Chapter 4

4

Colin

"W hat's up?" I head into Troy's room and collapse onto his bed. I just finished up in class for the day, and I have a small break before I have to be at one of my jobs. I should probably get started on my homework, but I'm pretty good at getting it done quickly. This shit comes naturally to me, like somehow it was ingrained into my DNA because I have lawyers as parents.

"Nothing. Finishing up homework." Troy is sitting at his computer desk, wearing a crop top and jeans. I can only assume Atlas is busy since he's not here.

"Yeah, I have work to do too. Where's your boy?"

Troy gives me a sharp but playful look. "We're not together all the time."

"I never said you were." I chuckle, walk over, and pick up a tee on his desk. There's no doubt in my mind it's Atlas's. "But when he's not here, you always have one of these." I pull it to my face teasingly, before Troy pushes out of his chair and tackles me to his bed so he can wrestle it away.

I laugh, enjoying these times with him. When his elbow accidentally lands in my gut, I make an umpf sound and let go of the tee. "I give up."

"No one is allowed to smell him but me." He balls up the shirt and tucks it close to him.

"You're so weird."

"It's hot."

I shrug, not really getting it myself, but not one to kink shame.

"Where's Ash?" Troy sits back down in the chair.

"He's in class, and I'm chillin' before work."

"Atlas ran into him in the dining hall earlier. He said they had lunch together."

"Look at our stepbros bonding." I pick up the football Troy keeps by his nightstand, twisting it around in my hands. We played together in high school, and I loved it, but an injury sidelined him from playing college football.

"I definitely didn't see that coming."

It's not like Atlas and Ash are besties. This is the first time they've done something like have lunch together, just the two of them. I would know otherwise. But Atlas has softened toward Ash over the past few weeks. Since Ash used to have a crush on Troy when he was tutoring him, he'd playfully flirt with Troy, and he even bid on him in an auction. No one knew Troy was hooking up with Atlas at the time. I've since learned that Atlas got a bit stabby about Ash because he used to want to bone Troy.

In some ways I get it. Like I said, I'm protective of my stepbrother too, though we clearly don't have the same relationship as Atlas and Troy. It's strange how it never really bothered me when Ash liked Troy—or maybe not so strange since I trust Troy wouldn't have ever hurt him. If anything had gone down, it would have been a hookup and then that's it.

"Atlas is practically a docile kitten now that he's with you." He is actually the opposite of that, but I also know there's a softer side to him that he mostly only feels comfortable showing to Troy.

Troy lets out a laugh. "First, he absolutely is not, and second, don't ever let him hear you say that."

"I'm not scared of your boyfriend." I flex my biceps, earning myself a shake of the head from Troy. "Hey, if you have time, you should come to the park with me." Along with my part-time position at a local law office as a legal assistant, I teach small-group football lessons to middle schoolers. Ash had a hard time in middle school, and in a lot of ways, I did too. It's when my parents separated, and Mom moved to North Carolina. I made the decision to stay in Georgia, and not long after, my dad and Ash's mom were together. Getting close to Ash helped, but I know he had a harder time. I think he felt alone. Even though my mom moved, we're still close and talk all the time. I spend holidays with her and my sister, Emily, and visit in the summer. My parents are the type who hug us all the time and make sure we know they love us. Ash's parents love him, but they're both hands-off. On top of that, he had bullying issues around the same time, and yeah, like I said, middle school wasn't easy on him. I like the idea of being there for kids around the same age—giving them an outlet so they know they always have someone in their corner, like Ash might not have had if it wasn't for me.

Troy's eyes light up. "I can do that."

"Bet. Get ready. We leave in ten."

He nods, and I go to my room to get changed. Ash will be out of class soon, but he has to intern for a few hours at the biomedical research lab on campus.

Troy and I head out a few minutes later. The park is within walking distance of Peach State, but we take my car because of all the supplies.

When we pull up, the six kids who take the lessons are already there. Troy and I grab the bags from the back and head over to the kids. Their parents are all waiting at picnic tables, most of them glued to their phones.

"Hey, crew." The group is made up of four boys and two girls, which I think is fucking awesome. It's cool that we have girls who love football so much that they're here, even though they would never be able to play on their school teams. Some of them have started playing in girls' flag football programs, which I would love to see become a more widespread thing. "I brought my friend Troy with me today. He's not nearly as good as I am, but he might have a little knowledge to impart to you."

My joke earns me snickers from the kids and a playful scowl from my friend.

"Okay. Let's set up for drills!" I clap my hands together, and we jump into our warm-ups and then offensive drills. The two hours go by in the blink of an eye, and before I know it, the kids are helping pack up and their parents are coming over to thank me and say goodbye.

"That was fun," Troy says. Despite the spring nip in the air, we're both a sweaty mess.

"Yeah, I fucking love it."

My phone buzzes in my pocket, and I pull it out.

Ash: How was practice?

I can't help smiling. I love that he knows I just finished and is checking in. Ash knows how important this is to me, and it means the world to me that he cares.

Me: Great! They were, of course, still amazed at my talent.

Ash: As they should be. He adds a wink emoji, and I feel my grin grow. Why does everything about Ash make me smile?

"I recognize that smile. Did you meet a woman?" Troy asks, and my nose wrinkles.

"What? No. That was Ash, and I don't have an I-met-a-woman smile." But when I think about it… "Though it has been a long time since I've met and hooked up with anyone. I miss sex."

"You were with Hannah, like, three weeks ago."

"That's a long time. Great, now I'm horny."

We grab all our shit and pile into the car.

Me: Troy got me horny.

Ash: He has that effect on people. So now you can't get on me about how much I had the hots for him last semester. *laughing emoji*

I frown. What? Oooh. I roll my eyes.

Me: Not like that. I'm not attracted to him.

"Will the two of you be busy long?" Troy breaks into my thoughts while I'm watching my phone and waiting for Ash to reply.

"Shit. Sorry. You know me. Easily distracted."

I toss my phone into the center console and drive us back to our house. Troy doesn't even come inside, heading straight for his vehicle because he's staying at Atlas's tonight.

The house is empty, everyone else off doing their own thing.

I take a quick shower, then remember I left my phone in my car and go out to grab it.

Ash: Of course not. But you're missing out. Men are hot too.

Me: I can appreciate a good-looking guy. Just never had one get me hard.

I've gotten a boner when I've landed on gay porn once or twice during my searching, but who wouldn't get hard watching anyone fuck? It had nothing to do with the guys; it was the sex.

Ash: They can do a lot more than get you hard. *wink emoji* Want me to bring home dinner?

Me: Is there a reality where I would ever say no to food? Are you going to the gym first?

Ash: I went this morning.

Me: Good because I'm starving.

I do some homework, then log in to play Final Fantasy before Ash gets home. I'm not sure where everyone in the house is, but I'm kinda glad they're out.

When I hear his footsteps on the stairs, my stomach automatically growls. Ash pushes open my door with a large pizza in his hands, and I can't help moaning in response.

"Fuck yes. Best. Brother. Ever."

"Surely, you can't just now be realizing this."

Ash sets the pizza on my desk. The T-shirt he's wearing showcases his firm, cut biceps he worked on in the gym this morning.

"Is that a new shirt?"

Ash plops a few slices of pepperoni on a paper plate and frowns like my question surprises him. "No. I've had it for a while."

Hm. I don't remember seeing him wear it before. Though it's not like I have every piece of his clothing memorized, so it's logical that I wouldn't remember it.

Ash hands the plate over before making one for himself, then going to my mini fridge to grab drinks for us. We're so comfortable in each other's space that neither of us would think to ask before doing something like going into the other's fridge.

"Fuck, this is good." I take a bite, and Ash sits on my bed and does the same. "How was work?"

We chat about our day while we eat, then end up playing video games, until doors begin slamming downstairs, alerting us that people are getting home. "What time are we going to Mom and Steve's?" Ash asks. We're heading there next week, and I figure he's mentally working out his schedule. My dad is better at keeping me in the loop than his mom is. Lauren is so fucking smart and ambitious, and I know how much she loves Ash—loves both of us—but she's not one to show it, even if she wasn't so busy all the time.

I've always felt lucky in that respect, and for what it's worth, Dad does soften some of Lauren's rougher edges.

"Dad said four. Did Lauren tell you why she couldn't make it to your last phone call?" I've wanted to ask, but the last thing I want is to remind Ash of something painful, and I guess I'm holding out hope that it was for a good reason.

"She had a deposition. Sarah was supposed to reschedule but didn't." He picks up his phone and looks at something before saying, "Wanna watch a movie?"

"I'm down." I stand up and tug my shirt off, making my hat fall to the floor. I pick it back up and place it on my head.

"You and those damn hats."

"I look hot in them."

Ash shrugs. "Truth."

We strip down to our underwear, and I hit the lights. It's late, so there's no doubt one or both of us will fall asleep before the movie is over.

I grab my laptop, the two of us settling on an action movie. Ash sets the computer on my nightstand, then lies on his side, and I snuggle in behind him, with my arm around him.

Leaning down, face close to his hair, I inhale.

"Did you just smell me?"

"I like the scent of your apple shampoo." I breathe it in again.

"We should really evaluate how often we're in bed together."

"I mean, who doesn't like cuddling?"

"Most stepbrothers."

I smile into his hair. "They don't got nothin' on us."

Ash chuckles like he does when he doesn't know what to do with me. Right before I fall asleep, I'm pretty sure I hear him reply, "No, they don't."