Page 35 of Defend Me

“I volunteer as tribute.”

I jumped at the new voice. Brooks broke into a grin when he saw Dean. I was very confused about their dynamic. They seemed to be inching toward being friends, although Dean might’ve been more iffy on that front. It was weird.

“Hey, pal,” Brooks said. He grabbed his hand and pulled him into his chest. “Are you trying to steal my car?”

“On the contrary, it looks like I’m saving the day since you idiots didn’t designate a driver.”

“It’s only a few miles.”

“Plenty of space for you to kill someone.”

Brooks scoffed. “And where’s your car? You claimed that you have one, but I’ve never seen it.”

“I caught a ride with Rick.”

“Why?”

“To save the planet, obviously.”

Brooks narrowed his eyes but motioned for me to hand over the keys. When I started to get into the back seat, he grabbed my wrist and pushed me toward the front. Since it was pointless to argue with him, I dropped into the passenger seat beside Dean. He smiled at me in the kind way he always did.

Both of these guys were pretty different, but I felt comfortable with each of them in some way. They also belonged to social groups that I had no business interacting with. If it wasn’t for Brooks, I would’ve been lost in that apartment. I’d probably lock myself in the bathroom and watch power washing videos to calm down or something.

Brooks leaned forward between our two seats, planting an elbow on each one. God, he smelled good, even through the faint scent of beer. It was rich and probably expensive. The more I breathed it in, I was able to detect various notes. It was slightly floral, maybe a mix of lavender and something woody. Maybe it was earthy. I had no fucking clue. He just smelled divine.

“If you’re driving, that means you’re hanging out with us at my place.”

It looked like Dean might argue for a second. Brooks smacked his shoulder and scooted even closer.

“Don’t make me beg.”

“Alright, but why?” Dean asked.

“Because the quiet is too loud.”

He glanced sidelong at Brooks, then started the car. As he pulled onto the road, I was grateful he’d offered to drive. I wasn’t drunk, but I was more comfortable in the passenger seat right now. It was nice to chill and watch things pass by outside. My head was airy enough that I would’ve been anxious behind the wheel.

With the way Brooks’ arm was positioned, his hand hung over my shoulder and grazed my chest each time the car moved enough. My eyes fell closed at the light contact.

This was it. This was the moment I was going to fucking die. Right here in this beautiful man’s Audi.

That was dramatic. Still, I was standing by my assertion. Minus the literal death.

We went over a bumpy patch of road- good ol’ Seattle infrastructure- and his fingers slid down my arm. A sound that was far too breathy escaped me, but thankfully, the music was loud enough to cover it.

This definitely qualified as touch starved. I needed to get laid. If I was being honest, though, it was unlikely to help. My luck wasn’t the best when it came to the guys I’d slept with. Sex was okay, but I definitely hadn’t chosen the right people. They’d acted nice and caring, but for the most part, I just ended up as a hole for them to fuck. It was fine. I just knew it could be better.

Brooks probably fucked like a god. I didn’t know what his preference was, but from our interactions so far, I was confident that he would take on the dominant role easily.

The thought of him like that, with his body on display and his lean muscles flexing with his fluid movements, made me feel warm. My dick started to perk up when the scene in my head escalated. I imagined him wrapping his fingers around his shaft, thick and engorged from his desire. It glistened at the tip and-

Shit, I had to get myself under control. I’d rather die than pop a boner in this car right now.

Brooks wasn’t an option. He wanted me to find someone who would be good for me, which implied that he wasn’t that person. For all I knew, he could already be interested in another person. He certainly had options if he cared to consider them. Better, more interesting options than me.

I needed to smoke. I wasn’t usually this self-deprecating. The alcohol didn’t really help. It made me overthink. If I didn’t dull this anxiety that raged through me, I’d sink into a pit where I’d continuously compare myself to others and I didn’t like to do that. I’d accepted who I was a long time ago and I was okay with it. He was sort of throwing me off. I needed to get a grip.

We reached a building draped in black with seemingly endless windows. Maybe the entire outside of it was glass. It rose way too high into the sky and if there was a storm going, I’d probably assume Batman owned the place.

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