Trouble & the Wallflower by Kade Boehme Page B

light switch and flooded the small room with light, Davy was surprised again. There were black-and-white prints of stars from Hollywood past. Rock Hudson, Marilyn Monroe. A large subway poster of James Dean hung above the king-sized bed. There were model classic cars on most of the surfaces. Davy hadn’t realized just how much Gavin’s grandfather had influenced him, but it explained so much about his too-cool persona. Even when he was using his club-boy routine, he pulled off the Rebel Without a Cause attitude. Davy grinned at the thought of Gavin in a white T-shirt, cigarette pack wrapped in a sleeve with pomade slicking back his wild brown hair. Gavin was less an enigma with every moment Davy spent in his home, and Davy was beginning to hope he wasn’t foolish in thinking that maybe, just maybe, Gavin was showing Davy his true self. Davy even let himself hope for a fraction of a second it wouldn’t get snatched away.
    Gavin pulled him into the room. Davy noticed he was blushing and a snort escaped, which got him a nasty scowl from Gavin. “What? You act like no one’s been in your bed before.” Now that almost really made Davy laugh.
    “No.”
    “No, what?” Davy questioned. Gavin’s face was challenging.
    “No one has ever been in my room, much less my bed.”
    Davy was taken aback. “Oh. Sorry, I guess I just assumed.” He felt bad for being flippant, but Gavin had to understand why he thought that. Gavin’s shoulders slumped a little. Davy realized with surprise that he’d actually hurt Gavin.
    “It’s okay,” Gavin said quietly. “I get why you’d think that. Guess the apple don’t fall far from the tree.” Gavin laughed at himself derisively.
    Davy furrowed his brow, confused. Gavin pulled his hand away from Davy, squaring his shoulders, looking at Davy with an unreadable mask. Davy sighed sadly, wondering why he should feel bad, because he did. Gavin had been trying to fix things, had been so sweet, and was trying to prove himself—and by all accounts he had a little—and Davy had called him a whore. But Gavin had agreed. Davy didn’t get what he’d meant when he said he’d not fallen far from the tree, though.
    “Well, I guess this was too much. I’ll take you home if you want,” Gavin said as he straightened his beanie and started to walk out of the room. Davy felt like an ass, though he was sure he could think of reasons why Gavin deserved what he’d said. But for some reason, he didn’t like the idea of hurting Gavin’s feelings. Maybe because I’m always the one that’s hurt.
    Davy didn’t know why that made any difference since it was Gavin himself who’d hurt him, but Davy just couldn’t be cruel. And his body was rebelling with every step Gavin took away from him. The feeling was almost overwhelming.
    Davy grabbed him by his bicep. “Don’t go.” Gavin turned and Davy saw a hurt-yet-hopeful gleam in his eyes before Gavin was able to hide it. Davy gave his best apologetic smile and stepped into Gavin’s space. He wasn’t sure what had come over him, but he wanted to give Gavin a reason not to run tomorrow. He wanted to prove himself too, and he knew maybe it made him naïve. Gavin’s eyelids fluttered shut as Davy placed a sweet kiss on his closed lips. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that. I’m so sorry, Gavin.”
    When Gavin’s Adam’s apple bobbed, his face scrunching to conceal some emotion, Davy felt emboldened. He’d make that emotion come out even if — Gavin gave a shuddering sigh as Davy placed his palm to his cheek. Yeah. That’d do it.
    “Gavin, I don’t think badly of you. It was a mean thing to assume. I was teasing, mostly, since you seemed embarrassed.” Gavin was silent but Davy wanted to reassure him. “I don’t think you’re, like, a whore or anything, ya know?”
    Gavin opened his eyes, looking incredulous. Davy snorted. “Okay, so I know you’re no saint. I’m not an idiot, Gavin. But you’re here. You showed me this side of you. I