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thirty-one

Mark

E pilogue

“You know, I knew I’d regret this the second you said Noah would be here.”

Noah shakes his head, dealing cards to us all around the table. One of many inside the new Blue Lotus turned bakery. Untitled as of yet, Sawyer says. He’s still coming up with a name.

“Excuse me. I worked my ass off today helping Sawyer set up his bakery, okay? I deserve a treat.” My best friend is insane.

“Noah, you moved two chairs, one of which I had to help you with.”

“These chairs are sturdy.” Noah looks at his cards, keeping a straight face. “I was lied to. Mark told me we were going to get handsie with Sawyer today, and this is not what I had planned.

“What?” Hunter looks to me, his face scrunching in the most adorable way. Honestly, I don’t know why he’s surprised. We’ve been together a year, he should be used to Noah’s bullshit. Actually, I don’t know what it says about me that I’m used to it.

Better not think too much about it.

“Besides, I have to go home this weekend for winter break, and I want to see some dick before I leave. Even if Mark is involved.” Noah deals our cards. “I am that desperate.”

“What happened with you and Benson?” My eyes whip to Hunter’s, signaling with my hand to cut. “What?”

Noah’s sad eyes lift to mine and I feel like shit. I didn’t tell Hunter about this yet. While I do not keep secrets from Hunter, this isn’t mine to tell. Noah said he didn’t want to put Hunter in a tough spot, but I think he’s sort of embarrassed. “We broke up,” Noah says softly.

Noah had stopped the train he was running through the hockey team, and solely focused on Jake—which Hunter does know. What he doesn’t know is that his goalie punched Noah when another player caught them together in the locker room.

That in turn caused me to find Jake and give him his own black eye, threatening him to stay away from Noah. I tell him this, watching Hunter shake his head as he soaks in the information. “I’m sorry.”

“Why are you sorry?” he asks me.

“I shouldn’t have done that.”

“If I’d known about it, I would have given him one to match.” He looks to Noah. “Are you alright?”

Noah swallows, and I watch him mask in real time, throwing a bright shiny smile on his face. “Of course I am, Puck Daddy. That man is missing out. I gave him the best years of my life.”

“You were together three months.”

He shakes his head. “It’s fine. I’m going into a cool-down period and I want to say goodbye to Sawyer’s penis before I go. I miss him. We spent a great night together.” He looks up at Sawyer’s unimpressed eyes. “Does he still think about me?”

“Noah.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He knows you two didn’t sleep together.”

“What?! And you let me believe you thought we did?”

“You let me believe we actually did, but I know what really happened,” he says, looking at his cards and keeping his poker face, pushing two pink cookies forward. “I appreciate you sparing me the embarrassment, but it’s not necessary. I’m sorry I puked on your pillow.”

“How would you not know you two slept together?” Hunter asks Sawyer.

“I would have topped. I assumed.”

“Excuse me.” Noah puts his hand to his heart, or at least where I assume he keeps it. “I am an amazing top!”

“And maybe aliens will rain down from the sky and abduct us.”

“I am a fantastic top.” Noah pushes four blue cookies to the center.

Yeah, we don’t have real chips, but we do have a real baker who baked us poker chips.

He even made penis-shaped cookies for Noah with the leftover dough.

“That’s the plot of one of the books I’m reading now, though.

I’d be more than okay with a hot alien man probing me. ”

“Well, this is real life, Noah.” I push three cookies in and watch Hunter fold.

“Mark, you don’t understand. They have two dicks. Two dicks! The magic that could happen with two dicks? Unlimited.”

Sawyer sighs. “Anyway, thanks for trying to save me the embarrassment.”

“Oh, not a problem, it was super cringe. I got your back. Honestly, I was just so confused. When he fell to his knees, at first I thought he was worshiping my ass, but then I heard the crying.” Noah winks. We all throw our hands down.

“Fuck,” Sawyer mutters. We’ve been playing for about an hour, and Sawyer and Hunter are almost naked.

I only have Hunter’s sweater on. Noah lost his pants a few hands back along with his socks, and all he’s left with is the jock he’s wearing and his baby-blue crop top that says ‘alpha male’ in pink bubbly letters with a unicorn leaping over the words.

“You’re sanitizing these chairs after, right?” I laugh as Sawyer pulls his boxers down, freeing his dick much to Noah’s excitement. This should feel weirder, and I really should take a closer look at myself and wonder why it’s not. Maybe Noah is rubbing off on me.

Shaking his head, he sits down. “Mark, I am burning these chairs and this table when this is done.”

“Well, if it’s any consolation, Sawyer . . .” He gives us new cards. “You have a very nice penis. You should be proud.”

“Thank you.” He closes his eyes, taking a deep breath. “I think I’m cold.”

“Can’t even tell.” Noah beams at him. We bet more cookies and play a few more rounds.

It’s oddly fun. Even when Hunter is stripped down to his boxers and I have the jealous need to super glue his boxers to his body.

That’s mine . . . all fucking mine. Really hypocritical, since I lost my pants and boxers and I’m now sitting in Hunter’s oversized hoodie that thankfully covers my lower half just enough.

“So, when are you opening?” Hunter asks. My attention gets pulled from the game and I look at Sawyer.

“I’m aiming for next year. There’s a ton of legal shit I need to finalize.

Health inspections. The menu. There’s so much, but I have the time now and I can’t wait.

I feel like the possibilities are endless.

” After the insurance money came through, Sawyer’s mother used it to fix any damage the fire caused, but she didn’t want to run a restaurant again.

Sawyer explained she’s getting older, and she actually loves catering for people.

It’s more flexible, and the money is better.

So instead, she gave the store to her son.

“Are you looking for name suggestions?”

“No—”

“Sweet Cakes would be cute.”

“No.”

“Cake Eater—” Hunter’s phone rings, startling us all. Noah grabs it before Hunter can, answering it. “Hellooooo,” Noah sing-songs.

“No! Give it back!” Hunter hisses.

Ignoring him, Noah swivels in the chair, his bare ass squeaking against the metal seat. “Hunter is busy but I can take a message.” Hunter puts his head in his hands. “You sound hot.” He covers the phone. “How hot is he Hunter? Scale of one to literally nothing is off limits.”

“Noah!” he hisses.

Noah frowns, abruptly dropping his mouth open. “Um, I think I’d need to see a picture first. In the where? Your attitude is not as cute as you may be.” Glaring, Noah hands the phone to Hunter who gets up and walks away from us. Sawyer puts his cards down, clearly done playing.

“Hunter’s going to choke you out one day.”

Noah’s red lips spread into a grin. “I have immunity as your best friend.”

“You don’t even have immunity with me.”

“His roommate’s a real dick, huh?”

Yeah, even after a year Jamie still hates my guts.

Wish I could say the feeling isn’t mutual, only it is very, very mutual.

While he hates me, and that’s probably never going to stop, I do have to say that overall he’s gotten better.

He’s way more self-sufficient and Hunter doesn’t have to be at the house all the time now.

A lot of the time he spends the night at my dorm, and during our winter break we decided I’d spend a week at his house before I took him home to meet my parents.

I watch Hunter come back, scooping up his pants and pulling them on. I grab my shirt, slipping it over my body, then look at Noah. “What?”

“Get your clothes on, we’re done.”

“The breeze is nice.” He shrugs.

“My windows are shut.” Sawyer cleans up the cards.

We all get dressed and I look at Noah and feel guilty.

I feel so bad for him. Hunter explained Noah’s situation to Sawyer; it’s the only reason he agreed to this insanity.

I know this game is kind of outrageous, but I also know he’s doing anything to delay what comes after we’re finished. He leaves tomorrow morning.

“You alright?”

Noah swipes his black jeans off the ground, slipping them on followed by my Venom Edge hoodie that’s more tatter than fabric at this point. I never asked him for it back; he can keep it for his collection. “I’m fine.” I let it be, squeezing his shoulder.

“Call me every day, alright?” Noah just nods, taking the cards from Sawyer. “Maybe we can hang out for a bit.” That makes Noah smile.

“I’ll be fine. I’ve had twenty years of practice. I’ll survive the winter break. With any luck Daddy dearest will be way too busy with work to pay any attention to me. “Come on, let’s go. I know you two want to bang.”

“Noah,” I sigh. Whatever. We help Sawyer clean up.

He takes the chairs we all used and puts them in the back.

We still have to take Noah home, then go back to Hunter’s and grab our bags.

Tonight, we’re going away—just us two. No roommates, no best friends.

Just us and the lake house Jamie’s mother owns .

. . for the whole weekend. Hunter refused to let me pay for something closer.

“If you need any help over the break, you better ask me.” Hunter pulls Sawyer in for a tight hug. “It’s actually happening.”

“I can’t believe it, honestly. It feels unreal.”

“And you have all of us to help. With anything you need.”

I kick Noah’s shin. “Ow! Yes. Always happy to help.”

I loop my arm around Noah’s shoulders, kissing the top of his head. “Let’s take you home, brat.”

“Ungh, yeah, just like that. Holy shit, baby.”