“Yeah, okay.” I pick up his flashcards. “Now, let me quiz you before I have to get ready for this dumbass date.”
Aspen grins over at me as I read off the first word and he gives me the definition. Maybe Aspen is right. Kei isn’t Stevey and it’s about time my brain allows that to sink in. I can’t punish Kei for Stevey’s sins. I can allow myself to open up the tiniest bit but allow space for me to jump back if things get to be too much.
This date is just a tiny step but one Iwantto take.
Chapter Ten
Kei
“Hey,” Shiloh says ingreeting as he slides into the passenger seat of my car. He buckles into his seat before turning around and looking into the backseat.
“Hi, Sookie!” Rodney says with a wide smile. “It’s super cool to officially meet you! I’m Rodney. Well, you know that already.”
“You can call me Gayle,” Gayle says with a little wave.
“You guys can call me Shiloh,” Shiloh says right away, looking a little overwhelmed.
Reaching over, I put my hand on his thigh. He startles at the touch, his eyes darting down to my hand. “Maki and Rin are meeting us there.”
“Have you ever been to this place before?”
Shiloh shakes his head. “I haven’t but I’ve heard people at the university talk about it before. It’s a popular place for them to hang out at, especially because on Friday nights, they have a beer special if you have your student ID with you.”
“Oh,” Gayle says, leaning forward in his seat so he can talk to Shiloh more easily. I squeeze his thigh before putting my hand back on the steering wheel. “Are you a student?”
“No, I’m just on campus sometimes. I model for the art department from time to time.”
“That’s super fun,” Gayle says with a smile. “Do they pay you for that?”
Shiloh hums a soft yes. “I’d ask what you guys do but I literally know too much about you all already.”
I can’t help but snort. “Parasocial much?”
“Yeah,” Shiloh says, nodding his head. “And Rodney is my favorite. This has all been a really elaborate plan to meet him in person. Thanks for the help.”
“Take that back right now or so help me I will pull this car around and drop your ass back at home.”
“Wow,” Rodney says, poking the back of my neck. “You sound like a grandpa.”
“Fuck off, Rodney. Don’t touch me while I’m driving.”
Shiloh chuckles and warmth pools in my chest. The last week has been rough. My rut hit pretty much as soon as I was home after my night with Shiloh. It was intense, more so than usual because this time I craved someone specific. Thankfully, I had Shiloh’s hoodie and his shirt which smelled like him.
I came with a fist around my cock and his shirt pressed against my nose. One night, feeling needy, I called him and instead of immediately hanging up on me, Shiloh talked me through an orgasm. That had been the height of my rut and after that, I slowly came back down.
I still feel keyed up, like I want to cover Shiloh in my scent and leave marks across his skin. It’s taking all of my self-control not to run my wrist over his neck before we leave the car and go into the arcade. I want everyone to smell my scent on him.
It doesn’t take long before I’m pulling into the parking lot and finding a spot. Rodney and Gayle leave the car right away, heading over to where Maki and Rin are already waiting for us outside. I grab Shiloh’s wrist, making him wait a second.
“Hey,” I say gently, running my thumb over his wrist. “Thanks again for agreeing to come along with us.”
“It’s whatever,” he says, looking at me with a smirk. “I don’t plan on paying for anything today.”
“You’re such an ass,” I say but my voice goes all soft. “Can I--” my voice cuts off and I look away.
“Just ask.”
“Can I scent mark you before we go inside? I’m still kinda frazzled from my rut.”
