Page 83 of Fragments

I guess… maybe we could be friends. Just because he’s gay, he won’t stop flirting with me and he makes me a little nervous, doesn’t mean we can’t just platonically hang out.

My lips part to say something along those lines, but before I can, Jasper stomps over, pushing open the bars to the cell.

“Alright, Richie Rich,” he rumbles, shoving Ren inside with Parker and removing their cuffs. He smirks at Ren. “Survived your first day without caviar and Dom P. Wasn’t so bad, right?”

Wait… What?

Ren rolls his eyes at Jasper, but I’m just standing here—when Ishouldbe leaving—laser-focused on what he just said.

“Hold on…” I step up to the bars as Jasper leaves the cell, slamming them shut between me and Ren. “I thought you said you grew up poor…” Ren stares at me through them, blue eyes glistening as his head tilts like a curious animal. “With your adopted… parents.”

My voice goes quiet, and I blink, waiting for him to voice an obvious explanation for why Jasper would comment on him being rich.

But he just keeps staring, chewing on his lower lip, until finally he whispers, “Lex…”

His patronizing tone says it all…

He was lying.

He lied through his teeth… Maybe about everything.

My chest feels all tight, like I’m suffocating, but I don’t know why.

I can’t… I don’t…

“35!” Jasper shouts, and I flinch back to reality. “Get back to your cell, or I’ll hang you up by your pubes!”

Ren chuckles. “I think I like him.”

I’m still stuttering in place, baffled down to my core.

I can’t be friends with someone who lies like that. He’s a sociopath.

Jasper grabs me and hauls me off, grunting, “Okay, say goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Lex!” Ren calls after me, waving while I’m dragged down the row with my head spinning. “I’ll be thinking about you.”

Lex…Not Luthor.

My real name spoken from the pretty boy with the flaming pants.

About a year later…

“Dude…”

“Hm?”

“Are you… Are youjerking off?”

Pressing my lips together, I breathe out through my nose, eyes creeping open. Now, I only see the weathered underside of Parker’s bunk, rather than the beautiful images I was swimming in behind my eyelids. It’s a huge bummer.

Releasing my stiff cock from my grip, I sigh. “Listen, darling, I thought we went over this when I got here… The safe assumption is that I’malwaysjerking off. So unless you’re going to whisper sexy things to help move me along, keep your lips zipped, ’kay?”

Parker shifts above me, and I grin. “Sorry. It’s just… you’re a loud masturbator.”

A cackle leaves my lips. “Really? Loud how??”

“The whole shebang, man,” he grumbles. “You’re whining and breathing heavy… I mean, I canhearyou jerking your dick off. I know the expression isbeat your meat, but damn. Take it easy on the thing!”