Page 41 of Snowballing

The hair withdrew, and I felt the pressure around my ankles give.

Gareth stood up. “You can pull up your shorts now…or not. Up to you.”

“I don’t think Trey wants me waltzing through the kitchen with my shorts around my ankles.”

“I can tell him to go to his room. He’s played an awful lot of video games today.”

I thought I didn’t want a long-term boyfriend, but the more this gorgeous, kind-hearted man flirted with me, I couldn’t remember why.

With my ass finally covered, I turned the light on and let Gareth past me to go first.

“Don’t pants me in retaliation,” he teased.

I was so fucking tempted. My fingers itched to return the favor.

* * *

New Year’s Eve

“How long have you known him?” Lane asked.

“Hmm…we met the week before Christmas, I think?”

“Seems kind of sudden, don’t you think? Letting him into your home?”

“You haven’t seen him with Trey. He’s the one that invited him.”

“Alright, alright.”

“Ben and Grace are quiet.”

“Grace isn’t feeling well, and Ben-” Lane sighed. “Ben’s being a teenager lately.”

“Anything serious?”

“Staying out past curfew, likely drinking, hopefully nothing less legal, but I don’t know. It’s like he’s given up on school. I don’t know what happened.”

“We did way worse when we were ki-”

The doorbell rang.

“Gareth!” Trey tore past us to get the door. Ben shuffled in from the living room to lean against the archway between rooms.

Trey leapt into Gareth’s arms for a hug.

“I can see why you like him,” Lane murmured out the side of his mouth.

I elbowed him before pulling him towards the door to introduce Lane to Gareth. They shook hands, but Trey was already pushing him into the living room.

My eyes followed them, then caught on Ben. I watched him put his phone in his pocket and smooth out his shirt, looking himself over before joining Trey and Gareth. Ben then said more words to Gareth in the next five minutes than he had said to anyone else the entire evening.

“Are you even listening to me?” Lane asked.

“Sorry-” I gave him an apologetic look, then continued, “But I think I know what might be up with Ben. He, uh…reacted when Gareth came into the house. Is it a possibility that he’s dealing with some sexuality issues and having trouble processing that?”

Lane stood there for a few seconds, thinking. “It’s possible. Raquel’s mentioned it before.”

“Let’s go grab some beers.” I led the way to the kitchen. “Have you ever checked your internet history, or his phone?”