night.
“Are you finished punishing Joseph for
talking to Troy?”
“Don’t start with me tonight, Abigail.”
“I’m not starting anything. I’m asking you
to let it go and come to bed.”
He relaxes when I slide my arms around his
waist and press my face against his back. “Okay.”
Joseph sits on the edge of the bed in his
boxers, and doesn’t even look up when we walk in. “I thought maybe you were
spending the night with Nic.” Goddamn it, Joseph.
“He had other plans. Maybe if you take
Troy into the woods again for a few hours.”
Joseph’s face hardens. “We just needed to
talk! To apologize for how we left things! I left him for you, you idiot! Why
are you worried about him now?”
Airen jerks off his shoes and socks. “I’m
not worried about a fucking thing! You sure didn’t like seeing Troy with Nic,
though, did you? Why do you care who he’s fucking if you’re happy with us?”
“I don’t care.” Joseph frowns up at him.
“Bullshit. You don’t want Troy with
anybody else, but I notice it didn’t keep you from eye fucking Nic.”
Joseph’s face and ears glow red, and he
leaps to his feet. “Christ, Airen! Make up your mind! Am I trying to fuck Nic
or Troy? You’re jealous of both of them! You don’t want to see anyone with your
ex either.” Joseph’s use of the word ‘either’ makes me blanch. He’s essentially
admitting that seeing Troy with Nic bothers him.
“I’m not jealous of a goddamn thing,”
Airen snaps. He slams a glass on the table and pours a shot of whiskey. “Nic
was a friend, that’s all. Not an ex.”
“Friends don’t blow each other!” Joseph
shouts. Shit. I don’t know what to do. I want to break this up, but maybe they
need to have it out and clear the air. I’m sure the others are getting an
earful. Our little camper isn’t exactly soundproof.
“It was one time.” Airen sighs and runs
his hands through his hair. “Is that what bothers you? My history with Nic?” Joseph
doesn’t respond, only turns to face the wall with a huff. Airen’s voice is low
and soft when he speaks again. “It didn’t mean anything, Joey. I told you about
him a long time ago.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t say he was so…”
“So what? Go on. Finish your sentence,” he
dares.
Cornered, Joseph shakes his head. So gorgeous,
that’s what he wanted to say. It’s burning him up, knowing Airen was intimate
with a man as attractive as Nic. I know how he feels, how the insecurity gnaws
at you, making you feel like you don’t measure up. It’s hard to think about the
beautiful women Airen’s had before me.
Airen throws back another shot and glares
at him. “I told you we worked together modeling. What the fuck did you expect
him to look like? You’re pissed that Troy moved on, but it doesn’t stop you
from drooling over your replacement.”
Joseph winces at the word replacement, but
glares back at him, keeping eye contact. “Fuck you. You’re upset over Troy’s
return, but not because of me. Because he’s fucking your pretty boy.”
Why can’t Airen hear the pain in his
voice? He’s hurt and jealous. They both are. Airen doesn’t want Joseph to care
who Troy dates. Joseph doesn’t like that Airen had another man before him,
especially someone as beautiful as Nic. It has nothing to do with either of
them wanting someone else because they don’t.
“Goddamn it!” Airen shouts. “Just admit
you don’t like seeing Troy with him!”
“Fine! Maybe watching your ex with my ex
fucked me up, but you’re no better. Admit you don’t like seeing Nic with Troy.”
Joseph crosses his arms. They stand inches apart, scowling at one another.
Airen’s hair is wild, and Joseph’s face is fire engine red. Sweat coats their
bodies. I can almost taste the testosterone in the air.
“No, you asshole. I don’t give a shit
about Nic! I hate it that Troy’s had you!” Joseph stumbles as Airen shoves him
against the wall. “I hate that you’re attracted to
“Are you finished punishing Joseph for
talking to Troy?”
“Don’t start with me tonight, Abigail.”
“I’m not starting anything. I’m asking you
to let it go and come to bed.”
He relaxes when I slide my arms around his
waist and press my face against his back. “Okay.”
Joseph sits on the edge of the bed in his
boxers, and doesn’t even look up when we walk in. “I thought maybe you were
spending the night with Nic.” Goddamn it, Joseph.
“He had other plans. Maybe if you take
Troy into the woods again for a few hours.”
Joseph’s face hardens. “We just needed to
talk! To apologize for how we left things! I left him for you, you idiot! Why
are you worried about him now?”
Airen jerks off his shoes and socks. “I’m
not worried about a fucking thing! You sure didn’t like seeing Troy with Nic,
though, did you? Why do you care who he’s fucking if you’re happy with us?”
“I don’t care.” Joseph frowns up at him.
“Bullshit. You don’t want Troy with
anybody else, but I notice it didn’t keep you from eye fucking Nic.”
Joseph’s face and ears glow red, and he
leaps to his feet. “Christ, Airen! Make up your mind! Am I trying to fuck Nic
or Troy? You’re jealous of both of them! You don’t want to see anyone with your
ex either.” Joseph’s use of the word ‘either’ makes me blanch. He’s essentially
admitting that seeing Troy with Nic bothers him.
“I’m not jealous of a goddamn thing,”
Airen snaps. He slams a glass on the table and pours a shot of whiskey. “Nic
was a friend, that’s all. Not an ex.”
“Friends don’t blow each other!” Joseph
shouts. Shit. I don’t know what to do. I want to break this up, but maybe they
need to have it out and clear the air. I’m sure the others are getting an
earful. Our little camper isn’t exactly soundproof.
“It was one time.” Airen sighs and runs
his hands through his hair. “Is that what bothers you? My history with Nic?” Joseph
doesn’t respond, only turns to face the wall with a huff. Airen’s voice is low
and soft when he speaks again. “It didn’t mean anything, Joey. I told you about
him a long time ago.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t say he was so…”
“So what? Go on. Finish your sentence,” he
dares.
Cornered, Joseph shakes his head. So gorgeous,
that’s what he wanted to say. It’s burning him up, knowing Airen was intimate
with a man as attractive as Nic. I know how he feels, how the insecurity gnaws
at you, making you feel like you don’t measure up. It’s hard to think about the
beautiful women Airen’s had before me.
Airen throws back another shot and glares
at him. “I told you we worked together modeling. What the fuck did you expect
him to look like? You’re pissed that Troy moved on, but it doesn’t stop you
from drooling over your replacement.”
Joseph winces at the word replacement, but
glares back at him, keeping eye contact. “Fuck you. You’re upset over Troy’s
return, but not because of me. Because he’s fucking your pretty boy.”
Why can’t Airen hear the pain in his
voice? He’s hurt and jealous. They both are. Airen doesn’t want Joseph to care
who Troy dates. Joseph doesn’t like that Airen had another man before him,
especially someone as beautiful as Nic. It has nothing to do with either of
them wanting someone else because they don’t.
“Goddamn it!” Airen shouts. “Just admit
you don’t like seeing Troy with him!”
“Fine! Maybe watching your ex with my ex
fucked me up, but you’re no better. Admit you don’t like seeing Nic with Troy.”
Joseph crosses his arms. They stand inches apart, scowling at one another.
Airen’s hair is wild, and Joseph’s face is fire engine red. Sweat coats their
bodies. I can almost taste the testosterone in the air.
“No, you asshole. I don’t give a shit
about Nic! I hate it that Troy’s had you!” Joseph stumbles as Airen shoves him
against the wall. “I hate that you’re attracted to
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