Page 45 of Sam & Justin

I still have your tie.

Sam

Keep it. Hate those things anyway.

Justin

Why?

You looked good in it.

Sam

Feel like they’re choking me. Not in the sexy way either.

I watched as the little bouncing bubbles that said Justin was typing appeared, disappeared, and then reappeared. It went on like that for a good two minutes, the whole time I knew Axel was inside waiting on me. I was about to give up on finding out whatever thoughts my comment spurred in Justin’s head when he finally sent back his answer.

Justin

Good to know.

I didn’t know what the hell that meant, and I really wanted to know. But I also knew if I walked in there with a half-chub, Axel was gonna give me hell.

Justin

Tell me more?

Well, damn, that was fucking tempting. But again, Axel was waiting.

Sam

Later? About to meet Axel for dinner and don’t think he’d be as into my boner as you would.

Justin

I’m glad to hear that.

That he’s not interested in your dick, not that you’re going to dinner with him.

I mean I’m glad you’re going to dinner with a friend, so I’m glad to hear that too.

Can you just delete all of those messages and pretend I replied with something really smooth?

I sent him back a laughing emoji and promised to text him later when I got home.

When I went inside, I found Axel immediately. He had his head bent down over his phone, his brow furrowed at whatever the hell he was reading on the screen. I was twenty kinds of curious, especially since he didn’t even seem to notice me coming up to him. He didn’t look up until I was talking to him, which wasn’t like Axel at all. He always noticed when someone joined a table he was at. I used to joke he had some kind of radar or something, because I’d seen him wake up from a dead sleep on my couch when Tim came into the living room at least twice.

“What’s got your panties all in a twist?” His head jerked up like someone yanked him up by the back of his head, eyes wide. I also noticed the way he flipped his phone upside down like he was hiding the screen. “You hiding someone from me, Axe?”

He schooled his features back into that shit-eating grin I knew too well. “Not hiding anyone,” he said all nonchalantly, like I hadn’t just caught him looking guiltier than a kid with their hand in the cookie jar. I raised an eyebrow at him. I might have wanted to tell him all about my weekend with Justin, but this sounded more interesting. Axel never acted that way about anyone. He kept his hand protectively on his phone. “Just not saying shit until I know what this is.”

“Do I know her?”

“Who said it’s a her?”

Now that was news to me. I studied him for a minute. He’d always been strictly chick-ly. He wasn’t giving anything away, other than that grin of his, and I didn’t know if he was pulling my leg and fucking with me, or if he was talking something real. I kept looking at him for a few minutes, hoping he’d go on and give me some kind of clue, but he didn’t. I could’ve left well enough alone, but I knew Axel. He’d baited the hook, and he needed me to take a big old bite from it. “Do I knowhim?”

“You know one of them.”