Page 150

The bartender laughed as Oscar reached into his pants. “Don’t. Normally the first drink is free for newcomers.”

“Oh boy, a Coke,” Oscar said dryly.

“You could always order yourself a big boy drink.”

“Meds,” Oscar offered with an irritated shrug.

“Never stopped anyone before.”

“Yeah, well, I’m not an idiot.”

The bartender smirked but hurried away as a call came from the other end of the bar. Oscar watched him go, wondering if he was losing his touch. Even during Basic, people avoided too much contact with him, sensing a vibe from him that warded them off. He looked down at his missing arm accusingly, wondering if perhaps people were just scared of a grumpy cripple.

A familiar face popped into view with a wide grin. “Well, look who decided to come in after all.”

Oscar stared at the green and yellow haired stranger. “Maybe I wanted a drink.”

“Yeah, not like there aren’t plenty of other places around here to get a drink. No, it’s gotta be this one, right?”

Oscar snorted, shaking his head. “Don’t you have better things to do?”

“Well, yeah. Was kinda hoping that thing would be you, though.”

Oscar blinked, repressing his first urge to try and rip the man’s head off. Hehatedbeing hit on in public. Not only did he severely envy their willingness to live life so openly, but the last thing he needed was for even the slightest whiff of gay being misconstrued.

Oscar glowered at him. “If I’d wanted that, I would have taken you up on your not-so-subtle flirting outside.”

“You do know it’s okay in here, right?” the man asked.

“Yeah, and just because I might look lost and worried to you, and I’m a cripple, don’t mean you’re getting yourself some free ass,” Oscar shot back at him.

The man’s eyes widened, and he backed up with a frown. “Alright, fine, fuck you too.”

Oscar didn’t know what pissed him off more, the fact that the guy hadn’t left well enough alone or the fact that he’d shot the man down because he wasn’t in the mood. How the hell could he even remotely entertain the idea of being with someone else when every other goddamn thought found its way back to Troy? All it would take would be for Oscar to try his hand at a bit of fun, catch sight of some blond hair, and all interest in sex would fly out the window.

Growling at himself and the situation, he stepped away from the bar. Oscar’s eyes swept the crowd, gaze darting away whenever he caught someone looking back. Everyone seemed perfectly content with their conversations, drinks, or dancing on the floor of alternating lit tiles.

Careful to avoid the dance floor, Oscar wound his way toward the walkway where the alcoves lay. Most of them were unoccupied, and those that were had a few people talking over drinks. Oscar snorted as he caught sight of a couple in the middle alcove, who looked more like one writhing creature than two. Oscar caught a glimpse of the back of a blond head as the man went in for another hungry kiss on his partner, seated at the rear of the booth.

Oscar turned his eyes back to the rest of the bar as his stomach dropped. He froze, blinking as he tried to figure out why it felt as though someone had slapped him across the face with a bucket of ice-cold water. His mind ratcheted into gear, a stutter at first, and then fury as his conscious mind caught up with what he’d just seen.

Whirling back, Oscar felt his stomach twist and become hard as rock. He didn’t need the blond-haired man’s face to turn toward him for Oscar to know exactly who was giving some strange man a taste of his tonsils.

Troy.

Oscar’s limbs felt heavy as he stared, witnessing Troy enjoy himself with a complete stranger. Oscar had always known Troy was prone to casual fun, but thinking about it and seeing it were two very different things. God, he’d told the man to move on, to have his fun, and to leave Oscar alone, but fuck, witnessing it brought bile to the back of his throat.

Anger and pain pulled at his chest as he watched Troy’s lips close around the man’s neck, oblivious to the audience a few feet away. Oscar’s head pounded, aching with the same pain he felt in his heart, remembering what it had felt like to have Troy’s mouth on him. A shudder ran through him, and Oscar forced himself to look away, feeling as though he had to rip his gaze from the two men.

Oscar set his glass on the railing nearby with a heavy, sluggish movement. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to tell himself it was what he wanted. When a soft gasp somehow managed to slip between the beats of the music, however, Oscar felt an invisible hot blade slip into his guts.

Shaking his head, Oscar stomped away as quickly as his legs would take him without breaking into a full run. He should have known that no matter what he did, he was bound to run into Troy. After what they’d said to each other the last time, it was inevitable the same universe that saw fit to take his arm and cripple his hips would also make sure it would be at the worst time possible.

“Fuck,” he muttered, breaking out into the fresh air of the night.

He didn’t know where he was going, maybe back to his house or another bar where he could forget what he’d just seen. Maybe to the alley to throw up the Coke he’d just drunk.

Just anywhere else.