Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75871 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 379(@200wpm)___ 303(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
He smiled, turning to see Colby sitting on the edge of his bed, with wet hair and wearing a pair of shorts.
“I don’t want things to be awkward between us,” Colby said, looking down at the horrible dark-blue carpet.
Vince sighed, walked over, and sat beside him. The scent of the hotel soap was different from what Vince was used to on Colby’s skin. “I can’t help feeling I fucked up. You can’t even look at me. Is it because I’m a man? Or, because of where it happened? Fuck. I should have at least brought you back here first or given you time to be sure.”
Colby’s gaze snapped to his. “What? No. Wanting each other so much that we couldn’t wait was hot as fuck. It doesn’t matter how much good sex I’ve had in my life, I’ve never been that frantic for it. I’ve got a lot to sort through now, though. I guess that means I’m likely bisexual. I’m not freaking out, but it is new. Still, there’s no denying I wanted you…and it might have killed me if you’d made me wait for it.”
Vince chuckled, feeling some of the heaviness lift away from them. “Maybe you’re bi, maybe you’re pan. Maybe I’m just so fucking hot, you couldn’t help yourself,” he teased, and Colby nudged him with his arm. “In all seriousness, if you need an answer to that, you can do some research. Or you just identify how you want. There’s not one way to be queer, and if you have any questions, I’m always here, man.”
“Yeah, I know you are. It was…okay for you?” he asked quietly. “I came on pretty strong, and I would hate for you to have done that because you weren’t sure how to let me down easily or just because you felt you had to.”
Jesus. Leave it to Colby to have a moral code so wide, he somehow thought he had taken advantage of Vince. “I fucked around with you because I wanted you, want you. I’m attracted to you, babe. I’ve told you before I think you’re fucking hot. I’ve been attracted to you since the first moment I saw you, and it’s only grown as I’ve gotten to know you. I just don’t want to ruin what we have. We’re on the same page with the relationship thing, but I need to make sure you understand that it won’t change for me…even if it does for you.” Christ, he sounded like the biggest asshole in the fucking world. He couldn’t believe he’d said that to Colby, but he also thought it was important they put all their cards on the table. Holding anything in wouldn’t benefit either of them.
“No offense, Vince, but no way would I ruin the best thing that’s happened to me by trying to be in a relationship with you. I’ve lost other people I cared about because I couldn’t give them what they deserve. I can’t risk that with you.”
Vince couldn’t help wondering what the deal was with Colby and relationships. There didn’t have to be a reason, he supposed. Contrary to what most people believed, it was quite possible to simply not want a relationship, but it felt deeper with his friend.
“Well, that’s good because I can’t risk a relationship with you either.” They chuckled, and Colby yawned. “Lie down,” Vince told him, and the other man did so easily, pulling the blankets up and getting beneath them. Vince turned off the lights, other than the one beside the bed, and climbed in beside him.
He should talk to Colby about Gregory. Surprisingly, he was pretty sure he wanted to.
“Come’ere,” Vince said, and Colby settled in the crook of Vince’s arm. This wasn’t about sex, wasn’t about what happened earlier tonight, and somehow, he knew Colby felt the same. “My parents…when they died, it about killed me.”
Colby tensed beneath him. Vince didn’t talk about his parents much. He was fairly certain he hadn’t talked to Colby about them at all.
“They were great. My dad was the kind of dad who always wanted to be involved. He taught me sports and did homework with me. He treated my mom like a queen, and she treated him like a king, and they raised me to believe I would be a king one day too. Even when we struggled, they instilled hard work into me, made me believe there was nothing I couldn’t do. It doesn’t matter how young I was when I lost them. I am who I am because of them, and I still miss them every fucking day.”
Colby lifted a hand and rested it on Vince’s pec, brushing it with his thumb. “I’m so sorry. I hate that you lost them, but I’m so glad you have the memories you do. They sound incredible.”
“They were. But it was hard afterward. I was really fucking angry. I sure as shit didn’t ever want to feel the pain of losing someone I loved again. My aunt and uncle are great people, but they weren’t parents, not really. They never wanted kids and got stuck with me. They never would have said that. They gave me everything I could have ever wanted. They would do anything for me, but we never really dug deep, ya know? Like we all had our own protections up. Maybe protections isn’t the right word. Maybe that’s just who we are.”