“I can wear joggers and a T-shirt if you want? I’m just used to sleeping in my boxers.”
Bailey shakes his head, turning back around. He starts to shimmy out of his trousers and grabs the hem of his top, pausing for a moment. My eyes drop and get caught on the bulge in his briefs. I feel my stomach tighten in a way it’s never done before. My mind is going a mile a minute, trying to work out what the hell is happening.
All those years my friend Rob had gone on about what he’d want to do with a girl he liked—or a boy, depending on who he was into at the time—I thought something was wrong with me, because I’d never felt like that with anyone. It’s not that I don’t find people attractive—I do. Bailey’s beautiful. I’ve thought so since I first saw him, but it was more in appreciation than anything.
Over the past few months though, he’s rooted himself so deeply inside of me that he’s the first thing I think of when I wake up, and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep. But it’s never gone this far; I’ve never had a physical reaction.
I drag my gaze away from his boxers and back to his face. His lip is trapped between his teeth again, and I wonder what it would feel like if it were my lip there instead; whether it would bring pleasure or pain. There’s a pull, deep in my stomach, and my boxers stretch tight over my rock hard erection.
Fuck.
Clearly there’s nothing wrong with me, but now I have a bigger problem—the only person my dick’s shown an interest inis my best friend. I move my hands to cover myself and dive under the covers.
Bailey finally takes off the T-shirt and turns to throw it on the beanbag.
“What’s that on your hip?” I ask.
Just above the waistband of his briefs, there’s a small cluster of pink circles that looks like a rash. Bailey grabs his phone from the bedside table and climbs under the covers, typing away. I grab my phone just as it vibrates.
Bailey
It was chicken pox
“Oh? Are you contagious? I mean … I think I had it already when I was a kid—” My phone vibrates again.
Bailey
Old scars
He puts his phone back down, and we settle down lower in the bed. Bailey rolls onto his side so we’re face to face, just inches apart.
“I picked your phone up earlier, and it was unlocked …” I say, searching his face for any sign that he might be uncomfortable lying this close to me. His eyes are closed, cheek smooshed against the pillow, with one arm underneath. My chest squeezes tight seeing him like this—like he belongs here, next to me.
“You put me in your contacts as Teddy.” I grin as his eyes open wide and he quickly fumbles for his phone.
Bailey
I can change it back to Theo
“No, leave it,” I say as I close my hand over his. “Why’d you put it as Teddy?”
He rolls onto his back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before typing again.
Bailey
Everyone calls you Theo. I wanted something just for me
Little explosions go off in my chest, and I’m realising what I’ve been feeling for a while now isn’t just friendship. Something else has been growing right alongside it this whole time.
“I like Teddy,” I say, a smile playing on my lips. I close my eyes and roll over, punching my pillow into shape. “Night, Bay.”
“Night, Teddy,” he whispers.
My eyes fly open. His voice is faint in the darkness, but I hear it.
BAILEY
I startleas Noah grabs my arm, so deep in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed the dust cloud, or how aggressively I’d been sweeping. My lungs burn like they’re on fire, and I cough uncontrollably as I’m dragged out into the fresh air.
