His mom smiled. “I like Brian. He’s a good friend. And I think he’s good for you—spiritually.”
It wasn’t shocking to hear her say that about one of his gay friends. His parents knew that his and Brian’s relationship was one hundred percent platonic—and that Brian one hundred percent subscribed to theSide Bideology and helped Patrick walk that path. He was the next best thing to a straight Christian friend.
“Yeah, he is,” Patrick answered sincerely. Brian was a godsend. He took his coffee back to his room and sat on the end of the bed. He’d stripped off the sheets as soon as he woke up and replaced them with clean linen. The crumpledsoiledsheets lay in a ball on the floor. Patrick would wash them himself—he often did his own laundry, so his mom would think nothing of it.
Patrick leaned forward and cradled the coffee mug in both palms, staring at the balled-up sheets. His pulse refused to calm. He hadn’t had anincidentlike that since his early teens. It frightened him that he wasn’t as in control as he’d believed.
You’re fine. Trust God and He will see you through. You haven’t done anything wrong.
It felt like he had.
He cleared his throat and set his cup on the nightstand, then called Brian and asked him to come over. He had to talk tosomeone, and there was no one he trusted more than Brian.
. . .
Lucas shooed away the onlookers and closed the door. He came back to the bed and sat on top of the blankets, legs stretched out. Derek dropped his feet to the floor and combed his fingers through his hair. He sighed and stood. “I need a shower.”
“I’ll wait here.” Lucas smiled. “We can talk when you get out.”
“Talk about what?”
“What do you think?”
Derek groaned. “Are you still on that?”
“Yep. And I’m gonna stay on it until you tell me the truth.”
Shaking his head, Derek walked into the bathroom and closed the door. He turned on the shower and stripped off his shorts. The aftereffects of the surprise fuck session stuck with him. He wasalmostcertain Lucas hadn’t come to his room to fuck, but the guy was never one to pass up an opportunity.
Derek tried his damnedest not to think about Patrick while he soaped up his naked body and washed his junk—which seemed hypersensitive to touch this morning. By the time he stepped out of the shower, he was semi-hard. With little effort, Lucas could take him again if he was so inclined. Derek didn’t intend to inform him of that bit of fact but knowing Lucas—he wouldsmellit on Derek.
True to his word, Lucas hadn’t moved from the bed when Derek returned, a towel around his waist. Lucas groaned. “Nothing like a fucking hot guy right out of the shower.”
Derek held out his hand. “Keep your distance, sex fiend. I don’t want to have to shower again right away.”
Lucas chuckled. “I would make it worth your while.”
“No.” Derek sat on the edge of the bed, his back to Lucas. He rested his elbows on his knees and glanced at his phone.Get Lucas out of here and make the call. Get it over with.
“So, seriously—what went down with that guy?” Lucas asked, all joking aside. “The way he looked at you… he definitely wanted a piece of your fine self.”
Derek had thought so, too. But maybe everything hethoughthe saw was simply wishful thinking. He scooted up next to Lucas and tucked his arms behind his head, eyes drifting to the ceiling. “He’s a Christian.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Well… so? He’s still gay, right?”
“Yes.”
“And he liked you. So, what’s the problem?”
Letting out a shaky breath, Derek explained theproblem.
“Shit,” Lucas murmured. “Why be gay if you’re never gonna fuck other men?”
“That’s what I thought,” Derek admitted.
