Page 30 of Stop and Seek (Our Childish Games #1)

I’m going to beat the shit out of him.

The thought came, left, and slammed back harder. It stuck there, right behind his eyes like sleep he couldn’t reach. The music, the chatter, the people around him—gone. All of it faded into nothing because Noah couldn’t focus on anything except the fact that that guy was touching his Theo.

Cracking Calvin’s head wide open on the shiny floor would’ve shut that little voice up. But Noah wasn’t here for Calvin. He was here for Keith and Aaron.

Aaron—sadly—was a no show. No big. No problem at all, really. Noah could swing by Aaron’s law office tomorrow.

Now Keith… Keith was just as guilty as Aaron. And if Noah didn’t snap Calvin’s neck, Calvin had to know where Keith was. Families were always very close.

Greasy, twitchy, big-grin Calvin. Slobbering all over Theo like a dog with a bone. It was ballsy, Noah had to hand it to him.

He couldn’t look away from Theo. His stomach twisted, and the taste of bile hit the back of his throat. Another long swig of beer didn’t help. Nothing would, unless Calvin backed off or Noah made him .

He’s got one more minute.

“Quit.”

Max’s voice barely registered.

“Don’t,” Noah muttered, fingers tightening around the bottle like he could physically anchor himself to the same spot.

“You’re way off the deep end, Noah.” Max touched his elbow.

He yanked his arm away. She didn’t get it. She didn’t know what it felt like to look at someone and know you could fix them . Take away all their pain, even if they never asked. Because they belonged to you, and that was your joy .

Noah didn’t take his eyes off Theo. “Go find Alyssa.”

“Alyssa can wait. I’m more worried about you starting something—”

“I don’t give a shit,” Noah snapped. The bottle slammed down before he could stop it. The bottom cracked, spraying foam down the counter and onto the floor in a puddle of fizz and broken glass.

Max flinched. “Don’t bother,” she said when he crouched down. “The staff will get it. Noah. Noah, fucking look at me .”

He stood back up, slow, wiping his hands on his jeans. “What.”

“I need you to stop acting crazy.”

Noah glanced over. Max was pissed, all furrowed brow and slits for eyes.

Whatever. Let her stew.

“That’s not a politically correct term anymore,” he said.

“So? It’s true. Even Benji— Benji —has noticed something is weird with you.”

“Ask me how much I value Ben-Ben’s opinion anymore,” Noah sneered. “Kyran can deal with him. That’s what they’re good at. ”

“Thanks for making the point for me. Benji has someone that cares about him. You’re fucking with this guy, Noah. Just because you’re bored. And I’m tired of cleaning up after you.”

Noah hadn’t realize how thin the line in the sand was until Max crossed it.

Something snapped to attention inside him. He leaned over her, slow and deliberate, sticky fingers pressed to the edge of the counter. “Keep talking.”

Max’s throat bobbed. Her voice wobbled. “I... I just... we came here for work, not for you to—to obsess over some damn librarian.”

Librarian? Noah blinked.

That was new.

That’s where he works?

Suddenly the whole “Calvin touching him” thing burned even more. Theo probably craved places with quiet aisles and perfect order. Now he was stuck between sweaty strangers who didn’t know their place.

No wonder Theo said he didn’t do well around people.

The silence dragged.

“I’m serious, Noah,” Max whispered finally. “You need to leave him alone now . Right now. That’s an order. I know exactly where this is going.”

Noah knocked his knuckles on the counter, just once, and took a step back. Max’s body visibly relaxed, her shoulders falling.

“Next time you order me around,” he started with a smile. “Maybe make sure it’s as my boss, and not my friend. Might actually work.”

The temptation was way too much. Like, way too much.

He was watching Theo, and damn, Theo was watching him back . Not just once. Five times now. Five! Trying to be slick about it like he wasn’t doing it on purpose, but Noah saw him.

Max had wandered off somewhere—good riddance—and Noah was bored of pretending to care about old classmates and their lame stories.

So he just… moved. Couldn’t stop himself. Slipped right through the crowd like it didn’t exist, straight into Theo’s space. He snaked his hand underneath Theo’s hoodie and shirt, dragging his fingers down the warm skin of his lower back. That subtle shiver did something to his dick.

“I’ve been right here the whole time, baby,” he breathed into Theo’s messy hair. “No need to miss me.”

“Fuck you,” Theo laughed, but he didn’t move away—he actually leaned into him, back pressing right against Noah’s chest. So perfect it made his heart thump stupid hard. “Conceited.”

Noah inhaled deep, nose buried in the spot behind Theo’s ear, where it smelled like coconut and something darker and hotter that made his brain short-circuit. He could do this forever.

“Nah, just truthful,” he mumbled, eyes half-lidded.

And then Calvin opened his mouth and ruined everything .

“Noah goddamn Bryant. How you been? It’s been ages. ”

Theo tensed. Noah felt it the second it happened and wrapped his arms around him tighter. Possessive. Theo wasn’t going anywhere.

“Never better, man,” Noah said, trying to sound casual, even if he wasn’t. “How’s Keith?”

“He’s good,” Calvin said. “Coaching over at the middle school. We’re all living the dream in Eunice.”

Families always knew where each other were. Perfect.

“I had no clue y’all knew each other,” Calvin finished.

“How well do I know you, Theo?” Noah whispered, barely audible.

Theo turned and glared at him. Full-on death stare. But it didn’t land the way he wanted. Noah was too busy melting.

“ You are fucking impossible, ” Theo hissed.

All Noah could do was grin, helpless.

Theo looked back to Calvin. “You remember Alyssa? She got involved with someone, and our friend groups kinda clusterfuck’d together.”

“No shit? That’s rad. You game at all, Noah? We could use someone else, and it’ll make starting matches faster.”

“I know a game I want to play with you,” Noah continued in Theo’s ear, so close he could almost taste skin. “We can fuck right next to the snacks, then my car—”

He didn’t get to finish—Theo elbowed him in the stomach. Hard. The rest of his teasing fell short, and he was left gasping for air, laughing through the pain.

Calvin started to say something, but Theo was talking again.

“Yeah. Sure. I’ll catch up in a minute.”

Noah had enough time to wipe the tears from his eyes and clear his throat before Theo whipped around, fisting his shirt so hard Noah could feel him shaking.

“You can’t do that ,” Theo growled. “You can’t come over and—and—”

“Start hitting on you?” Noah asked. “I didn’t start groping you or some shit, baby. Chill.”

The claws buried under the blush and embarrassment were damn sexy. Even if he was pissed , Noah could feel the heat radiating off him. Pupils blown wide. Mouth parted. Pulling Noah even closer.

" I'm so fucking tired of everyone telling me to chill. "

“Are you mad at me, Theo?” Noah whispered, and Theo’s breath stuttered when he brushed their lips together. “Tell me why and I’ll make it up to you.”

Theo swallowed. “No, I’m…” he trailed off, his gaze roaming over Noah’s face in a way that felt more intimate than anything they’d done, like he was trying to commit every detail to memory. “This is a lot for me.”

The quiet sank between them, and Noah didn’t want to chance breathing too loud. He was in a cocoon of fruit punch, vodka, and coconut, wrapped around Theo’s bony pinkie. Theo could do whatever he wanted. Say whatever he wanted.

As long as he didn’t stop looking at him like that.

Theo inched in, his cold mouth pressing against Noah’s in a kiss that was so soft it nailed him to the floor. He didn’t expect that kind of tenderness.

Beneath everything—sarcasm, biting commentary, embarrassment—was the real Theo.

Raw, unfiltered fear spread over every hesitant word, every concerned flick of his eyes.

There were no walls to hide behind, no barriers to put up, when those trembling fingers loosened their grip on his shirt.

He was fragile—he was glass— and there were so many cracks on the surface already.

It wasn’t only Aaron, then. So many others had hurt Theo.

Who?

Why?

How?

Noah had a million questions, but none of them fit . They weren’t the right ones. He’d fuck the wording on the way out and then what? Would Theo freak again?

“I’m not too much for you, am I?” Noah asked quietly when Theo pulled back.

Theo laughed, but it fell apart. “ That’s what you were thinking about? Damn. And here I was assuming it was something sexual…”

Noah’s mouth twitched in a smile. Theo was perfect , but he was as delicate as a damn soap bubble. He raised his hand to Theo’s face, thumb brushing over his cheekbone, before he let it slide to the back of his neck.

He opened his mouth to respond, but Kyran’s voice from deeper inside the house cut him off.

“I think we got most of our attendees, you lovely little lot. Grab a drink and some grub, and let’s see how hot everyone looks in their souvenir photos!”

“The stupid social media shit is cringe,” Theo said, chuckling.

And then Theo kissed him again.

Hotter. Deeper. Like he meant it this time .

And Noah opened for him without hesitation, sliding his tongue against Theo’s with a low groan.

The taste was unreal—spit and vodka, sharp and sweet.

He didn’t just want to kiss him. He wanted to bite.

To mark. To tear that oversized fucking hoodie off and bury himself in every inch of exposed skin until Theo forgot his own damn name.

Theo’s fingers curled into his tank top, dragging him closer until Noah could feel the sharp edges of his hips, the breath shaking in his chest. And he was shaking—barely, but Noah felt it. Like his body didn’t know whether to lean in or run. Like he wanted him so bad he could barely stand it.

Noah bit Theo’s bottom lip just hard enough to feel the soft gasp, and kissed it away. Greedy now.

The sounds—wet, breathy, quiet little sighs that slipped past Theo’s lips, swallowed up in Noah’s mouth—spoke to his damn dick by name. Spiked fruit punch and sweat clung to both of them, warm and cloying in the crowded house, and Theo still smelled like that coconut-dark mix that made Noah feral.

He kissed down the corner of Theo’s mouth, jawline, whispering, “I like social media. I wouldn’t mind seeing you on my feed every once in a while.”

“Hate it,” Theo mumbled, teeth catching Noah’s tongue like he wanted to punish him. “God, I wish he’d shut the hell up.”

Kyran’s voice was still coming through the stereo system, and Noah couldn’t have given less of a shit.

His hands slipped lower, fingers grazing just under the hem of Theo’s hoodie again, dragging his nails along bare skin until Theo squirmed. “My car is still an option,” Noah whispered, half-laughing. “A really good option right now. ”

Theo’s mouth was parted, swollen from the kiss, eyes glassy with heat and something rawer underneath. He looked wrecked—and he looked hungry .

Noah dipped his head, lips brushing the shell of his ear. “I could pull back the seat…”

Theo let out a shaky breath, and his hand clenched the back of Noah’s neck. “Yeah? Then what?”

Noah kissed just below his earlobe, slow and wet. “Fuck you in all the right ways, baby.”

Theo fucking whimpered and Noah almost lost it right there.

Then Kyran’s voice boomed from down the hall.

Noah didn’t hear whatever it was, but Theo stiffened. All the color drained from his face. He looked even paler than usual, ghost-like in the yellow, overhead lighting. The sudden, visceral reaction made Noah’s stomach turn over.

“What’s he talking about?” Theo’s words shot out so fast that most of them merged together, his eyes never leaving Noah’s face. “Is—is he like, taping the house party?”

Noah was still recovering from the whiplash when reality sank in.

The question hung in the air like a grenade, waiting to explode. For a second, all he could hear was white noise before the music and chatter returned.

In the heat of the moment he’d completely forgotten why Kyran invited everyone over.