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“No I don’t. You wish I did. I’m trying to be serious here, to be open with my feelings and support Atlas, but the two of you never stop.” He crosses his arms and pouts playfully, but I sober.
“Thank you. I appreciate it. You guys are…hell, you’re my boys.” College has been better because of them. I’ve never bonded with people in high school the way I have with Brenner and Taylor.
“Aww. I think this calls for a hug. We should hug.” Brenner grins.
“I mean, I’m not opposed to hugs,” Taylor adds.
“Do we have to?”
“You’re getting in touch with your emotions! Stop sucking at it.” Brenner grabs me before I can argue, but the truth is, I don’t plan on it. The second he has his arms around me, Taylor does the same, and it feels good. I’m not sure I would have ever been able to let this happen if not for Troy. We had a long talk about everything that went down, but also about my self-esteem, how I worry about being like Glen and not being enough for Troy, and voicing it helped. And that, in turn, prompted Troy to bring up the therapist thing. Being loved is great. It’s nice having someone who wants what’s best for you.
Taylor moves and brushes my chest, and I hiss, pain stabbing into me.
“What happened?” he asks.
I don’t hesitate to lift my shirt. Maybe this should be embarrassing, maybe it’s too much, but it fits Troy and me, it’s right for us, and that’s all that should matter—what is right for individuals, not how anyone else would behave.
“You tattooed your boyfriend’s name beneath your left pec?” Taylor asks, eyes wide.
“Dude. I bet you got some good hole for that.” Brenner high-fives me.
“I always get the best hole from T. That’s not why I wanted to do it.” It’s not why he has my name tattooed on his wrist either. We just…want everyone to know who we belong to, and we’re not shy about it.
Well, Ellie hasn’t seen it yet. She’s been supportive, but she might think this is a bit much.
We order pizza and play video games before it’s time to head to the frat party at Troy’s place. The two of us can be a bit obsessive about each other, so we’ve been making it a point to spend time with our friends. He stayed at the frat house last night and is helping set up for the party tonight. Colin gives me shit about trying to take his best friend away from him.
We get ready and then take Brenner’s truck to the party. I’m staying with Troy tonight because there’s no way in hell I’m not sleeping in bed with him two days in a row.
It’s cold and rainy, winter getting ready to turn into spring, so the party is inside this time. They don’t give me shit about getting in, not even Marty, because they know wherever Troy goes, I go.
The house is already packed, but I find my boy right away. He’s dancing in the living room with a Solo cup in his hand and Colin by his side.
Parting ways with Taylor and Brenner, I head straight for him and wrap my arms around him from behind. “Mmm…I missed you,” I say close to his ear.
“You guys are obsessed with each other,” Colin says over the music. “I can’t believe he has your name tattooed on his wrist.”
“Hot, huh?” I waggle my brows.
“I missed you too,” Troy says, turning and pressing his lips to mine.
“Wanna make out?”
Before he can reply, Colin is tugging on my shirt. “Atlas, is your friend Brenner trying to fuck my stepbrother?”
I follow where he’s looking to see Brenner talking to Ash, who has his back against the wall, looking flirty as hell.
“Probably.” I mean, Brenner knows he can’t have Troy now.
“Tell him to stop,” Colin says.
“Why would I do that?”
Colin looks from me to Troy and back again, confusion wrinkling his brow. I’m pretty sure he doesn’t have an answer himself.
“I…don’t know. Ignore me. I’m gonna get a drink. You want a drink?” And then without waiting for us to answer, Colin slips away.
“That was weird,” Troy says.
