"Sucker"

Sucker

Rating: NC-17 for graphic male-male sex

Pairings: Backstreet Boys/*NSYNC/O-Town

Disclaimer: The young men who comprise the Backstreet Boys, *NSYNC, and O-Town are their own people. The author has not met anyone here described, nor does the author mean to suggest that these people act this way in real life. This writing is a work of fiction. I make no money from this venture.

Continued from part forty-four...

Sitting on Jacob’s bedroom floor, Brian ran his fingers over the strings of Jacob’s guitar. He tried a few slow chords.

Jacob’s hand came over Brian’s, stilling it. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”

Sighing, Brian sat back against the foot of the bed. “You know that I don’t want to say anything bad about your friends. They’re your friends, they’re important to-”

“Just,” Jacob repeated, his expression calmly firm. “Tell me.”

“I’m here a lot,” Brian said.

“That’s one way to put it,” Jacob said, taking the guitar from him and setting it aside.

Deprived of something to stroke, Brian ran his fingers over the carpet. “I’ve heard pieces of conversation, and… I’m not comfortable with all of this...talk about AJ.”

“Okay,” Jacob said, speculation in his eyes but patience in his voice.

“The things I keep hearing, I’ve never seen him act that way towards Justin. They had a tumultuous relationship, I can admit that, I saw it for myself. But they were very much in love with each other. A two-sided, requited, reciprocated love. They were protective of each other, possessive of each other.”

“How would you explain AJ acting up the way he has been?” Jacob asked. His voice was never remotely as judgmental as usual when he spoke to Brian.

“AJ was furious about Dan’s interference,” Brian said. “He wasn’t sure why Dan was suddenly around, and then he found Justin in bed with Dan. What was he supposed to think? After all of this time, Justin breaks up with him without a word of warning and suddenly spends every second with Dan? I don’t blame AJ for being angry. This is just AJ lashing out at someone who’s stolen the love of his life away from him. The way Dan is with Justin, constantly by his side, day and night, in his home, in his bed, it seems like Dan’s Justin’s bodyguard, like Justin needs to be protected from AJ. Protected from someone who loves him?”

“Dan didn’t break them up to keep Justin for himself,” Jacob said.

“Maybe not, but he did break them up,” Brian said. Groaning, he drew his knees up, resting his elbows on them. “I’m sorry, I know that Dan must have his side of the story, but… AJ and Justin are broken up. I thought that it would blow over, that they’d get back together, but it’s really over. Howie and JC are separated, and we all have faith that they’ll get back together, but it’s taking longer than anyone expected. And I’m really worried about Ashley and Joey being together so much. Nick can handle a lot, he’s learned how to be so strong, but if he and Joey ever broke up it would really hurt him, he’d be devastated. I just don’t want that to happen to him.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Jacob said, truly looking pained and frustrated that he couldn’t help. “I’ve talked to Ashley, we all have.”

“It’s not just Ashley,” Brian said. “Howie and JC have been such a terrific couple, they’re always on the same wavelength, they’re just perfect together. I couldn’t imagine anyone better for Howie than JC is. If there’s ever been an ideal match, it’s them. But all of a sudden, this fight - - no one even knows what it’s really about. All we know is that Erik’s been spending time with both of them, separately, and JC took him to dinner, and it looks like… I know,” he said, wincing, “I’m making it sound like all of your friends are out to tear my friends’ relationships apart, and I don’t want to sound like I’m paranoid or accusing them of ill intentions, I just can’t help but wonder what’s really going on.”

“Erik swears up and down that he never had sex with Howie or JC,” Jacob said.

“I wouldn’t tell you not to believe him. That doesn’t even matter,” Brian said. “Even if Dan hasn’t had sex with Justin, that doesn’t mean that he didn’t take Justin away from AJ.”

Lance shot JC a look. JC caught it, deftly shooing away their hangers-on. As soon as the two of them were alone with Chris, Lance asked, “Are you watching Justin?”

“He’s dancing,” JC said, and looked around. “Oh.”

“When did you get here?” Lance asked Chris. “An hour ago?”

“An hour and a half,” Chris said. “He’s been like that the whole time.”

JC didn’t like it. “Should we go?”

“I don’t want to cause a scene,” Lance said. “Just get him off the floor.”

JC nodded, rising.

“It just looks like he’s dancing,” Chris said, as JC wound his way towards Justin. “If you didn’t know he was escaping reality, it would look pretty cool.”

“He’s dancing too fast, with too much energy,” Lance said. “He’s dripping with sweat.”

“He’s a great dancer,” Chris said. “Dan’s trying to keep up so he won’t look like he’s dancing too fast all by himself. Maybe it can be a new craze, dancing ahead of the music.”

JC came up behind Justin, putting his hands on Justin’s waist and saying something into Justin’s ear. Justin danced back against him provocatively for a second, but then Justin’s eyes opened and he looked around, confused, reentering reality.

Lance relaxed…a little.

JC was talking, and Dan was talking, and Justin rubbed his hand over his hair, looking worried but nodding. It was fast; only a few beats later, the three of them smoothly negotiated their way to Lance and Chris. They’d moved into a back corner booth half an hour earlier, and Lance moved around to sit beside Chris, to give Justin an illusion of shelter and privacy in the far corner against the wall.

Sweat poured off Justin; he pulled off his outer shirt, revealing a T-shirt soaking wet and plastered to his torso. Resting his elbows on the table, he rubbed his forehead, squeezing his eyes shut. “Shit,” he whispered to himself.

“Maybe we should go,” JC said.

“Can you get some water?” Lance asked Dan.

“Sure,” Dan said, immediately up and moving.

Justin shivered. JC slid in beside him, wanting to comfort him but not sure who was watching. “Are you okay?”

“No one knows what he wants like I do,” Justin said, rubbing his hairline with trembling fingers. “No one can please him like I can.”

“No one could replace you,” JC said. “I promise, J., no one could ever replace you. No one loves him like you do.”

“I know him best,” Justin said. “I was trained, I learned, I know what he likes, I know what he wants.”

“Incoming,” Chris said.

Dan sat beside JC, sliding two bottles of cold water over to Justin. “Thanks,” JC said, opening one for him. Justin took the first bottle and downed it quickly. As he opened the second, Dan produced a third.

“You look like you should keep that for yourself,” JC said.

“Take it,” Dan said. “I’m okay.”

Justin chilled his hands on the bottle, then pressed them to his face. “Is it okay with you guys if I just go home?”

“We’ll take you,” Lance said.

“No, stay here,” Justin said, finally looking around at them. “You should stay. I have my own car.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t drive,” JC said.

“Dan can drive me,” Justin said. “He’ll stay with me. I just want to go home and take a bath and not think.”

“Okay,” Chris said. “Drive safely,” he told Dan. “Call us,” he told Justin.

JC looked at Lance. “If you’re sure,” Lance said to Justin.

“Yeah,” Justin said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I just want to go home. Dan won’t let me do anything stupid.”

“Okay,” Lance said, so when Justin signaled to Dan and Dan rose, JC got up to let Justin out.

“Take care of yourself,” JC said. He touched Justin’s hand. “Are you sure you-”

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” Justin said. “I just needed to lose myself for a minute. I’m okay.”

“Bye,” JC said, and watched them make their way to the door.

“He scares me,” Lance said, as JC sat again.

“He scares me so much,” JC said.

Chris shrugged, picking up his drink. “Seems pretty normal to me.”

Ashley found Trevor in the kitchen, putting away dishes. “How’s it going?”

“I don’t know if I should call Chris or not, I was making out with Kevin Richardson and stopped before it got anywhere, someone vandalized my car, and I told Brian that I have wet dreams about Backstreet,” Trevor said.

“Wow,” Ashley said. “That’s…”

“Hard to sum up in one word?” Trevor asked.

“Yeah, actually,” Ashley said, opening the cabinet.

“How was your day?” Trevor asked. “Where did you and Nick go?”

“I’m not sure where we were,” Ashley said. “I don’t know where we were, or how I feel about him, or what he wants from me.”

“He probably wants you to stop dating his boyfriend,” Trevor said, sorting silverware.

“He confuses me,” Ashley said. “He’s one person in front of Joey, one person in front of other people, and five different people when he’s alone with me.”

“Did you have sex?”

“No,” Ashley said, pouring himself a glass of milk. “I couldn’t even tell if he wanted to. He must not have, because if Nick wants something, he goes right for it.”

“I like that,” Trevor said. “I should be like that.”

“You are like that,” Ashley said, taking a sip. “Except you’re stalling all of a sudden with Chris.”

“I don’t like being rejected,” Trevor said.

“If you wait for him to come to you, you could miss out on something great,” Ashley said. “Just call him.”

“I have called him,” Trevor said. “He didn’t call me back.”

Ashley frowned. “You only called him once?”

“I’m not going to humiliate myself, calling him three times a day,” Trevor said, closing the dishwasher.

“You could at least embarrass yourself by calling three times, total,” Ashley said. “You haven’t even given him a chance to reject you yet.”

“So I should call again,” Trevor said.

“Are you in love with him or not?”

“Of course I’m in love with him,” Trevor said.

Ashley shook his head. “You’re not acting like it.”

“I’m trying to hold onto my dignity!” Trevor objected as Ashley left the kitchen.

“You either have to give up on being dignified or being in love,” Ashley called back. “You can’t have both.”

During the drive home, Justin cranked the stereo up until it became unbearable.

When they reached Justin’s house, Dan followed Justin inside. Justin made a beeline for the sound system, turning on the-

Dan switched it back off. “Talk to me.”

“He’s fucking that piece of shit and not me!” Justin yelled, whirling around to face Dan. “He’s fucking that goddamned nobody, he’s letting that wannabe climb and drool all over him! He should be fucking me!” Justin shouted. “I’m the one who loves him! I’m the one who would do anything for him!” Shit, damn it, he didn’t want to think about this! Justin rubbed his hair, pushing past Dan to walk around the room.

“Who?” Dan asked. “Who is he fucking?”

Justin couldn’t give Dan the truth, couldn’t shout, “Your goddamned best friend!” He had to make up something, explain somehow, but he wasn’t in the right frame of mind for that, he couldn’t - - or maybe that would be good, maybe thinking up lies and keeping track of them all would distract his brain for a few minutes. He hated lying to Dan, but he was going to have to get better and better at it. “Some guy,” Justin said. “He works for Jive, I saw him last night. He said that he and AJ are fucking.”

“He just came out and told you?” Dan asked. “Why-”

“Because he’s an asshole!” Justin shouted. It felt good to yell. “He says they were fucking before, too, he says they were fucking when we were together. I didn’t know, I don’t even know if it’s true, I want to talk to AJ about it, I want to know if he’s even really into this guy or if it’s just for sex or if - - no one can please him like I can, no one can be good to him like I can, I love him, I know what he likes, I can give him whatever he needs-”

“Breathe,” Dan said, breaking into Justin’s increasingly frantic speech.

Justin sucked in air, stopping in his pacing to face Dan across the coffee table. “What if they get serious? What if they hook up? I’m not there, if I were in AJ’s life I’d make sure he never needed anyone else. What if he learns what I know? What if he figures out how to be as good as I am? What if he’s better?” Justin demanded. “He can’t be better, I know he can’t be better, no one could ever be better for him than I am. I love him more than anyone else ever could, and he knows that, I know he knows that.”

“Justin-”

He wasn’t finished, he was too scared, he was too angry. “He’s been leaving me alone, he’s not calling anymore, he doesn’t come around anymore. He doesn’t need me anymore, he doesn’t want me anymore, but what if he does? What if AJ needs me and I’m not there? What if he needs me and I’m not there and he replaces me? Is he replacing me?” Trevor, replacing him in Kevin’s bed, replacing him in Kevin’s life, enjoying what he’d enjoyed, doing what he’d done, receiving all of Kevin’s attention - - Justin kicked the coffee table and paced away, twisting his hands together and trying not to scream.

“Why do you care what AJ does?” Dan asked.

Justin pivoted sharply. “I love him.”

“Why?” Dan asked. “Everything was awful. He beat you, he-”

“No, no,” Justin said. “That’s only one side of it, that’s not even half of it.” He was going to have to make up something pretty good now. “We were so amazing together. We still could be, I know it. And no matter what happens, I’ll always be his, always, it’s who I am.”

Dan was shaking his head, dying to interrupt, clearly hating every word from Justin’s mouth.

Justin kept going, not giving Dan a chance to argue. “I belong to AJ, and he belongs to me. I’m his, and he’s mine. AJ is mine. I love him, I gave everything I had to him, I devoted myself to him. That little piece of shit had better not fucking touch him!”

“Why would you devote yourself to someone who-”

“You don’t understand! He devoted himself to me!” Justin argued. “AJ loves me, AJ protects me - - god, the way he protects me, it’s so instinctive, it’s so immediate. He never let anyone come close to hurting me, ever. I don’t like the way he jumped Jacob, but I love that he’s still that fierce about me. That’s AJ, that’s who he is when it comes to me. AJ took great care of me, he always looked out for me. He gave me whatever I wanted, he paid attention to what I liked, he took me wherever I wanted to go. I was everything to AJ, he was everything to me, we were devoted to each other.”

“It sounds very…passionate,” Dan said, his words and his gaze measured, careful.

“It was so intense,” Justin said, remembering the way AJ made him come. “So damned intense. AJ doesn’t do anything halfway. If he’s into it, he’s into it. If he does it, he does it. AJ was committed to me. I can’t believe he’d fuck that asswipe while we were together! AJ would never cheat on me. AJ would never be disloyal. But what if AJ’s fucking him now? What if - - I can’t stand the thought of him with anyone else,” Justin said, pressing his fingers to his closed eyelids to rub away the image of it from his mind. “I hate him, I hate him, I want to hurt him. I’ve never hated anyone this much.” God, this was so hard, Justin was becoming more and more confused. He was trying to create one solid person, sell one coherent story to Dan. He was talking about Kevin, it was all about Kevin, all he could think of was Kevin, but he had to make a fake AJ for Dan, and he had to include enough of the real AJ to make it plausible, and god, it was all coming out in a rush, the pain, the lies, the terrible truth.

“You hate AJ?” Dan asked.

“No!” Justin said quickly, staring at Dan in shock. “No, no, the guy, the asshole, the gross motherfucker who’s fucking him!” He hated Trevor, he hated Trevor, he could never hate Kevin, he could never - - wait. Stunned, Justin found an unexpected loophole. Of course he could never hate Kevin. But he was free to hate AJ. He actually did hate AJ. He said it to AJ all of the time, “I hate you.” AJ didn’t even care.

He could never be angry with Kevin. But he could express anger towards AJ.

“What?” Dan asked, which made Justin realize that he was giving Dan a bewildered look of epiphany.

“I’m furious,” Justin said. “I’m furious with the asshole for thinking that he can touch AJ, for not appreciating AJ, for not loving AJ the way I do because no one can love AJ the way I do.” Stepping onto shaky ground, Justin took a deep breath. “And I’m mad at AJ, for not appreciating me. For leaving me alone when he knows how much I love him and how much I need him. For letting someone else in when he knows I’m devoted to every breath he takes. I love him, and I’d give him everything, and he’s letting that little ratfuck nothing be all over him! He knows that I love him!” Justin shouted, gaining momentum. “How could he do this to me?! Why is he doing this to me?!”

“I don’t have all of the answers you need,” Dan said. “I wish I did. All I can tell you is that it’s not your fault. AJ isn’t capable of maintaining a real, loving, healthy relationship.”

“I love him!” Justin shouted. “Why doesn’t that mean anything?! How could that mean nothing to him? It means absolutely fucking nothing! He’s out there, living his life, like my love doesn’t even exist! Like I don’t exist!” Enraged, Justin kicked the coffee table onto its side and across the room. “I love him! That should matter!”

“It does matter,” Dan said.

His love for Kevin was the sum of his existence. “It matters to me!” Justin yelled. “It doesn’t make a difference to him whether I love him or not! Whether I exist or not! I might as well not even fucking be here!” God fucking damn it! “What the hell do I have to do?! What else can I even go through to get him to notice me! I could fucking set myself on fire and he’d never even notice!”

“The rest of us would notice,” Dan said.

“I don’t give a shit about the rest of you!” Justin shouted. “He’s the only one who matters!”

“You don’t give a shit about JC?” Dan asked. “You don’t care about Chris? Lance, Joey, they don’t matter? Your family, your other friends, everyone else, you don’t care? They all love you, Justin. You can’t discount them and ignore their roles in your life the way you think AJ’s doing to you.”

God, “Fuck, I didn’t mean it like that,” Justin muttered, frustrated. He was upset, damn it. Kevin being the only one who mattered, well, it wasn’t true, he knew that, it just felt true, sometimes. Of course he cared about everyone else. “This is stupid,” he snapped, and glared at Dan.

“You shared something significant with AJ,” Dan said. “That isn’t gone just because he’s having sex with someone else. He can have other lovers, he can have other boyfriends. That doesn’t make what he had with you meaningless.”

“He shouldn’t need anyone else,” Justin said. “I should be all he ever needs. I can be that for him, I know I can, he just has to give me another chance.” Justin turned in a slow circle, rubbing his head. “I want to go to him, I want to talk to him, I want to show him, I just want to be with him. I miss him so much, it’s so hard, I’m so lonely without him. He completes me, he gives me purpose, he’s so powerful.” AJ, he was supposed to be talking about AJ. “I knew he needs me, he needs somebody, his sex drive is so high, if AJ doesn’t get laid he goes crazy. If I could go to him I could be there for him, I could satisfy him. No one else is as good as I am, no one else can please him like I can.”

“I know that you don’t want to hear this,” Dan said. “Maybe AJ dating someone else, if he is, maybe that’s a good sign. It’s healthy. Seeing other people, moving on-”

Justin was so furious he couldn’t articulate the cause of his rage. “What the - - how - - fuck you!” he shouted. He was so mad he couldn’t find anything to hurl at Dan’s head. “Fuck you!” Fuck, fuck, he couldn’t even - - “Fuck you!” He was going to Kevin, he was going straight to Kevin, he was going-

“Wait, Justin! No, no, Justin, no, wait, stop,” Dan said from behind him as Justin strode to the front door. “Justin!” Dan grabbed his arm; Justin punched the door. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Dan said, reaching over his shoulder from behind and covering his fist with one hand. “I’m sorry, Justin, I shouldn’t have said that. That was bad timing, shitty timing, I’m sorry. But you can’t go, you’ve held out this long, you’ve made great progress, you can’t go back now. You’ve been so strong, and I know it’s hard, you just-”

“I need him!” Justin yelled, pounding the door with his other hand. “I need him! I need him, I need him.” Oh, god, it hurt. “I need him,” he said, blocked from Kevin by so much more than a door. “I need him.” Dan’s arms were strong around him, firm and supportive as he sagged against the door. “I need him… I love him…”

Joey left Tina’s house and headed for Kim’s, calling Lisa on the way.

“Next time Lance says let’s go out and I say let’s play Donkey Kong, listen to me,” Chris said as JC drove them home.

“It was a good idea at the time,” Lance said from the backseat.

JC pushed Chris’s hand away from where he was fiddling with the air conditioning. “Where are we going?”

“Home,” Chris said.

“Whose home?” JC asked.

“I think it’s Chris’s turn,” Lance said.

“You get to play host,” JC said, changing lanes.

“That’ll be fun,” Chris said. “I call dibs on the bed.”

Justin seemed drained, rotating his bracelet around his wrist and unsteady on his feet, so Dan guided him upstairs. Crawling onto the bed, Justin collapsed on his side, putting a hand over his eyes.

Running a hand over Justin’s ribcage, Dan sat close behind him. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

“I have to get rid of him,” Justin said, rubbing his eyes. “I have to make him go away. But I don’t know how.”

“You’re putting your focus in the wrong places,” Dan said, lying down to spoon up behind him. As Dan wrapped Justin into his arms, tightening his hold, the small tremors that had been passing over Justin stopped. “Concentrate on yourself. On what’s really, long-term, going to make you a happier, more confident person. You’re in love with AJ, but being with him makes you miserable. You suffer too much. You can love someone and not be with him. You have to let go. Love him, but love yourself more. Put yourself first. You’re better off without him. You know that. He knows that, too. He’s giving you a chance to move on. As hard as that is, you have to take it.”

“I’d rather be with him than without him.” Justin shuddered once and then became still again, his voice cracking. “As hard as it is to be with him, it’s so much harder without him. When I’m with him, sometimes there are difficult things, bad things, but there’s so much good, and at least he’s there. Now, he’s not here, he’s not anywhere, I can’t even look at him, or talk to him, or hear his voice, or look into his eyes, or put my hand out and touch him. His laugh, his smile, his body, the way he kisses me, the way he touches me, it’s all gone. There’s nothing anymore.”

“There’s still a lot,” Dan said. “There’s still you.”

Justin made a despairing, choking sound. “I’m nothing.”

“You’re everything,” Dan said firmly, shaking Justin slightly. “You’re fantastic, and I know you still know that, inside.”

“I can’t feel that anymore,” Justin said. “There’s just this dark, deep, empty pit. And I’m lying in the bottom of it, and I can’t get out. Even when I try, I get pushed back in.”

“Keep trying,” Dan said. “You’ll get out if you keep trying. I’ll help you.”

Justin’s voice was soft. “Even if I get out, he won’t be there.”

“Fuck him,” Dan said, giving Justin a squeeze. “I’ll be there, and so will everyone else. If he doesn’t care enough to be there when you finally get out of the pit, you don’t need him.”

Justin rubbed Dan’s wrist. “There isn’t really a pit.”

Dan laughed. “I know that. Just try to get my point.”

“If you were in a pit somewhere, I’d show up to help you out,” Justin said.

“Thanks,” Dan said, smiling. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I fall down a well.”

With Lance asleep to his left and JC sprawled on his right, Chris gazed into the darkness.

Brian.

He’d thought that he’d never be near Brian again. He’d lived with the horror of believing he’d be kept from Brian for the rest of his life. But now, now, in a glorious twist, they were together again. Brian was in love with him. Brian loved him and the world was a brilliant paradise.

It was hard to remember, sometimes, that it was real. Sometimes, when Brian wasn’t beside him, he slipped into the past, into the lonely desolation of life without Brian. Because they’d been together before, but that wasn’t a guarantee. Brian could leave him again.

Brian wouldn’t leave him. Brian was in love with him. They were going to stay together.

It was hard to accept. Hard to believe. Reality was such a slippery thing, and Brian was so…Brian…

Chris rolled onto his side, putting his back to Lance.

Brian loved him. They were going to be together for real, for good, as soon as all of this was over. By the game’s end, they would be a real, true couple. Brian had said so.

Brian had said so.

Didn’t that make it true?

His body didn’t work anymore. His dick just couldn’t get into it. He’d fucked himself empty and dry. But Joey kept going; he wasn’t going to let that slow him down. He was still the best, and he could prove it. He used his fingers and his mouth, driving her to shattering climax as only he knew how.

JC was halfway asleep when he heard a familiar sound and felt Chris poking at him. Disoriented, he found his phone. “This is JC,” he mumbled, rubbing at his eyes.

“I’m sorry, did I wake you?”

Howie. JC’s eyes snapped open; he looked over one shoulder. Lance was still asleep. Rising from the bed, JC slipped out of the room. “It’s okay,” he said quietly, moving down the hallway. “I wasn’t asleep yet.”

“Sorry about the time, but I wanted to call you to say good night, and it took me a while to wear Erik out.”

JC smiled. “He has a lot of energy.”

“He gets so hard so fast,” Howie said. “The damned thing won’t stay down.”

Laughing, JC said, “That can come in handy.”

“I guess it can,” Howie said with a soft chuckle. “How’d you spend your night?”

“We all went out,” JC said. He decided not to mention that they’d had a bad time and come home early. “Did Erik ask about me coming to see you today?”

“Yeah, he did,” Howie said. “You and I didn’t talk a lot in detail about what we wanted to tell him we said, so I didn’t give him much information. Maybe we can go over it tomorrow.”

“Yeah,” JC said. “I’d like that.”

“There’s something else we didn’t exactly… It’s just something I’d like to clarify, before…” Howie sounded hesitant, unsure, and JC’s heart responded to that hint of weakness. “I don’t want you to think that I’m pushing for anything,” Howie said.

“Just ask me,” JC said softly. He thought he knew what Howie wanted, and he wanted to give it.

“I’m not sure what you meant earlier,” Howie said. “We’re going back to our partnership, but there are different…levels. Our working partnership has become so strong, but that’s because there was more to it. At least, on my end, I thought that we had more, and I thought that you felt the same way, but then you said-”

“I was angry,” JC said. “I was angry, and I was trying to deny that there was ever anything between us. But there was something there, I felt it, too. I just… I don’t know what it is,” he confessed. He was already in love with Nick, so it couldn’t be love, he could never love Howie, but it felt like more than just friendship. “We have such a strong partnership. I don’t want to force it to be something, I just want to let it become whatever it is.”

“We don’t have to label it as anything else,” Howie said. “As long as we’re together again, the way we were… As long as I can make love to you, JC, as long as we’re partners - - I wish you were here with me tonight. I wish I could wake up with you tomorrow morning.”

“It’ll be soon,” JC said. All of Howie’s words, the desire... JC felt a dangerous tug at his heart.

“I can’t wait,” Howie said softly. “I want you so much, JC, I’ve missed you so much…”

God, this wasn’t right, this wasn’t fair, but, “I know,” JC confessed. “I’ve been going through the same thing, missing you.”

Howie sighed. “I have to get back before Erik wonders where I went. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Tomorrow wasn’t soon enough, and that scared him. “Tomorrow,” JC said. “Bye.”

“Good night, JC.”

JC hung up, resting his back against the wall. Running his fingers through his hair, he looked back at Chris’s bedroom door.

Whatever he built with Howie, was only going to shut Lance out of Howie’s life. Not intentionally, but as a natural consequence.

He just had to make sure that it didn’t shut Lance out of his life.

JC honestly wished that Howie were in love with Lance. He wanted that for Lance. He didn’t want Howie to love him. If Howie did, it would be a serious complication. His friendship with Howie, their partnership, was building a strong connection between them, and personally, he enjoyed it. But he didn’t want anything more.

He’d be loyal to Nick for life. He’d never betray Nick by feeling that intense kind of love for anyone else. He took his love for Nick very, very seriously, and he’d never cheapen it by falling for Nick’s best friend.

Falling in love with Howie would betray his love for Nick. It would betray his love for Lance.

Howie and JC could never be more than friends. Business partners. Yes, they had sex, but JC had to remember that it was just sex. There wasn’t any real emotional weight behind it. They enjoyed each other’s company. Despite Howie’s words, that’s all there was to it. He couldn’t risk anything else.

AJ wakened with a stretch. Time to get to work.

The sun was up. Kevin reached for his phone.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I know. Yeah. I said yes! Okay, bye.” Nick hung up, rolling over and pulling the covers over his head to block out the morning light.

After breakfast, Brian looked deeply into Jacob’s eyes. “I have to go out for a while. I’ll call you later.”

“Okay,” Jacob said. He was very jealous of Brian’s time, but he knew that it was irrational to feel that way, so he tried not to express it. He hid it well, but not well enough to keep it from Brian. Jacob couldn’t keep anything from Brian. One day he’d learn that.

Howie kissed Erik good-bye, and Erik left. Closing the door, Howie took a shower, dressed, and called JC.

JC, Lance, and Chris were sitting around Chris’s table, eating breakfast and talking about Justin.

“Here’s a question,” Chris said, shredding a muffin. “What are we going to do today?” JC’s phone rang. “Maybe that’s Joey with a spectacular idea.”

“This is JC,” JC said, setting down his fork. “Hi,” he said, with a shy, sweet smile. Lance looked away, and Chris pretended not to notice. “Yeah, I - - wait, when? Today? This afternoon?” JC sounded surprised. “No, yeah, I mean, that should be okay, I don’t think - - I just - - no, I didn’t expect it today, that’s all. No, that’s fine.”

While JC was talking, Lance’s phone rang. Chris wondered if it was Brian.

“Hello,” Lance said. Something changed in his expression, something Chris couldn’t pinpoint. “Yeah, good morning,” Lance said. “No, I’m - - yeah, I guess - - the what?”

Chris wanted to ask Lance if that was Brian, but just then his own phone rang. “Kirkpatrick,” he said, watching Lance.

“It’s Kevin,” Kevin said.

Chris gave his own phone more of his attention. “Hi.”

“We’re having a barbecue today,” Kevin said. “At AJ’s house. Be there before noon.”

“Is Brian going to be there?”

“I’m going to be there,” Kevin said, “and I expect to see you before noon.”

“Okay,” Chris said.

“Bye.”

“Bye.” Chris hung up. JC and Lance’s calls had ended; they looked disturbed. “So,” Chris said. “Today should be hell.”

“I’ll call Joey,” Lance said, dialing.

“I’ll call Justin,” JC said.

Chris looked at his own phone. “I’ll call 911. I think that this qualifies as an emergency.”

Justin felt a firm hand slide warmly over his stomach. Rolling onto his back, he opened his eyes with a lazy smile.

“Hey.” Dan was sitting beside him with a soft smile. “I have to go.”

Dan. Last night. Kevin. Trevor. Justin closed his eyes again, inhaling slowly against the pain. Why couldn’t he have three good seconds in a row?

“The other guys should be up,” Dan said. “Why don’t you call somebody?”

Because he couldn’t spend five minutes alone. Because he couldn’t be trusted by himself. Because he couldn’t handle his own reality.

“Hey.” Dan’s voice was quiet but insistent. “Whatever you’re thinking, I don’t like it. You were having good dreams, I know you were, because you were sleeping alone for a little while and you woke up with a smile. That’s a good sign.”

Good dreams? Not sex dreams; when he dreamt about sex, he came in his sleep. He hadn’t had one of those in a while, anyway. He wondered what he’d dreamt about. Kevin, of course, but he couldn’t remember anything about it.

“I have to go, but give me a smile first,” Dan said.

Sitting up, Justin realized that he’d slept in his clothes. All of them. Pulling off his shoes, he asked, “If I don’t smile, you’ll stay?”

“I’m not worried about it,” Dan said. “I can make you smile.”

“You can make me smile?” Justin repeated, taking off his socks. “That sounds like a challenge.”

Dan grinned. “You think I can’t do it?”

Justin licked his lips, settling his face into a stoic expression. “Try it.”

Dan smiled, leaning closer, leaning in until their noses almost touched. Justin dug his fingernails into his palms to keep his lips from twitching. Dan whispered, “Hey, Juthtin.”

The jerk was lisping on purpose because he knew Justin liked it. “What?” Justin asked with fake calm.

Dan grinned. “I love you.”

He couldn’t help it; he broke into a pleased, embarrassed smile. “Shut up,” he said, pushing Dan back with a huge grin. “That’s cheating.”

“I win,” Dan said, getting up with a short bounce. “Call me later. Bye!”

Still smiling, Justin rolled onto his stomach, crossing his arms over a pillow. Trevor was still a nasty scratch across the back of his mind, but he didn’t know what to do about it. Maybe while Dan was busy, Justin would call AJ.

His phone rang. AJ was calling him. Nice timing. “You’ve been Justified,” Justin said. “Take me dancing.”

“I’ll take you dancing all night tonight,” AJ said. “But first, I’m having a private little barbecue, and you’re invited.”

Barbecue. “Kevin,” Justin said.

“It’s bad enough that you call out his name when I’m fucking you,” AJ said. “Now you’re coming out with it during regular conversation?”

“He’ll be there,” Justin said. “Is he there now?” He had to get ready. He had to - - oh, god, Trevor’s car, Kevin knew, what if Kevin knew, should he ask AJ? But if Kevin didn’t know, then Justin asking AJ about it would - - wait, no, of course Kevin knew, Kevin always knew, Kevin knew everything. “Is he mad about the car?”

“What car?” AJ asked.

“Trevor’s car,” Justin said.

“I don’t know,” AJ said. “And don’t ask him about it,” AJ added sharply. “He doesn’t want to hear from you.”

“I-”

“I have things to take care of,” AJ said. “Be here before noon.” He hung up.

Justin turned his phone over in his hands, looking anxiously around his room. He had to get ready, he had to look good, his phone was ringing. “You’ve been Justified,” he said, rushed and distracted.

“Did AJ call you?” JC asked.

“Kevin’s going to be there,” Justin said. “I don’t know what to do.”

“We’re on our way,” JC said.

Brian sat down to lace his sneakers. “Does AJ need us to bring anything?”

“No, he has it all covered,” Howie said.

“I called Lance,” Brian said. “He didn’t sound excited.”

“Maybe he was having a bad morning,” Howie said.

Brian tied his other shoe. “Lance is having a bad life.”

Howie smiled. “I don’t know why. I’m pretty happy with my life.”

Chris checked his hair for the fifty-ninth time in Justin’s bathroom mirror. “Is it spiky enough in the back?”

“You look great,” JC said.

“Is it too spiky?” Chris asked. “Do you think I should put red in it?”

“We don’t have time for you to dye your hair,” Lance called from the closet.

“Where’s Joey?” Justin asked Lance, changing pants.

“He isn’t answering his phone,” Lance said. “We’ll stop by there on the way to AJ’s.”

“I can’t believe we’re doing this,” JC said. “The ten of us, socializing?”

“We barely did that when we were actually all dating,” Lance said. “Not all ten of us.”

“I wonder what Brian’s wearing,” Chris said.

“Do I look okay?” Justin asked Lance.

“You look good,” Lance said.

“Brian always looks so good,” Chris said. “He’s beautiful. He doesn’t care about clothes, he’s so casual about his appearance, but he’s so perfect, he could wear anything and he’d still be beautiful.”

“Howie always looks good,” Lance said. “Even in casual clothes, he’s always well-groomed. He never looks scruffy.”

“I need new shoes,” Justin said. “I can’t wear any of these, I have to have new shoes.”

“We have to get Joey between here and the barbecue, and you don’t want to be late,” Lance said. “Do you really have time to buy shoes?”

“I have to look right for Kevin!” Justin protested.

JC joined them in the closet. “You and I can go over to Joey’s, and Chris can go with Justin to pick up shoes,” he told Lance.

“He has a million pairs right here,” Lance said, gesturing.

“I need new ones,” Justin said. “I can’t wear these, I have to-”

“Okay, fine,” Lance said, “but I think you should take him,” he said to JC. “Chris supervising Justin on their way to a barbecue with Kevin and Brian?”

“I don’t know if Chris wants to be alone with you right now,” JC said. “Maybe you should take Justin, and Chris and I can go get Joey.”

“Okay with you?” Lance asked Justin.

“Let’s go,” Justin said, pulling Lance to the hallway. “We can’t be late.”

JC turned and found Chris there. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”

“Lance looks very sexy today,” Chris said. “I think I should change clothes.”

“You look great,” JC said. “I don’t think you have any reason to change a thing.”

“I don’t know why I’m discussing this with you,” Chris said. “There are flowers on your pants.”

JC smiled. “I got these pants out of your closet.”

“Mock me later,” Chris said. “Let’s get moving. Being late is not an option.”

Joey didn’t answer his phone.

Well, no one could accuse Nick of not trying. He rolled over and went back to sleep.

Justin stroked his bracelet and watched Lance shift gears. “Is anything going on with you?”

“Nothing new,” Lance said.

“You ran a red light.”

Lance stared into his rearview mirror. “Shit!”

“Yeah,” Justin said. “So, what’s going on?”

“Howie fucked me.”

Justin frowned, not wanting to jump to conclusions. “You mean, like, you and Howie had sex, or, like, you’re Howie’s bottom boy?”

Lance was turning red and not looking at Justin. “The second one.”

Wow. “Are you, I mean, are you scarred for life? Are you okay with it?”

“I didn’t do it because I wanted it,” Lance said. “I did it because I have to bottom for Jacob soon, and I didn’t want him to be the first one in all of these years, so I asked Howie, and he did it for me.”

Justin hesitated, not sure how much Lance would share. “How was it?”

“Incredible.” Lance flexed his fingers on the wheel. “Fantastic.”

“The act, or Howie?”

Lance swallowed. “Howie.”

“Does Brian know?”

“I don’t care what Brian knows.”

Justin didn’t want to raise a sensitive subject, but, “Does JC know?”

“No.” Lance took a deep breath. “I’m not going to tell him. It was private, between me and Howie.”

Justin nodded, rubbing his bracelet. “I’m happy for you. That you got to be with Howie, that you could get that from him.”

“Thanks.”

Justin watched traffic. He’d never fucked a guy. He couldn’t even imagine doing that to Kevin. Licking Kevin was one thing; for him, it was a worshipful, subservient act. But, penetration? Taking an active, aggressive role? He could never.

Lance didn’t seem to see anything degrading in bottoming, in general. Bottoming for Jacob he obviously found distasteful, but that was more about Jacob and less about the act.

Justin remembered the first few times Kevin had fucked him. The degradation, the humiliation. The love, the desire. The fear, the shame. The passion, the heat. He’d never been touched there before, and all of a sudden…

“Are you okay?” Lance asked.

Justin curled his fingers in to stop them from twitching. “There’s no one on earth like Kevin.”

“Yeah,” Lance said. “Thank god.”

When they rang the doorbell, there was no answer. JC unlocked the front door, and he and Chris walked inside hesitantly. “Joey?” JC called.

“He left his car out front,” Chris said. “Joey?”

JC led the way back to the bedroom. “I hope he’s here. We can’t let him miss a barbecue at AJ’s house.”

Chris tried to imagining being invited to a party at Brian’s house, and missing it. “We’ll track him to the ends of the earth.”

“We won’t have far to go,” JC said. Joey was snoring, sprawled across his bed in a tangle of bedclothes. “Joey!”

“Hey, you, wake up,” Chris said, nudging Joey’s shoulder. “Joey. Joey!”

Joey snorted, eyes opening. He made an unintelligible noise and peered at them, mystified, then closed his eyes and went back to sleep.

“Is he hung over?” JC asked.

“He looks like shit,” Chris said. “Joey! Hey, Joey, AJ called. He’s having a barbecue at his place and he wants you to be there?”

Joey’s eyes opened, and the strangest thing happened. His lips curled in disgust. “Is Sonic Boom going to be there?”

Chris looked at JC. “Is that a wrestler or a porn star?”

“Fuck it,” Joey said, and rolled over, ignoring them.

“Joey?” JC asked.

“Maybe you didn’t understand,” Chris said to Joey’s back. “We’re talking about AJ. Alexander James McLean. He’s about this tall, sunglasses, lots of tattoos, twenty-four, gorgeous eyes, you’re in love with him. Remember?”

“If you don’t shut up, I’m going to break your face,” Joey said.

Chris closed his mouth.

JC looked worried.

“I think we missed something important,” Chris said.

Joey got up and stormed into the bathroom, closing the door.

“What would make you not want to see Brian?” JC asked.

“Nothing,” Chris said. “What would make you not want to see Nick?”

“Nothing,” JC said. “Unless I thought someone else he wanted more than me was going to be there.”

“There’s someone AJ wants more than Joey?” Chris asked.

“Sonic Boom,” JC said.

“Is that code for Justin?” Chris asked.

JC studied the closed bathroom door. “I don’t think so.”

Chris was lost. “So AJ’s having sex with someone else. It’s AJ, he can’t be surprised.”

“It’s not just anyone,” JC said. “It’s Dan.”

Chris stared at JC. “Joey’s jealous of Dan? I thought Joey was the big man on campus. Yesterday he acted like he didn’t even understand what Justin’s problem with Trevor was.”

“I guess he figured it out,” JC said.

“Dan?” Chris asked. “Dan Miller? That Dan? I like Dan, he’s good to Justin, but he doesn’t seem like a lot of real competition for Joey. I can understand if Joey doesn’t like Dan on general principle, but I thought AJ was into a certain type of guy. Dan’s kind of, uh, you know… If I were going out of town, I’d ask him to feed my fish, if I had fish to begin with. But if I wanted to get nasty for some ‘squeal, piggy, squeal,’ he wouldn’t be my first call.”

The bathroom door opened, banging into the wall. Joey glared at them.

Chris decided not to comment on Joey’s state of undress, since Joey didn’t seem to be in the mood for personal criticism. “What happened last night?”

“Nothing.” Joey appeared to hate the world. “I’ll take a shower and we can go.”

“Okay,” JC said. Joey retreated back into the bathroom. “I’ve never seen Joey hesitate one second at the idea of seeing AJ.”

“AJ and Dan,” Chris said to himself. “It’s like Catwoman and Snow White. It doesn’t seem very safe for Snow White, either. Have you heard AJ and Joey have sex? Joey’s a hardy guy, he can take it, but Dan looks like he’d break.”

“I think Dan could take care of himself.”

JC’s tone was a little too casual. JC knew something Chris didn’t know. Chris decided not to ask about it, since Chris knew things JC didn’t know, too. “I’ll take your word for it.”

Lance parked in AJ’s driveway. “Are you ready to go in?”

Justin looked around nervously. “Whose car is that?”

Lance sighed. “Brian’s.”

Anxiety flickered in Justin’s eyes. “Don’t leave me alone with him.”

“Don’t worry about him,” Lance said. “He’s all talk.”

“Maybe,” Justin said. “But the things he says…” Shuddering, Justin got out, following Lance to the front door. “I’m already sweating.”

“Relax,” Lance said. “This is just AJ and Brian. I’ll take care of Brian, that just leaves AJ. The other guys will be here in a minute.”

“Right.” Justin took a deep breath. “Go.”

Lance rang the doorbell. “You look great. You can handle this.”

Brian opened the door with a smile. “Lance. It’s great to see you. Justin. Come in.” As they entered, he closed the door, curling his hand around the doorknob. “You look good,” he said with a too-friendly smile, gaze traveling Lance.

“Thanks,” Lance said. “Chris can’t wait to see you.”

“It’ll be good to see him, too,” Brian said. “Are you okay?” he asked Justin.

“He’s just hungry,” Lance said, casually putting a hand on Justin’s back. “Does AJ need help with anything?” Not that he had any desire to assist AJ, but it might give him something to do that didn’t involve Brian gazing at him with love and fascination.

“He’s out in the back,” Brian said. “He seems to have everything under control, but I could use some help in the kitchen.”

Hell. Lance decided to take one for the team. “You go ahead and tell AJ we’re here,” he said to Justin. “I’ll help Brian.”

Justin gave him a grateful look and disappeared.

Brian smiled.

Hell.

AJ laid out the steaks as Justin walked out through the sliding glass doors. “Hey.”

“Hey.” Justin came over, hugging himself. “Brian freaks me out.”

“Your own shadow freaks you out,” AJ said.

“When is Kevin coming?”

“When he wants to,” AJ said.

“Lance is here.”

AJ snorted. “Brian must be thrilled.” Justin was shifting anxiously, and it was irritating, so he draped a casual arm over Justin’s shoulders, kissing Justin’s cheek. “You look hot.”

“Thanks.” Justin kissed him, relaxing against him. “I was with Dan last night.”

“Did he tell you he fucked me?”

Justin’s stare was stunned, wide-eyed. “He fucked you?”

“He has the most powerful thrust,” AJ said. “His dick is unbelievable. Best orgasm of my life.”

Justin stared into AJ’s eyes like he didn’t understand what he heard. “Dan fucked you, and you liked it?”

“I fucking loved it,” AJ said. “I can’t wait to roll over and let him pound me again. I came while he was still in me. First time in my life. I couldn’t-”

“You came?” Justin asked, shocked.

“He’s fucking amazing,” AJ said. “I might just have to keep him.”

Justin pulled back, frowning. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means, when this is over, I might keep him,” AJ said. “What does it sound like I mean?”

“No,” Justin said. “When this is over, we’re letting them go. When it’s over, it’s over.”

“We never agreed to that,” AJ said. “We never agreed to anything like that.”

“You can’t fuck him up and then stay and keep him in your life,” Justin said.

“Isn’t that what you wanted Kevin to do to you?” AJ asked. “Dan might want me to stay.” He tilted his head to one side, scrutinizing Justin. “Or were you planning on staying, yourself? You were going to stand back and watch me fuck him up, and as soon as I was done, you were going to swoop in, all apologetic, and take him for yourself.”

“It’s not like that,” Justin snapped.

“When this is over, you can do whatever you want,” AJ said. “But so can I.”

Justin glared at him. “I hate you.”

AJ smiled. He’d never get tired of those three little words. “Works for me.”

While JC drove, Chris watched Joey from the backseat. “You look like shit.”

“You look tired,” JC said.

“I was out all night fucking,” Joey said, rubbing his eyes. “I barely slept. I think I just went to bed when you came in.”

“Fucking who?” Chris asked.

“Everyone I know,” Joey said. “Kim, Tina, Lisa, Sandra, Beth, Kate, Paula-”

“Everyone you know?” JC repeated. “Why?”

Joey’s expression was grim. “Because I can.”

Maybe Lance was becoming too predictable, but he couldn’t stand being alone with Brian, having their hands brush accidentally as they passed bowls to each other, having Brian give him that lusting gaze, making small talk. So he kissed Brian, to end their damned conversation. Brian moaned, immediately responding to him, one hand sliding into his hair. While Lance’s dick got hard, he squeezed Brian’s ass, pushing Brian against the refrigerator and pulling Brian against his arousal. Moaning some more, making eager breathy sounds, Brian ran quick fingertips over the side of Lance’s face.

“Well. Don’t let me interrupt.”

Horrified, Lance stared into Brian’s flushed face. Brian hadn’t said that. The voice had come from behind him. The voice had come from…

Slowly, slowly, Lance turned his head, looking over one shoulder.

Howie winked. “Don’t stop on my account. Just looking for AJ.”

“He’s out back.” Brian sounded breathless. His hand was still in Lance’s hair. His - - Lance pushed Brian away, backing up quickly, but Howie was already gone.

Howie. Lance couldn’t breathe. Oh, god, Howie.

“Lance-”

Lance smacked Brian’s hand away, glaring at him heatedly. “If you fucked this up for me-”

“Fucked up what for you?” Brian asked, hurt, confused. “Howie? Lance, Howie doesn’t - - do you honestly think that if Howie wanted you, I’d do this? I’d never hurt him like that.”

But Lance would. He would, JC would, Joey would, Justin would, Chris would.

“Why can’t you let him go?” Brian asked. “Why can’t you just let him go?! I love you, I’m standing right here in love with you, but Howie walks through the room and I might as well not exist.”

“You don’t love me,” Lance said vehemently. “When are you going to stop selling me that bullshit and get real?”

“I had to watch you fall in love with my best friend,” Brian said, his posture angry, his voice shaking. “I had to watch him hurt you. I finally get my chance with you, I finally get to be real with you and tell you how I feel, and you ignore me, you accuse me of lying, you use me - - don’t think I don’t know you’re using me. And I’m letting you! For what? You’re never going to believe me!”

“I’m not!” Lance snapped, furious. “Give up!”

“Then go to him!” Brian shot back. “Go to him if you’re so damned in love with him. He doesn’t want you. He’ll never want you. He wants JC. And you know what? I don’t even blame him. At least JC can tell us apart. JC knows that Howie’s not going to hurt him like Nick hurt him. You think you’re going to get hurt like Chris did, you think I’m going to hurt you like Howie hurt you - - I’m not Howie! You’re not Chris!”

“Hey!” AJ came in with a quick glare at Lance. “Save the fight for later.” The doorbell rang. “Go see who that is.”

“I’m not your doorman,” Lance said.

“I’ll go.” Brian smoothed his shirt, leaving the room.

AJ’s glare intensified. “You hurt him, your ass is mine.”

“Threaten someone who cares,” Lance said, brushing past AJ on his way to the door. “I don’t buy his act and I don’t buy yours, either.”

Chris stared. “Oh my god.”

“Come in,” Brian said.

“Thanks,” JC said, gently steering Chris past Brian and into the house.

“Howie’s here,” Brian said. “Lance and Justin are here, too.” He discreetly wiped his lower lip. “I hope you’re hungry.”

“Starving,” Chris breathed, still staring.

“We’ll go say hi,” JC said.

“Great,” Brian said with a smile. “I’ll go finish up in the kitchen.” He left.

Chris wandered after Brian, evading JC’s grasp.

“Are you okay?” JC asked Joey.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” Joey asked.

Lance found Howie on the back patio, Justin a few feet away by the pool. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“What wasn’t?” Howie asked.

“Brian, in the kitchen,” Lance said.

Howie smiled. “You weren’t kissing him?”

“I was,” Lance said. He hadn’t been stupid enough to think that Howie would be jealous, exactly, but… But they’d been so close the other night, or he’d thought that they’d been close, and… “I don’t care about him.”

“He cares a lot about you,” Howie said.

“Don’t start that,” Lance said. “Brian can say whatever he wants, and you can back him up as much as you want, but I won’t believe it. From here, it sounds a lot like Justin telling Dan how much he can’t get over AJ, and the rest of us dropping little ‘AJ loves Justin so much’ comments every time Dan’s around.”

“I guess it does,” Howie said with another smile. “Like I say, Brian really cares about you. If you don’t want to believe it, you don’t have to.” He looked past Lance, his smile broadening. “You made it.”

“Hey, how are you doing?” JC asked. He glanced at Lance, but when Howie walked right past Lance to kiss his cheek and rub his arm, he kissed Howie’s cheek right back. “It’s good to see you.”

Lance wanted to push JC into the pool and see how suave he acted when all of that ridiculous hair was sopping wet.

“Where’s AJ?” Joey asked.

“He went to change,” Justin said.

Joey left.

Howie was murmuring something to JC, and JC was laughing.

Maybe Lance would shove Howie into the pool first.

Continue on to part forty-six

matthew@matthewtime.com
"Sucker"
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