Page 23 of Frat Around and Find Out (Peach State Fratbros #1)

Lance

“C ome on, give it to me,” Dax says.

He’s really got me worked up. “I’ll give it to you all right.”

“You can do better than that.”

“You’re just loving this, aren’t you?”

I ricochet the puck off the side of the table, and it flies into the goal.

“Dammit,” he says as I throw my hands in the air.

“Hell yeah!” I shout, a swift adrenaline kick pulsing through me at my narrow 7–6 table hockey victory. I wasn’t expecting this for date night, but the arcade was a welcome surprise.

“So close,” Dax says.

“Yeah, you’re lucky I’m having a hard time concentrating.”

How can I, after that conversation with Ty?

He wants to reserve my ass. Wants it all to himself, like it’s become his obsession. And his obsession is becoming my obsession.

I want to know what it’d feel like to have Ty guiding me through the experience, easing inside me, this time with his cock instead of his fingers.

I love how possessive he was of it, how he wanted to be clear it’s his, though I wouldn’t have done anything with Dax anyway.

“Why are you having a hard time concentrating?” Dax asks.

Fuck. Way to call me out, bro.

I can’t tell him I’ve been thinking about Ty fucking me for most of the time we’ve been on our date. Or that before he came over to meet me at Alpha Theta Mu, I was checking out subreddits about anal.

“Just…stuff. What do you want to play next?” I ask, trying to get him off the scent.

“I don’t know. Trying to think of things you can beat me in so that we don’t wind up with another hog in the house.”

I laugh. “Uh-uh. I’m never a sore loser. Besides, the hog is sooo last year. Now come on, don’t go easy on me. A victory isn’t a victory unless you give me your ass.”

He studies me, his face twisting up as he considers his options. “Okay, then. I know what I can kick your ass at.”

“Try me.”

We head over to the Skee-Ball machines, competing to see who can get the highest score. Dax is laid-back, effortlessly sinking his into the 100 corner pockets. I’m more determined throughout the game. Same end result—the score is still tight—but definitely different attitudes to get us there.

As I sink another ball into the 100 pocket, I can’t help thinking about how so many of these games have something to do with getting something in a hole, which just keeps my mind going back to Ty’s words…thinking about his thick dick.

I miss my pocket, and Dax wins this round.

“Dammit,” I say. “You got me, frathole.”

“Ooh, even when you try to sound playful, you sound annoyed as fuck when you lose. No wonder you and Ty are always at each other’s throats. I’m probably betraying some kind of Sigma Alpha oath by telling you this, but Ty got so worked up last year every time Alpha Theta Mu did better at TaskFrat.”

Am I a monster for how good it feels knowing how much it bothered him? Or is it exciting knowing he was thinking about me even back then?

“What about this year?” I ask. “We won the last challenge.”

“He didn’t seem as bothered. Maybe because it’s early enough in the year, so he knows we have plenty of time to kick your asses.

And as a Sigma Alpha, I must tell you, we’re definitely gonna kick your asses.

Although…I probably shouldn’t say even that much now.

Ty was all in my face, like I was gonna come here and haze you tonight. ”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. I know we go out of our way to give you guys hell, but I think he respects you because you’re a worthy adversary.”

I’m not surprised to hear it, but I don’t want to give away anything about my new feelings about Ty, so I just say, “Well, if you’re recording to get me to say something nice about the guy, I think he’s an asshole who needs to accept that Alpha Theta Mu is gonna kick your asses this year.

” I say all that loudly, leaning close like he’s wearing a wire, and Dax chuckles.

“You guys. Have you always been this way? Like supercompetitive?”

“Pretty much,” I admit. “I don’t think I’ve mentioned this, but I had an older brother, Kacey. He passed away when I was younger. He was very competitive, couldn’t really do anything without it becoming a competition.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

“Not the sort of thing you go around chatting about, you know?”

“I hear that. My brother is competitive too, but that had the opposite effect on me. Made me pretty chill about stuff. I enjoy friendly competition, but I’m a good sport about losing.”

“I’m not like that. At all.” I laugh nervously, biting my lip.

“That’s sexy,” he says. “When you bite your lip.”

A part of me is waiting for Ty to appear out of nowhere and tackle Dax to the ground.

“That wasn’t me flirting with you, man,” Dax says. “Just giving you a compliment. Don’t worry. I can tell you have zero interest in me.”

“Huh?”

“I think you’re hot as fuck, but trust me, I know when guys are into me. And the way you’ve been acting tonight, it’s clear you just want to be friends, and I wanted to say I’m cool with that. So…who’s the lucky someone?”

I eye him. “What makes you think there’s a someone? You think that about everyone who’s not into you?”

“Naw, you’ve been spacing every five seconds.”

“I could be thinking about work or school. Maybe I’m working out my essay for my Tissue Mechanics class.”

“So this is how you look when you think about Tissue Mechanics…” He stares off, tilting his head, a dreamy look in his eyes, giving an overdramatic performance of what I was doing.

“Okay, okay.” I nudge him with my shoulder. “Enough of that. Maybe I’m caught, then. There is someone.”

It feels criminal to call Ty a someone when he’s more than that—he’s Ty fucking Lancaster.

“They must be pretty special if they managed to catch your interest.”

I notice Dax isn’t assuming this someone is a girl, and I have a feeling he knows, but he’s sensitive enough not to press.

Reminds me that he’s a good person to talk to, especially about some of these things running through my head, and while part of me fears he might connect that it’s Ty, the reality is, it could just as easily be some guy at Alpha Theta Mu, so it’s not like talking about my feelings will out his fratmate.

“Since you mentioned this person…” I say, “I have been struggling with some stuff recently. Well, struggling might not be the right word. I’ve had girlfriends, but those happened because they were usually someone I was friends with already and things developed slowly.”

“You’re demisexual?”

“Maybe. Seems to fit. I don’t really think about it that deeply, but one-night stands aren’t my thing. And I guess because my relationships always seemed to happen with girls, I assumed that meant I was straight.”

“But you have reasons to doubt that now?”

I recall that moment in the equipment room, Ty’s hot breath against my throat as he gripped my ass. The desire that pulsed through me. How desperately I wanted him.

“Yeah,” I confess. “What was it like for you?”

“Eh, I knew early on. I was a flirt, even in middle school. Had two boyfriends at the same time.”

“Holy shit. Are you serious?”

“Obviously, we like, held hands and had closed-mouth kisses, but I definitely worked out early on that I was attracted to dudes and they were attracted to me.”

“Sounds nice to have gotten your head around it that early.”

“We’re all different, and I’ve been with enough guys to know that it happens in whatever way it happens.

There’s no right or wrong in any of it. Or really, I guess the only wrong is if you don’t trust yourself and that gut impulse when you realize that maybe you don’t fit into that neat little box everyone else has put you into. ”

It’s no surprise that Dax would say some wise shit like that. “Maybe you’re right.”

“I am right. But it’s okay if it takes you a while to sort it all out. There’s no rush to any of this, and anyone who tells you otherwise is full of shit, okay?”

“Okay,” I say, smiling.

“Now how about we grab something to eat? Maybe head over to Crave after and dance some?”

“I’d be down for that.”

“Down for that? You’re basically my hostage for tonight, and don’t you forget it.” He winks. “And let’s invite some of the gang out and make tonight epic.”

A jolt of excitement races through me.

Because I know what would really make tonight epic.

Dax stops by the restroom before we head out, and I text Ty.

ME: What are you up to after work?

I’m not expecting a reply right away, but it’s like he’s been waiting for a text because he responds quickly.

TY: No plans yet. Why?

ME: You should meet Dax and me at Crave.