Page 17

DEAN

We fell asleep in each other’s arms, our cum drying on our torsos and lips. I fell into a deep slumber, the kind of sleep that comes from utter contentment, from a feeling of peace, as though a battle I’d been having with my emotions was finally over. I could rest. I could be happy. Harry knew my secret. Harry was mine.

But when we woke in the late afternoon, Harry was up and in something of a panic.

“Harry? What’s wrong?”

His jockey shorts were already on and he was sliding one leg then the other into his jeans. There was a serious look on his face that set alarm bells off inside my head. “Harry?”

He pulled and scratched at his stomach where our cum had matted the hair and dried in clumps. “I need to wash that off. Can I use your bathroom?”

I felt a crack streak across my heart.

He wanted to wash me off him?

“Yeah. Of course,” I said. But he was already heading to the bathroom. I heard water running, I heard splashing. I pulled myself quickly out of bed and hurried into the bathroom, stark naked. “Harry, what’s going on?”

He was wiping his furry belly dry with my towel. The sight of it would normally have turned me on, but I was too worried for that.

“I have to… I have to meet someone. I totally forgot, and now I’m late.”

“Who? Who do you have to meet?”

“It’s nobody…” I could see he wanted to tell me and he gave in quickly, his shoulders slumping slightly. “It’s Madeline.”

“Madeline? Why are you meeting Madeline, it’s almost dark outside.”

“Because…” He sighed, a sense of defeat taking hold of him. “Because she wanted to go on a date with me.”

“Oh.” That crack in my heart splintered off in a dozen different directions. “And you said yes?”

“I felt bad saying no. So yeah, I said yes. I didn’t think… you… me… I didn’t think we would ever happen. I thought that secret was going to stay bottled up inside me forever.” He smiled and stepped toward me. “But now it’s out of the bottle, all I wanna do is be with you. Forever.”

“Then stay.”

“I can’t. I can’t just leave her standing on my doorstep.”

He moved past me and pulled his T-shirt on, every muscle in his hairy torso flexing, creating an even greater ache in my chest.

When he sat on the bed to pull his shoes on, I sat beside him.

I rested my hand on his thigh and my dick started to stiffen again.

He saw and groaned. “Oh God, you’re making things harder.”

I gave him a gentle, sneaky smile. “Actually, you’re the one making things harder.” I took my erection in my other hand. “Don’t you wanna stay and do it all over again?”

He looked from my face down to my cock and licked his lips. “I do. God, yes, I so want that. But I can’t. Madeline is a nice person, I can’t just stand her up.”

My erection began to wane. “So, you’re just gonna go ahead with your date… after you spent the afternoon fucking me?”

He kissed me quickly, before my jealousy found more ways to make him feel bad. “Dean, please don’t be like that. And please let’s stop calling it a date. I’ll talk to her, I’ll let her down easy.”

“How?”

He shrugged. “I’ll simply tell her I’m not interested. I’ll tell her it’s me, not her.”

“Because nobody ever sounded gay saying that line before,” I said sarcastically.

“Hey,” he said, touching my cheek. “It’s okay. You’re not gonna lose me. I’ve been wanting you in silence for far too long to let you go now. You’ve got nothing to worry about.” His face suddenly shifted.

“What is it?” I asked.

He didn’t want to tell me what had crossed his mind, but I had a good idea he suddenly remembered my stalker, and the upcoming concert, and the fact that at some point one of us or both of us was going to have to tell my dad what was going on between me and Harry. And I could see on his face that he realized I did have things to worry about.

He stood from the bed.

I grabbed his hand, not ready to let him leave.

“Dean, I have to go.”

I let his fingers slip from mine, and just like that he vanished out the door and disappeared into the twilight.