My stomach felt all strange, either because this ridiculous conversation was playing out in front of his friends, or due to the idea of him not sneaking into my room anymore. I covered my uneasiness with an attempt at levity, “Oh my God, are you hating the guest-room bed and forgot to tell me?”
“No way.” Skylar playfully bumped my shoulder. “That mattress beats the one at my apartment any day of the week.”
“These two are entertaining,” Jesse said, scrutinizing us from across the table. “I like you, Clark. We accept you into our friends club. We’ll have to teach you the secret handshake.”
“Does it look something like this?” Skylar curled his fingers into a fist and pretended to stroke up and down.
“Which leads us to our next game,” Jake said in a hoarse voice, most likely from laughing along with the rest of us.
We played a few rounds of Cards Against Humanity, laughed our asses off, and before I knew it, the night had come to an end and we were driving home. My cheeks still hurt from grinning so hard and were undoubtedly still flushed from some of the more embarrassing cards I was dealt and had to read aloud to a group of people I’d just met.
But at one point I could feel Skylar’s knee pressing against mine under the table, possibly in support, and that had steadied my pulse. Strange how it felt so natural between us. I was bummed that I’d missed out on his friendship the past twelve years.
I tightened my jaw, thinking about my dinner with my family, which seemed worlds away now.
“I told my parents by the way—about us reconnecting and you staying with me,” I said as I turned into my apartment complex.
He arched an eyebrow. “How did that go over?”
I shrugged, trying to keep my face neutral. “Fine.”
“Uh-huh.”
“It was.” I pulled into my parking space, wishing I’d disguised my voice better and now hoping to get to a better subject. “Hey, thanks for inviting me tonight. It was a lot of fun.”
“Great topic change,” he quipped. “And you’re welcome. They liked you. You fit right in.”
My pulse ticked up. “Yeah? That’s nice to hear. So I’m allowed to hang with all the cool kids?”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re a cool kid too, no matter what you try to tell yourself.”
After we got inside and changed for bed, we ran into each other at the kitchen sink, both of us having apparently decided we needed water. Once properly hydrated, Skylar placed his glass in the dishwasher right behind mine.
“See you in the morning,” he said, and I watched as he passed right by my room and headed to his own.
I held my breath, feeling like I’d ruined something but also feeling silly at the same time. Maybe he wanted to sleep in his own bed tonight. No big deal. But after that banter between us earlier in the evening, I wasn’t so sure, so I padded to his door, which was cracked open, and knocked.
“What’s up?” he asked from beneath his sheets.
“Nothing, I just…” I swallowed. “Just making sure you didn’t think I was serious about the covers and the snoring.”
He waved his hand. “Nah, it was all in good fun.”
“Okay, cool. I mean, it was all true,” I teased.
“You suck,” he replied, and I stuck out my tongue like some two-year-old. “But I’m sure you want your space, so I won’t be snoring in your ear tonight.”
“I was beginning to enjoy it, like one of those nature-sounds apps that help you fall asleep,” I said, and he scrunched his nose in this cute way. “Besides, I like sharing a bed. I’m the relationship guy, remember?”
“Who says I don’t enjoy it too?” He waggled his eyebrows. “I just use my time in bed more wisely.”
“Ugh, whatever.” And though the idea of him hooking up made my stomach feel all funny again, I pushed the thought aside and stepped into his room, noting the pile of clothes in the corner—albeit in a neat stack like he’d done it that way on purpose—as well as his sewing machine. The idea that he made his own clothes was so fucking cool.
When I strode to the bed and pushed down on the mattress with the heels of my hands, he raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing?”
“I think it’s only fair that I test the mattress myself; you know, for future guests.”
“Okay, I lied,” he admitted as I sat down on the edge of the bed. “It’s pretty nice too, but somehow yours is still better.”
“Well, there’s a solution to this dilemma.” Despite managing to keep my voice strong, I couldn’t make myself meet his gaze as I added, “You can just sleep in my bed whenever you want.”
And since I’d embarrassed myself enough, I mumbled a good-night and made my way to the hallway, wondering why in the hell I’d said all that. Alcohol—I’d blame it on that.
But by the time I’d gotten settled under my covers, he was there, sliding in bed beside me. I didn’t say a word, and hid my smile with a yawn, but my entire body felt like it was buzzing as his arm accidentally knocked against mine.
“We could always snuggle, like Seth and Jesse,” he remarked, staring at the ceiling. “If that’s something you nee—”
“Hell no, I like my space,” I replied, and it was partly true even if I wasn’t opposed to someone holding me—someone I was in a relationship with, and that was not this.
Plus, it would hide the boner I’d just developed, which I couldn’t readily explain. It might’ve been that he was a warm body—a very cute warm body—and it’d been months since I’d last had sex. Yep, that had to be it.
“Good,” he murmured. “Me too.”
“Glad that’s settled,” I said, fluffing my pillow, then turning toward the window. “Night.”
He sighed as he adjusted the sheets on his side of the bed. “Night.”
19
Skylar
My. Dick. Was. So. Hard.
The truth was, I’d gone to my own bed tonight because I really, really wanted to jerk off. Okay, so maybe that wasn’t completely true. I definitely wanted to stroke my cock, but that wasn’t the only reason I’d gone to my own bed. I was feeling a little strange about the whole thing. I’d taken over his space, his apartment, then worked my way into his bed too so I could snore in his ear and steal his blankets, and…what if Clark wanted to bring a guy home? What if I came home from work and there was a dude in his bed, and I’d be like, Oh, hey, sorry for interrupting. Mind scooting over?
I had no business sleeping with him every night, yet there I was, doing it again, with an erection I’d planned on working up in my own bed, because I hadn’t had it there.
Damn Clark and his adorableness. I really needed to get off.
I changed positions, rolling onto my side. For some reason, it felt odd facing away from him, so I turned back the other way. He was far enough away that he wouldn’t know my cock was pointing at him like, Ooh, sexy boy with a hand and a mouth and an ass and whom you actually like.
“Are you okay?” Clark asked.
“Yeah, fine,” I grumbled, even if I couldn’t say exactly why I was grumbling.