Page 19 of Sidelined


Font Size:  

God fucking damnit.

Slowly and begrudgingly, I turn to face him, my scowl deepening as his smirk spreads. “You may as well suck it up, cariño, and use the damn phone.”

I hate that he’s right. What am I going to do? Be stubborn and sit outside my apartment until the snow clears? That could be days. But the thought of using anything of his, taking him up on any offer he has, makes my blood fucking boil.

Stomping over to him, I hold my hand out, palm up. “Fine,” I grumble as he slaps it into my hand.

“Atta boy.” He shakes the hair on my head messily. “Maybe you’re not so stupid after all.”

“You’re a fucking prick, you know that?”

“I do know that, baby. But one day, you’ll find it endearing. Trust me.”

“Stop fucking calling me baby and whatever the fuck cariño means.” Of course, I butcher the pronunciation of that word, saying it much less sexy than it sounds rolling off his tongue.

Based on the way his lip tugs into a crooked grin, I’d say he noticed it, too. “Just make the damn call, you stubborn fool.”

Ten minutes later, I’ve called every single locksmith within a twenty-mile radius. Every single one saying they can’t make it out due to the weather conditions. To make matters even better, my landlord—who lives in the building—just so happens to be out of town this weekend.

This can’t be fucking happening.

The icing on top of this blizzard cake is that the window in the hallway is fucking broken, so it’s probably close to twenty degrees where I’m standing, and not even the puffer jacket is keeping me warm. At this point, call me Count fucking Olaf because this is a series of unfortunate events if I’ve ever heard of one.

Dragging my gaze back up to Mateo, I hand him back his phone, already knowing what he’s going to say next. And I fucking hate it.

“You could come inside and wait out the storm.” He motions inside with one of his hands. “I don’t bite… hard.”

“Please!” I cough up a laugh. “Like I would ever have sex with you. Do I look that desperate?”

The humor in his expression vanishes, replaced by anger as he stalks toward me, backing me up against my door, boxing me in with his arm as his other hand wraps around my throat, squeezing just enough to startle me. “Let’s get one thing straight, estúpido… I said you could come inside and wait. I said nothing about fucking you.” He steps back just enough to give me a once over with a disgusted look in his eyes and a curl to his lip. “And I’d say you are, in fact, pretty desperate, so maybe don’t bite the hand that fucking feeds you, boy.”

Swallowing around the lump in my throat, I avert my gaze, feeling like a fucking idiot. He squeezes my throat a little tighter, my eyes snapping to meet his.

“How about we try this again with some manners this time, shall we?” His hands are removed from my body, and he takes a step back, putting some much-needed distance between us. “Would you like to come inside and wait out the storm, or would you rather sit out here and catch hypothermia?”

Clearing my throat, I run a hand through my hair. “Uh, sure. I’ll come in,” I say, barely above a whisper. “Th-thanks.”

4

MATEO ROJAS

Like a hawk hunting his prey, my eyes never leave the sight of Travis as he wanders around my apartment, nervous and uncomfortable. It’s been ten minutes, and he hasn’t sat down once. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thrilled by the fact that he’s locked out of his place and had no choice but to come into my house. The enemy. I know that’s how he views me. It’s in the way his eyes narrow as he takes me in, lips pinched into a thin line. The way he not-so subtly scoffs or groans under his breath anytime I speak to him.

Not that I blame him. I’d probably be a little miffed, too, if I caught my partner fucking around on me. He’s directing his anger in the wrong direction, though. When I met Nathaniel on Grindr, I had no clue he was in a relationship. I may be a dick, but I don’t frequently make a habit of fucking men who aren’t mine to take.

One thing’s for sure… I’m going to enjoy fucking with him while he’s here. We’re trapped. Why not have a little fun? Sauntering into the kitchen, I pull open the fridge, glancing over to where he’s pacing in front of my couch. “Want something to drink?”

His head snaps up, like he’s lost in thought and forgot where he was. The scowl that’s ever-present around me slides firmly into place as he stops pacing, arms crossed over his chest. “No, I don’t want anything to drink,” he huffs.

Shrugging, I chuckle as I reach for a beer. “Suit yourself, man.” I twist the cap off, tossing it in the trash as I bring the bottle up to my lips, letting the crisp liquid fill my mouth.

Setting the bottle on the counter, I amble across the space into my bedroom. This entire situation could use some weed, and I’ll bet he won’t turn that down. I know he smokes. There was a bong on the coffee table when I came over to fuck Nathaniel, and he told me it wasn’t his. Figured he had a roommate. I grab the red and black box off my dresser. It’s ugly as sin, but it belonged to my mom before she died.

After plucking out one of the Js I rolled this morning and a lighter, I make my way back out to the living room. His eyes—pale blue and narrowed—track my every move until I’m right in front of him. With the joint between my teeth, I flick the striker on the red lighter until the flame ignites, holding it on the end of the rolling paper until it glows red.

The earthy, sweet taste of marijuana sits heavy on my taste buds as I take a couple of hits, holding it out for him. “Want some?” Exhaling the smoke, I can’t help the grin that forms on my lips. He wants it, but he also wants to say no. An internal war with himself I love to see. “Come on, cariño. It’s just some weed. It’ll help you relax, so you’re not such a buzzkill.”

His grimace deepens as he takes it from me. The black polish on his nails is chipped and worn, the skin around the nails picked at. Taking a hit, his nostrils flare, accentuating the black hoop in his left one. It’s fucking hot. He’s hot, and as his pale pink lips purse around the filter, a sudden image of how he’d look with those same lips wrapped around my cock flashes in my mind.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
Articles you may like