Series: Peach State Stepbros Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 92311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 462(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
“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.
“Your friends are weird.”
“Um…have you met yours?” he counters, and we both laugh. He has a point.
We spend the night glued to each other’s sides, making out, dancing, and talking to people. When I’m done being social, I nod toward his room, and Troy grins. “I thought you’d never ask.”
We ignore everyone as Troy leads me upstairs, then closes and locks the door behind us. I’m not sure how we get out of our clothes so quickly, but it feels like just seconds later we’re naked, in bed, panting and jerking each other off, cum stuck to our bodies.
Troy falls back onto the mattress beside me. “We can fuck later. I needed that.”
“Me too. I don’t like it when we’re not in the same bed.”
“I don’t like it either.”
I pull him close, my arm around him. “You know, the morning is going to come really fucking quickly after a party like tonight. We’re gonna be exhausted.”
We’re going to Ellie’s new place for lunch tomorrow. She got a small two-bedroom condo of her own, the living room filled with memories from both Troy and Brandon. It’s hard on both of them, but they know they can hold on to the Brandon they knew, even if they don’t have a relationship with him now. And maybe one day he’ll be serious about getting help, and they’ll get the old Brandon back.