Page 12

LUKE

OCTOBER

There are a lot of ways I’d describe myself. Hopeless isn’t one of them. Usually.

The day Erik got the news, we became a pair of inseparable idiots. From that Saturday until Wednesday, we spent every single second within ten feet of each other—I’d wake up for work, and Erik would lounge around, help me clean the house, and cook lunch.

If he did that to try to make me want to stay together, it didn’t work. I already want to stay together. Half of me wanted to ask him to do long distance, but we’ve only known each other for less than a month. That wouldn’t be fair to him.

The best I can get, even if I’m miserable, is to do what he asked and pretend he’s not leaving.

Even so, there was no avoiding his departure. Eventually, Erik had to pack, so it’s been two days since he set foot in my apartment.

I’m an hour away from clawing at the walls like a cat on cocaine.

Erik said he could handle things himself, rebuffing my offer to help him pack. As usual, I didn’t push it. Whenever someone leaves, I’ve learned that it’s best to let it happen because there’s nothing I can do.

What is it about me and meeting people who move away? It’s like a curse.

Exhibit A: my entire friend group from university.

Exhibit B: Erik, the first guy I’ve had genuine feelings for since my ex Dylan and I broke up two years ago.

Oh, right. Dylan and I broke things off when he went abroad on exchange during fourth year. I sure know how to pick them, don’t I?

Fuck my life.

Now, though, Erik is done packing, his flight is tomorrow, and my apartment is way too quiet. It’s Friday night and I’m bored out of my mind. My thoughts go straight to Erik, and I try not to dwell on the fact that my best friend in this city is, again, someone who’s leaving in a day.

I consider texting, but he beats me to it.

Erik Norberg

Hey Luke

Hey! What’s up

I really don’t want to be at home rn

Do you want to come to mine? Or we can go for a drive

Drive sounds amazing

I’ll pick you up. Sit tight

Thanks Luke :) appreciate it

With an inconvenient skip in my step, I go to the bathroom to rake some product through my hair before heading down to my car.

The trip over to Erik’s place is mostly uneventful since most people are driving into the city, not out of it, but I still push the speed a little.

Because yeah, I’m excited to hang out with Erik. I always am.

Once I arrive, I give him a call and he ambles out of the apartment building a few minutes later.

He’s wearing a backpack that stretches his gray sweater across his pecs, but my attention goes right to his legs because I have zero self-control.

Those thick, powerful quads, clad in flattering blue jeans, flex as he makes quick steps down the stairs to my car.

I have to take a swig of water to keep my mouth fresh.

“Sup,” he says, climbing into the passenger seat and raking his gaze across me.

Tilting my head, I fix him with a cocky grin. “Sup? Is that how we greet each other now?”

Erik returns my smile and leans over to plant a burning kiss on my unsuspecting lips. I don’t complain, at least until he pulls back and makes my mouth chase his.

“Was that better?” he asks.

“Nah, it wasn’t nearly long enough.” I hook an arm around his neck before he can reply and drag him back for a desperate second round. His breath catches, warmth coils in my stomach, and an annoying voice in the back of my head reminds me that Erik is leaving the country. Tomorrow.

I kiss him even harder to shut that voice up. All this is worth the inevitable emotional train wreck that’s coming for me.

“Whoa, someone’s eager,” Erik says, the corners of his mouth curving up.

I shrug. “Yeah, I?—”

—missed you? Shit, I can’t say that.

“—really like your cologne.” That isn’t a lie. “It smells so freaking good.”

We fall into silence, and while I could spend the whole night kissing Erik, I’d rather do that and let my heart shatter somewhere other than the driveway of his apartment building.

I pass the aux cable over and program the GPS so we can get going.

“Uh, why are there coordinates in the destination box?” Erik asks, watching the GPS load the route.

“It’s a quiet provincial park about an hour and a half away. Perfect for stargazing and stuff. Helps clear my mind whenever I go.”

Erik nods in agreement. “Consider me sold.”

The drive up Keele Street and onto the highway is easy, and we talk about pretty much everything.

Except for his travel plans because I don’t want to bring the vibes down, and neither does he.

Before long, I’m flicking on my turn signal and exiting onto Highway Nine, and the sparse traffic fades into no traffic.

At least until a random car races up to tailgate us out of nowhere, flashing its one functioning headlight before honking and swerving left.

“Asshole,” I mutter as the beater passes us.

“Yeah, how fast do you think they’re going? A hundred and twenty?”

I scoff. “Dude, I’m pushing one-ten. I don’t even want to think about them.”

“Driving in this country is terrifying,” says Erik. “You guys are crazy to go that fast on a small road like this.”

“Uh oh, the passenger princess is getting feisty.” For effect, I reach over and place a teasing hand on Erik’s leg.

“Am I a passenger princess now?” he asks, letting out a surprised huff.

“You’re in the right seat for it,” I mumble, staying focused on the road. Erik is warm, almost hot to the touch, and I give his leg a hard squeeze. My dick stirs, pressing against the fabric of my underwear and making this drive ten times more urgent.

Erik releases a deep hum, and the noise sends a shiver down my back.

The road in front of us is empty, so I slide into Erik’s inner thigh, lifting my hand so that only my fingertips stay in contact, and I bring them further up.

Getting touched there makes me lose it, and from the way Erik’s breath hitches, I can tell it’s having the same effect on him.

And then my fingers catch, stopped by a solid, twitching mass.

I’ve gone… not too far. Far enough. Through the fabric of Erik’s jeans, I give the head of his hard dick a deliberate press, and all the air leaves his lungs.

The GPS still has us half an hour away from the park, and that’s thirty minutes too long.

“Luke.” Erik’s voice is strained, almost falling apart at the edges. “Can we pull over?”

We’re deep in the Greenbelt and there’s nothing but fields and forests around us.

With no time to spare, I steer onto the next concession road, and my stomach jumps when I see a sign for a public conservation area.

I pull in, pull over, and shut the car off.

Silence blankets us, pierced only by our heavy breathing.

“Are we really about to fuck in your car?” he asks.

“I don’t know about fuck , but I’m down to give you head.”

Yeah, I’ll keep things physical. Hopefully, that’ll make it easier to move on when I don’t fucking want to .

Not even a second later, Erik’s seat belt is off and he’s reaching for me. I grab back, leaning my head over, and as soon as our mouths collide, all bets are off.

I can’t keep things physical when our feelings already exist, but there’s no going back now.

The kiss is urgent, and there’s zero hesitation from either of us. Unbuckling myself, I push Erik back into the passenger seat and slip his pants down, his cock springing free and slapping against his shirt, leaving a wet spot right above the tip.

With one hand, I grab my water bottle to take a swig, and I give Erik's solid dick a few gentle tugs with the other. The anticipation is brutal, and I stretch over to?—

My stomach slams into the gear shift, and I wince through the pain. I shuffle right, but I hit the center console.

“This isn’t working,” I mutter, caressing my aching back. Erik pulls his pants up while I retreat to the driver’s seat.

“We could try going outside?” he suggests. “How cold is it?”

“Hopefully not cold enough to make our dicks shrivel up.”

Erik cracks his door and closes it immediately. “No. It’s freezing. Not going out there.”

A quick glance at the dashboard confirms that it’s nine above freezing. Not unbearable. Erik might need a little convincing, but he shouldn’t be too hard to crack.

I dart my hand across the car and stick it into Erik’s crotch, gently massaging the bulge in his pants that’s still rock-solid, and he cusses in a low grumble. His breaths grow deeper, hissing slightly as he clenches his teeth.

“Fuck you,” he spits out, his head falling back as a strained smile stretches across his face.

“Think about how good it feels when I wrap my mouth around your cock, sucking hard until you come down my throat.”

That gets me a strangled groan from the other side of the car. “You’re evil.”

At this point, I’m emboldened and keyed-up myself.

My fingers hover above his belt, waiting for a sign to keep going, and Erik shoves my hand below the waistband.

Fisting around his shaft through the silky fabric of his boxer briefs, I dig my fingers into the underside, and Erik lets out a string of delicious, strained grunts.

“Don’t let yourself shoot off in your underwear, Erik,” I drawl, making sure to roll his name across my tongue. “That would be a total waste.”

Even in the dim moonlight, I catch heat flashing across Erik’s eyes, and my heart races. He grabs something from his bag, stumbles out of the car, flings my door open, and hauls me out by the bicep.

He knows exactly how to manhandle me. Holy crap.

“To hell with the cold,” Erik growls. “Walk the talk and suck my cock.”

“Hey, that rhymes.”

His reply is to whip his dick out, and I shut right up. There’s a thud on the ground, and I look down to see that he dropped a notebook onto the gravel below.

“You could use something for your knees.”

My stomach simmers. He was going to get a five-star blowjob anyway, but now I’m going to make it downright unforgettable.