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“Wait. What?” Troy asks.
“Nothing.”
“That didn’t sound like nothing.”
“You bastard.” Brenner playfully shoves me. “Everyone wants you.”
“It’s my shining personality.”
“You’re queer?” Taylor asks, and just like that, it’s not a big deal with either of my friends. They’re different from Troy’s. Not that there’s anything wrong with his people. I know they care about him, but we’re the misfits, the ones who don’t give a fuck, and they’re…well, they’re frat boys.
I shrug. “I am now.”
“Can we get back to Brenner having sex with me?” Troy asks, and I let out a low rumble, unable to hold it back. “Damn. That was hot,” Troy adds.
“He wanted you. I said he couldn’t have you. The end.”
Brenner says, “Sorry he kept you from me, baby. I know it must be hard finding that out now. Last time when he sent you away, I know it would have been our night, but the evil king kept us apart. If you get sick of him…”
I roll my eyes. “You’re a fucking idiot,” I tell Brenner. It’s true, but it’s also why we’re friends. The three of us get each other, we don’t have expectations of each other, and we accept each other the way we are. “Stop professing your love for my man.”
“Wanna have a threesome?” Brenner tosses out.
I give him the finger, then glance at Troy. I can see him working through it all in his head. “That’s why you cut it short that time Brenner was coming over! Because he wanted to hook up with me.”
“Do you have to remind me?”
“I would have chosen you,” Troy says, and yeah, that helps.
“I know.” But damn, it feels good to hear.
“So I’m the only one who’s not queer?” Taylor asks. “I feel left out.” We all laugh, and I have to admit I like this, like being with Troy and my friends.
I wrap my arms around him from behind, and Troy snuggles in close.
“Aww, look at Atlas.” Brenner grabs Taylor’s arm, tugging on him excitedly.
“I can see them. Jesus, you’re like a puppy sometimes, too much damn energy.” Taylor glances at me. “But it is cute to see you with a boyfriend.”
“Don’t call me cute,” I say, pouting.
Another round of laughter spreads through us. We talk for a few minutes where they do make a couple of jokes about me dating my stepbrother. They wouldn’t be Taylor and Brenner if they didn’t, so I start dragging Troy away. “We’re leaving. I have a stuffed animal to win my man.”
We disappear into the crowd, with Taylor and Brenner singing, “Atlas and Troy, sitting in a tree,” and as strange as it sounds, I realize this might be one of my favorite days.
When we get back to my apartment, where Troy does, in fact, give me his ass, I look at the small bear he’d won me, that sits on my dresser, and yeah, I was right earlier. It’s definitely one of my favorite days.
27
Troy
Atlas’s face restsagainst his pillow, his arms interlocked in front of him. His breathing is shallower than late at night, when he’s lost in a deep sleep. This isn’t the first night I’ve slept at his place in the past few weeks, and it won’t be the last, not if I have any say in it.
It’s been a bit of a whirlwind lately. This whole thing with Atlas snuck up on me, and next thing I knew, finals were coming up. Then Atlas and I took on full-time shifts through winter break, like we usually do, to make as much extra cash as we could. And what time we didn’t spend working, we spent together or hanging with friends, only being interrupted by an uneventful holiday party at Mom and Glen’s.
Now that things have calmed down and we’re in the first week of the spring semester, I feel like I can relax and appreciate having Atlas in bed beside me.
The morning light filters in through the blinds, casting across his hair, and I reposition his bangs so I can see his face.
