Page 16 of Believe in Caloosa Springs (Caloosa Springs #3)

Porter

I peeled my gloves off and tossed them into the bin before wiping my clammy hands down the front of my jeans. I pulled my phone out of my back pocket to reply to Tian’s text. Just seeing his name flash across my phone had me grinning like an idiot.

TIAN: Chai latte?

ME: With an extra side of you?

TIAN: you’re silly… I’m the main course ;)

ME: My favorite meal… your ass should have its own Michelin Star.

TIAN: HAHA! Why did the image of Gordon Ramsay eating me out and then screaming at me about it just come into my brain?

ME: If Gordon Ramsay has anything to say about your accommodations, I’ll personally fist-fight him.

TIAN: Thinking about you and Gordon Ramsay fist-fighting over my asshole is giving me a boner.

ME: Oh? Let me see…

TIAN: I’m standing in line at the diner!

ME: So…?

TIAN: I’m not whipping my cock out in the middle of this line. These old people in here would fkn faint.

ME: There’s a public bathroom at the diner.

TIAN: You are the biggest PERV on the planet!

I smiled and shook my head.

ME: You made me this way…

I set my phone down on the small counter and took a long pull from my water bottle as Jake walked into the trim-room. I nodded by way of greeting as I finished the rest of the water and set the empty bottle aside.

“Sup?” Jake kept his gaze lowered towards the ground as he approached the table and grabbed a fresh pair of gloves. “Looks like we’re about finished with this one, huh?” Jake gestured to the mainly empty rows that had been filled with budding plants just a day or so ago. We had made good time harvesting this lot.

“Yeah… Ty said the next lot won’t be ready ‘til at least Friday, so it’s lookin’ like we have a few easy days ahead of us.”

Jake nodded, and began fidgeting with the trimmers he’d picked up in his hands.

“How’s Christian?”

I was a little taken aback by his question. After his apology last week, we had gotten to the point where we greeted each other in passing—a mutual respect, if nothing else. But I had not been prepared for him to get friendly enough to ask about my boyfriend.

“He’s really good. He’s in the process of acquiring us chai lattes.”

I watched as Jake bit his lip to stop a grin. “Oh. I don't think I’ve ever had one. Are they good?”

“No, not really,” I replied flatly. “But he gets so excited about them that I just roll with it.”

Jake laughed. “That sounds like having a girlfriend.”

I could tell he was trying… trying for what, I wasn’t sure. “Um, I’m honestly not sure. I’ve never had a girlfriend.”

Jake looked up for the first time since he’d entered the room, and his eyes widened a bit.

“Really?” He set the trimmers back down on the table. “You’ve never been with a girl?”

“No. I’ve never had the slightest desire to date, or have sex with, a female.”

“Oh. Okay, so you’ve always just… known?”

“Pretty much. Growing up in a strict religious household where the expectation is to pair up and get married young made puberty really confusing, but once I had access to the internet, it was easy to figure out. Not easy to come to terms with, but, yeah. It wasn’t really a question in my mind.”

“My family isn’t religious, per se,” he told me. “They are just very… traditional.”

“Where are you from?” I asked, realizing that I had no idea.

“Oklahoma.”

“Utah isn’t much better, I’d imagine.”

“Can I ask you a question?”

I nodded, still kind of baffled that we were engaged in this long (and personal) a conversation.

“If you had been seeing guys your whole life, and then, suddenly, you met a girl who made you question everything you thought you knew about yourself, what would you do?”

I wrinkled my forehead. Where on earth was this going? Still, I felt like I wanted to explore the question.

“Uhh, well. In that case, I would have to take some time to think about things, and maybe take it very slowly with that girl, and be honest with her about what I was feeling. And go from there, I guess.”

“You think that would be an okay thing to do, even if you weren’t sure?” he pressed. And, just like they said in books, a lightbulb went off over my head as I put together the clues and gleaned the gist of what he was asking me.

“Honesty and communication would be key,” I said slowly. “I would try to figure out if that hypothetical girl was even interested. And, for you? Same thing for any hypothetical guys.”

Jake dropped his gaze back to the floor and nodded. “Yeah, that… that makes sense.”

I reached over, clapped Jake on the back, and gave his shoulder a quick squeeze. “You don’t have to figure everything out all at once, bro. Be open, and give yourself time to figure it out.”

My phone buzzed on the table between us, and the screen lit up as we both looked down. A second later, an image of Tian in a bathroom stall with his hard, pink prick jutting out from the zipper of his jeans. He was flipping the camera off with his free hand.

Jake’s face turned pink, and he quickly looked away.

My instincts kicked in, and I hastily reached over and snatched the phone up off the table to hide the picture, horrified at the violation of Tian’s privacy. Then, I stopped, an idea fomenting in my brain.

Tian loves to be drooled over. It’s his favorite.

I clicked on the picture he’d sent in the text thread, and brought it up full screen. I held my phone up in front of Jake. “Would you… you wanna see it?”

Jake’s eyes darted around the room, and he let out a slow breath before offering a half-assed shrug like it didn’t matter either way. Slowly, like I was approaching a scared animal, I held out my hand.

“This one isn’t the best, because, as you can see, he’s being a little brat. Hence, the middle finger…” I handed Jake my phone.

Jake studied the image of Tian for a good 30 seconds, glancing up at the doorway every so often as if he was terrified we’d be caught. His face went from red to maroon. I watched him trouble his lower lip between his teeth.

“He …” Jake cleared his throat, “... he sends you pics like this a lot?”

“Almost daily. It’s kind of our thing.”

I took my phone back and swiped left until the image of Tian sitting on the edge of the tub all covered in suds came up and handed Jake the phone again.

Jake's eyes widened again and he licked his lips. “Damn.” Jake stared at the photo for longer than mere curiosity strictly allowed before prying his eyes away and handing me back the device. He mumbled something under his breath about a drink of water and began heading towards the exit. Halfway across the threshold, looked back. “Hey Porter…?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks, man. And I won’t tell anyone that you showed me the pics. I don’t want Tian to get mad at you.”

“Oh, I’m gonna tell him, if that’s okay,” I smiled. “He’s gonna think it’s hot as hell.”

“Really?”

I bit my lip and nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

When Jake finally left the room, I adjusted the chub growing in my pants and locked my phone. Something about watching a closeted homophobe flushing at the sight of my naked boyfriend was getting me hard enough to pound nails. The thought of sitting back and watching Tian pop Jake’s gay cherry was going to make me leak.

I didn’t have much time to get lost in that fantasy, as the master of ceremonies himself, Tian, walked into the room a few moments later. A to-go cup in each hand accompanied the cutest smile I’d ever seen.

“Did you jerk off in the bathroom?” I asked.

“No, weirdo. I just went in there to send you the pic.”

“Good, I love it when you save it for me.”

Tian smiled and set the cups down on the tabletop before wrapping his arms around me and standing on his tiptoes to lick into my mouth. “You are a filthy perv, and I love you for it.”

I kissed him again. “Speaking of me being a filthy perv, I showed your nudes to Jake.”

Tian cocked an eyebrow. “Jake? The Neanderthal you got into a fistfight with? That one?”

I nodded.

“He wanted to see my dick?”

“Kinda… it’s hard to explain. We were having an interesting conversation when your pic came through. My phone was face-up, and we both saw it. I could tell he liked it, or was at least curious. So I pulled up a few others and showed him.”

Tian tilted his head. “What did he say?”

“He didn’t say much, but he walked out of here like his butt was on fire, trying to hide his boner.”

“That’s hot as fuck. Did you send him the OnlyFans link?”

“I don’t think he's quite there yet. And to be honest, I think he has his sights set on something… specific.”

“Diaper play,” Tian concluded without an iota of humor in his tone. “I could see him being an AB/DL.”

I threw my head back and laughed. The sound echoed off the walls as I pulled him in tighter against me. “You’re my favorite human, babe.” I leaned over and covered his mouth with mine, tasking the sweetness of his mouth as hints of cinnamon and clove danced back and forth on our taste buds. “You’re so sexy, Tian. You make me completely fall apart.” I brought my hands down under his ass and lifted him to plant his ass on the table. Tian wrapped his jean-clad legs around my waist as I bit down on the pulse point in his throat. He let out a small moan and tossed his head back, giving me better access. I held one arm tight around his lower back to support him and slipped the other one between us to palm his prick through his pants. His breath hitched, and he hooked an arm around the back of my neck and arched his back to give my hand better access.

I grabbed his earlobe between my teeth and then whispered around it, “I’m gonna make you drench your pants with cum, and then you’re gonna have to walk around wet and sticky for the rest of the day. And every time you have to adjust yourself, or try to separate your soaked little panties from the tip of your chafed, sensitive tip, you’re gonna think of me...”

“Porter Isaiah Becket! What the hell is going on in here?”

The voice was instantly familiar. It was as if someone dumped an icy bucket of slush over my head from behind. Shock was the first reaction, and then my brain scrambled to make sense of what was happening. I momentarily felt as if I was in a fever dream, despite the very unfortunate fact that I was conscious. I clung to Christian for one more second, not wanting to turn around and face the next several moments of my life that were about to unfold.

He let his arms fall from around my neck. Before I let go of him, I kissed his cheek. I don’t know if it was some desperate attempt to travel back in time to 30 seconds ago, or if It was to reassure him that, no matter what was about to happen… I belonged to him.

When I finally let him go and turned around, I could see my mother standing in the entranceway clinging to my father’s side like she’d just witnessed the devil himself coming out of a volcano, or something. My father looked more angry than I had ever seen him before. Henry stood just off to my father’s side, his arms crossed over his chest, flanked by his own parents. Seems like retrieving me has become a family affair.

“Hello, Papa. Mom.” I nodded.

“Okay, why don’t we just give the boys a minute to collect themselves,” Pops said, pushing past Tyler as he made his way into the grow room.

My father’s face steeled, and he looked over at Mr. Baker. “I appreciate the hospitality, sir, but we’ll just collect our son and head home. It’s a long flight. I’m sure you understand.”

“Collect your son and head on home?” I repeated incredulously. “I’m not going anywhere with you. What would make you think that?”

Tian hopped off the table and I grabbed his hand, lacing his fingers with mine. Somehow, he knew I needed his strength.

“If you think I’m going to just sit back and allow you to continue on this… this sinful path you're on, you’re out of your mind, boy. You have no idea the damage you’ve done to this family and its reputation. And dragging your cousin along into this foolishness? You should be horse-whipped. We’ve been worried sick about you.”

“Mr. Becket, I understand that this is a lot to take in, but it’s not the boys’ fault,” Pops said. He stood between us and my family, like a human shield. “They’ve done nothing wrong.”

My father shook his head at Pops. “I appreciate the sentiment, but we won’t be taking up anymore of your valuable time. Porter, get in the car.”

“Fuck you.” The words had flown from my lips before I could even think them through, the consonants ringing in the air like gunshots. “I’m not going anywhere.”

My mother gasped, her face contorting in pain. Tears started streaming down her cheeks.

“Porter…” Tian whispered, tightening his grip on my hand.

“How dare you speak to me like that!” my father roared. “With everything we’ve done for you! We’ve given you a good home. Kept you safe! We just want what’s best for you! You have no idea!”

“How dare you show up here unannounced and uninvited and start hurling demands?” I retorted. “I’m a grown man. I did my part. I kept my mouth shut for 19 years. I kept who I was and what I wanted hidden, to not disappoint you. I went to temple. I said my prayers. I played the game so you two could keep living in your perfect godly bubble and look good to the elders. I did my part so you wouldn’t be embarrassed to show your faces among the congregation and in town.” My voice trembled as I took a deep breath. “It’s my turn now. I’m living for me. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t care anymore. You can go back and tell them all I ran away, or died, or got kidnapped by gay pirates. As long as you leave me alone.”

I looked over at Tian. His beautiful face was even paler than usual. I picked his hand up on mine and kissed the back of it. “I love you, and doing so has helped me to start loving myself.”

Tian let out a breath and laid his head against my shoulder as I faced them again. “He’s all I need. It’s up to you two if you want us to be part of your lives or not. That’s a decision you have to make.”

I pulled Tian along behind me as we walked past Pops and Ty and then around my family to exit. “I never want to see you again,” I told Henry coolly as we passed by him. His mom wrapped a protective arm around him as I spoke. The traitor.

“Porter!” My mom started as we walked out into the chilly, open air. Her voice sounded desperate.

I paused and looked back over my shoulder. We made eye contact for a moment, and I thought she was going to say something else. Her mouth opened. Roughly, my father took her by the hand and propelled her past us towards the car. She craned her head to look back. Now, she was freely sobbing. My aunt leaned forward and muttered something low and quiet to her as the whole fam-bam climbed into the waiting minivan.

Trying not to focus on my mother’s broken expression through the glass, I turned away and threw my arm around Tian’s shoulders. I didn’t protest as he led me towards my car. I’d had enough of the farm for that day.