanted to make him come, to watch his expression, to hear the sounds he made, and I tried not to be too disappointed at his refusal.

I reluctantly dragged myself off Brody's magnificent thighs. My eyes slid over every inch of him, and my eager cock twitched in my cum-soaked pants. He looked deliciously wrecked, despite us barely doing anything. His eyes were half-lidded, his lips glossy and red, his shirt a little disheveled.

"Like what you see?" he murmured, rubbing his hand along his still-hard cock and leaning his head back. His thick neck was exposed as he peered at me from slitted eyes, and holy fuck, I wanted to forget all about Jordan and his incompetency.

"You have no fucking idea," I rasped. Then, my voice brimming with regret, I said, "But if I don't want our house to turn into a sewer, I gotta get going. I really, really, don't want to, though. I just thought you should know that."

Brody was still lazily stroking his cock through his sweats like he had all the time in the world, and then an idea jumped to the front of my mind and stomped out all other thoughts. I blurted it out before thinking it through. "You should take a video of yourself coming and—and send it to me," I said.

His hand stilled, and he just watched me for a long moment. Then his lips quirked up on one side and he said, "Maybe I will."

"Okay," I said, sounding desperately enthusiastic. Who even was I? "Okay, well…uh…I'll see you on Saturday?" I said, and it came out as a question, which I wasn't thrilled about. I didn't like being unsure or acting like it either, but I was, a little bit. This was uncharted territory, and despite my willingness to pursue whatever had begun between us, I was still completely inexperienced.

"I'll see you on Saturday," Brody said. His eyes followed me across the room as I slipped my boots and jacket on, and then I gave him an awkward wave like we hadn't just rutted on each other like animals.

"Bye," I said, lingering too long.

"Bye, Isaac," he said, still sprawled out on the couch.

I hoped to god he sent me a dirty video.

And I wasn't going to think about the fact that it was technically Jordan who had sent me over the edge into the most intense orgasm I'd ever experienced. No, that was a truth I would bury deep, deep down and never, ever dig back up.

Because…ew.

"Holy shit, Jordan. Pun intended."

"Not a good pun. I need you to turn in your pun card."

"You don't get to be snarky right now, you've completely ruined our fucking bathroom!"

"You started it by making a god-awful pun that has no place in this house! No place!"

"So…explain to me again how this happened?"

"Well, as you know, Sir Swims-A-Lot?—"

"Oh my god, and I'm the one who needs my pun card revoked?!"

"AS YOU KNOW, Sir Swims-A-Lot hasn't been eating the past few days. I've been absolutely distraught about it, just wallowing in grief. I'm surprised you didn't notice, because you're usually a good friend but you said nothing about the state I've been in, nothing at all, and I wondered if you were maybe going through your own thing but I thought to myself, ‘No way, Jordan, he would tell you if something was going on, don't be silly.' So I just chalked up you ignoring my misery to being busy with school, and I tried to talk to the people at the pet shop about why Sir Swims-A-Lot would just stop eating all of a sudden and they weren't very helpful. Anyway, today I noticed that Sir Swims-A-Lot was just…floating at the top of his tank. I poked him and he didn't move, his eyes just stared at me but I knew he wasn't seeing me anymore, I knew he was gone, and I had a complete breakdown and sobbed into my favorite pillow. Finally, when I had no more tears left to cry, when I knew that life was only about suffering, I gave Sir Swims-A-Lot a proper burial. You know. In the toilet. Which is what you're supposed to do."

"You forgot to change the tank water, didn't you."

"Yes. Yes I did."

"You know I love you, right?"

"I know, Isaac. I just feel like you've been a little distant lately."

I said nothing to that, just stared at the bathroom floor, where I'd spent the last twenty minutes mopping up the excess water with every towel we owned, and then the next ten plunging the toilet with a shitty dollar store plunger that kept losing suction. It was a hard-fought battle that Jordan and I had to do together because we were both weak, but in the end, Sir Swims-A-Lot was sucked back up from where he'd gotten stuck, and Jordan had burst into a new round of tears.

We had an en-suite bathroom, and I was just thankful the flood had been contained inside it by the small tiled rise under the door. We would have been fucked if that had gotten onto the hardwood floor of our bedroom. As it was, just our bath mat and some of our toiletries and toilet paper had gotten soaked because Jordan insisted on stacking the rolls on the floor next to the toilet.

"Do you want to properly bury him?" I asked, looking sidelong at Jordan who was shoveling fruit snacks into his mouth. He was a stress eater, for sure.

"Yes," he smacked out. "I know just the spot."

I wrapped Jordan's fish in paper towels and found an old shoe box to put him in, then followed Jordan out the back door and to a spot near the bushes in the furthest corner of the yard. Jordan dug a hole and placed the box inside, then covered it back up and laid a crocus he'd found in the yard atop the small mound. He gave a long speech that I tuned out most of.

It was a little sad, if I was being honest, and also extremely melodramatic because Jordan had only bought the fish three days ago. Which I hadn't even noticed because I was so fixated on Brody, and that made me feel a little guilty. Maybe Jordan was right. Maybe I had been distant lately. I should probably just tell him what was going on between me and Brody, anyway. I knew he wouldn't judge me or try to stop me because despite his snarky nature, he was supportive and only cared about what was best for me.

And right now, I felt like exploring this attraction with Brody was definitely high up on the list of what was best for me. Maybe even topping it. He made me feel…powerful, in a way. Because I turned him on. It was me he wanted, and oh did that fill me with a deep satisfaction and confidence I wasn't sure I'd ever felt. And the things he said to me…fuck, how did he make me so hard and feel so fucking good emotionally at the same time? He was like a drug, and I could see myself becoming addicted to his words, his touch—his everything. The only thing my mind was able to conjure when I was with him like that was more more more . And on top of it all, he made me feel so safe the entire time.

And let's not forget he called me baby. Twice. Be still, my horny heart.

Disappointment slammed into me when I remembered I hadn't even gotten to kiss him yet because of the person standing next to me. I tamped it down and told myself next time . I would definitely be putting my phone on silent next time, too.

"—and let ye rest in a peaceful slumber in that great fish bowl in the sky, for ever and ever, and to all a goodnight. Amen."

"Beautiful, Jordan."

"What're you guys doing back there?" I looked over my shoulder to see Josh strolling towards us in flip-flops and cargo shorts like it was July and not early March. To each their own and whatever.

"Burying Jordan's fish," I replied. "You just missed the most beautiful eulogy a fish could ever hope to get."

"Oh but I'm happy to repeat it for you, Josh?—"

"No! No, that's okay, let's go inside and make some brownies or something, what do you say?" I said, pushing Jordan toward the house.

"Cool, you guys are weird. I just wanted you to know that we're gonna do a barbecue for the new roomie tonight to show him how awesome we are and to celebrate the fact that rent is now being split five ways, so it's lower. Can you pick up some stuff from the store?" Josh said.

"Yeah, no problem, just give me a list and we'll go," Jordan replied, grabbing my arm to usher us inside so we could go to the store faster. He loved going to the grocery store—probably because he loved food—and if he had his own car, he'd make runs every day. I just huffed and let him manhandle me back to our room. We got our coats on then headed out, grabbing a short list from Josh on the way.

"So…there's something I want to talk to you about," I said once we were in the car.

"Hmm? What's that?" Jordan said distractedly. I glanced at him and saw he was on his phone, fingers flying furiously as he typed something.

"Well, you know how I've been helping Brody with his schoolwork?"

"Mm. Bet you've been helping with more than just that," he muttered.

"Yeah, that's the thing…I have. Or, no, I mean I want to, we haven't really done anything yet," I said.

There was silence, and when I looked at Jordan, he was staring at me with his mouth open. I looked back at the road and then he said, "You dirty, dirty, dog, Isaac! I fucking knew it ! Ohhh Cameron is gonna be so mad."

"What? Why?"

"Because now he owes me fifty bucks."

"You guys placed bets on my sex life ?" I screeched.

"Isaac, calm down. I'll split it with you."

"That's not the point," I grumbled.

Jordan turned his whole body toward me—I wanted to tell him to sit properly because if we got in an accident he'd be severely injured—and said, more seriously, "So how are you feeling about all this? What have you guys done, exactly? Is he treating you right? Because I swear to god if he hurts you, I'm going to?—"

"Jordan, everything is fine. He's been perfect. It's all been fucking perfect, okay? And we haven't really done anything, honestly…" My cheeks heated thinking about Brody with his cock out, his tattooed fingers gripping it firmly and sliding up and down?—

"Oh, you've done something , by the look on your face right now. Tell me."

I pounded my head into the headrest and said, "We…he…he jerked off in front of me."

Jordan squealed because he was a twelve year old girl at heart, then asked, "How big is it?"

"Oh my god, dude, no. We're not doing that."

"Ugh. Fine. Okay, so…well, I guess I'm happy for you, love."

"You are?" I don't know what I was expecting, but that hadn't really been it.

"Yeah," he said with a sigh. "I just want to see you find someone and be comfortable with them, and it seems like maybe he could be that person for you. You deserve someone to open up to."

Affection for this man-child had me grinning. "Thanks, Jordan. I just wanted you to know."

"You can tell me anything, and I'll always give you my unvarnished truth. And on that note, there's something I should tell you."

"Oh god. What."

"I might've had an edible a while ago and it might be kicking in as we speak."

"Of course," I muttered.

Jordan fiddled with the radio for the rest of the car ride, and when we got to the store, he tried to grab one of the big carts and I had to distract him with a display of cereal until I could switch it out for a smaller one. The entire time we were in there, it was like trying to wrangle a toddler. By the time we got home, I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to hole up in my room for a few hours.

But, of course, Josh and Cameron were in the kitchen, putting things together for the impromptu barbecue for our new roommate, and I had to unload the groceries because Jordan was not going to be any kind of help in the state he was in.

I was putting the ribs and coleslaw in the fridge when I heard a heavy set of footsteps and Josh said, "Isaac, meet our new roommate." I turned around, still gripping the coleslaw. "Isaac, this is Sam. Sam, Isaac."

Five pounds of cabbage and mayonnaise slid to the floor when I looked at the man standing beside Josh. I was thrust into the past eight years in an instant, as if time had never moved at all, as if everything since then had been a dream. All the breath in my lungs left me in a moment. There was a roaring in my head, and every single noise faded into the background. I could see his lips moving, but I couldn't hear anything. My vision started to vibrate and blur around the edges, and humanoid shapes were moving closer. I heard myself stutter out a name, his name.

"E-Ethan," I whispered, and when I tried to suck in a breath, it was like my lungs weren't working. I had to get out of here. I had to fucking run . I needed to get the fuck out of here now .

I finally got my legs to work, finally ran from the kitchen and up the stairs and into my room, engaging the door lock and slowly backing away from it. My face felt wet, and I could hear the sharp, ragged attempts I was making to breathe, could feel the violent tremors wracking through my body as my legs began to feel numb. I backed up until my calves hit the bed, and then I let myself sink.

I sank, and sank, and sank, until I was so deep nothing mattered. Until I was nothing.

Nothing at all.