Page 85 of Tongue-Tied
“You jackass.” I snicker. “What I mean is, you have a lot to offer somebody, and you don’t even realize it.”
His hand stills in mine as if I’ve tapped a nerve.
“I’ve always believed relationships don’t last, so why put yourself in the path of heartache, you know?”
It dawns on me that his dad abandoning him and his mom never being able to find anything meaningful has affected him on an even deeper level than I thought.
“Logically, I know that’s not true for everyone. But it seems rare. Mom wants it so bad that she sacrifices parts of herself. That doesn’t seem like a fulfilling way to live.”
I blink as if seeing Dex in a new light. My parents have always been there for me. Dex too, and now Kael. I’ve always kept my social circle small, and it’s suited me well. On the other hand, Dex has so many friends and activities that I figured he could never run out of things to do.
But maybe there’s more to his keeping such a busy schedule.
“And you fill your time with classes, organizations, and charity events so you’re too busy to think about much else.”
“Maybe. You forgot to add my best friend to that list. I took him on four awesome dates—or wait, does last night count as five?”
“What best friend? I thought we were just getting to know each other?” I respond coyly.
“Well, the guy I’ve gotten to know would make a great best friend.”
I huff a laugh as my heart soars. We grow quiet as his eyes meet mine, and the tension is so thick, you could cut it with a knife.
“Thank you for always being there for me,” I blurt out. “Mixing our friendship with the fake dating probably had you worried and confused. Me too, but I still wouldn’t change anything. I hope you know that no matter what happens, I’ll still be your constant. I’ll always have your back and be your person—if you need me.”
Suddenly, Dex is embracing me in a tight hug that makes me feel safe and cocooned. He buries his face against my neck, and I swear I feel dampness from his eyelashes.
All I can think to do is hold on tight—to him, to us—and swallow down the aching realization that I’m in love with him. I can’t stop it or take it back. It just is.
But I meant what I said. No matter how broken my heart will be when our little arrangement ends, I went into this with my eyes wide open, and I will always be here for Dex as a friend.
“What did losing your virginity feel like?” he asks as he draws away. “And I’m not fishing for compliments. I truly want to know.”
“It felt surreal…but also incredible. Like connecting with someone on a deeper level.” That someone being Dex, but I keep the conversation general. “Having said that, I couldn’t do that casually, like you do. Not that I’m knocking it?—”
“It’s okay that we’re different that way,” he replies, and I feel a pang in my chest, wishing that weren’t true, that we were more the same. “Are you sore?”
“Only a little,” I admit. “I actually like how it feels. It’s a good reminder of what happened.”
“Yeah? What exactly happened?” he teases.
“Let’s see. A hot guy invited himself over and had his way with me.”
He freezes. “That’s not?—”
“I’m kidding. If anything, I’m the one who had his way with you.”
“Uh-huh, you horny little devil.”
I grin because I sort of like being seen that way.
“Well, now you’ve got me hard.” Dex grips his cock, and mine stiffens instantly. “Wanna jerk off?”
So we do, and it’s just as exciting as the first time we watched each other.
Afterward, my sheets are even messier, and the small space smells like sex and lube, so I kick Dex out so I can do laundry before Kael gets in.
I can hear him chuckling as he closes the door behind him.