Page 89 of Fragments

Lex and I share a look. “No, youwon’tsee us around,” I hiss quietly.

“Yea, if you do this, you’re just gonna get yourself killed.” Lex’s worried eyes dart around the room for any sign of the guards.

Toby just shrugs, totally disregarding our warnings as he stands up and wanders over to the table next to ours, where the new guy, Matthews, is sitting. He climbs up onto the table.

And he takes his dick out.

“What the fuck?!” Matthews barks.

“What the fuck…?” Lex and I whisper in unison.

Before anyone realizes what’s happening, Toby starts pissing. He’s actually fuckingpissingall over the table, and Matthews’s food.

“You sick little bitch!” Matthews roars, jumping up and out of the spray-zone.

Then he tackles Toby to the ground.

The two of them are rolling around, throwing punches while inmates cheer and chant. Three guards rush over with their Glocks out, breaking up the fight.

“You fucking worthless maggots…” Joy pulls a Taser off her holster and sticks it up to Toby’s neck, zapping the shit out of him quick.

“Fuck,” Lex grumbles quietly as we watch Toby twitching on the floor.

Joy cuffs and shackles him, huffing out of exertion. “Take this prick to the hole.”

Officer Peters and Linetti hoist Toby up and carry him out of the room. I don’t really feel bad for him… It’s his own damn fault. We told him it was stupid, but I guess this is what he was hoping for.

The dumbass really thinks he’s going to somehow escape once he’s down there? Poppycock.

More than anything, I’m aching for Lex right now. Toby is his friend, his cellmate. And Lex is a very empathetic person. He wears his heart on his sleeve, darling that he is. I’m sure this is highly upsetting to him.

Joy kicks Matthews on the floor, and he groans while she yells at the room, “Finish your shit, fuckfaces. Señor Piss over there just cut your dinner short. Now we gotta clear the room to clean this place up…”

Everyone whines out loud, mumbling their displeasure.

“Damn.” I peek at Lex, who’s chewing on his bottom lip. The sight has my nuts throbbing, but I force myself to focus, touching his arm gently. “Hey… you okay?”

“I’m just worried about him,” he sighs.

Nodding, I run my fingers up and down the slope of his bicep. And he’s not telling me to stop, or giving me a weird look. He doesn’t feel tense, like he wants to pull away, and I’melated. Eagerness thrums in my veins while I keep touching him in calming strokes of my fingertips.

God, I want to hold his hand so bad… I wonder if he’d let me. Would he freak out?

Do friends ever hold hands? I’m sure straight guys don’t hold hands with their gay friends…

Parker strolls over, and I glance up at him. “You get your meds?”

He nods, eyes falling to where my hand is resting on Luthor’s arm. Then he shoots me a knowing look, to which I purse my lips.

The guards gather us all up, bringing everyone back through the halls to the row in general population. I’m walking next to Luthor the whole time, casually checking on him, racking my brain for how to behave.

Back home, I had fake people I used to party with, and then I had guys I slept with. That’s about it. Even thestraightguys I used to hang out with just wanted to fuck on the DL. This stark-raving crush on Lexington is as foreign a concept as me stumbling through trying to beplatonic.

“Ren…” He says my name quietly, disrupting my thoughts while we walk side by side, only a few inches between us. “I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to… give me stuff. For me to like you.” His eyes are on his shoes, and mine are on him. And I’m not breathing. “I like you anyway.” My heart is leaping up into my ribcage, fingers reaching for his, until he adds, “You’ve become one of my best friends.”

My hand retreats, and I exhale slowly to mask the ache in my chest.

I don’t want to be just friends.