Page 10 of Ravenous

Whipping around, Finn straightened the wheel, missing a parked van by millimeters. His heart hammered, about to burst from his chest. He needed to stop the car.

“S-Sorry. Um, I hate to ask but do you mind if I pull over for a second? I need to talk to someone.” Finn slowed down at the end of the street, stopping at the corner, thankful that there was no one behind him.

“The jogger? Why do you want to talk to Ollie?”

“You know Ollie?” Putting the car in park, Finn took his seatbelt off and turned, facing the backseat.

Finn didn’t think it was possible but the man frowned even more deeply. “He rents from me.”

“He moved here?” Finn tracked Ollie as he ran past them, too focused on the path ahead to notice the stopped car. Absently, Finn wondered if he was training for a marathon because he needed to fuel more. He’d gotten thinner over the last three months.

Heart still racing, Finn opened and closed his hands, his palms tingling. He’d questioned the reasons behind his attraction many times; was it real or was he only enamored with Ollie’s ability to stamp out loneliness? And he got his answer the second he saw Ollie again because all Finn wanted to do was touch him, feel those plush lips once more, and it was simultaneously confusing and exciting.

The man yawned. “He did. Can you drive me home now?”

Glancing at his phone, Finn took note of his passenger’s name - Mason - and gripped the wheel, putting the car in drive. “Yes, of course. Sorry about that. It’s just that Ollie and I connected a few months ago and I’ve been wanting to talk to him again.” Finn kept one eye on the road and the other on the rearview mirror, watching Mason’s shrug.

“I don’t care. I just need to bring my equipment inside before it gets too cold.” His words were harsh but his tone indicated that he wasn’t mean, only detached, disinterested, and he had every right to be concerned about his cameras, especially when Finn had almost crashed the car.

Finn had been extremely unprofessional on this ride and would most likely get one star but it didn’t matter.

He’d found Ollie.

Arriving at the address the app indicated, Finn tried not to drool. The house was stupendous, a square white monolith that rivaled the other homes on the street. The porch beckoned, telling Finn to come up and relax, and the landscaping was flawless, with rows of arborvitae creating a border on the property line and various shrubs hiding the meeting of foundation and dirt. In the center of the sprawling lawn was one of the largest weeping willows he’d ever seen, and boulders were scattered here and there, surrounded by hydrangeas. All in all, the location was very private and peaceful. No wonder Ollie had chosen to live here.

Jumping out of the car, Finn assisted with the tripod, and Mason gave him a once-over before huffing and walking up to the house, Finn quickly following.

Once inside, Finn took a moment to admire the stained-glass window above the door, and the colorful patterns it cast on the floor as moonlight passed through it. Carefully placing his bundle on a bench by the entryway, he put his hands in his pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels, feeling uncharacteristically sheepish.

“Do you mind if I, um, stick around and say hi to Ollie?”

Mason’s next look was close to a glare but then he shrugged again, opening a door to a flight of stairs that clearly led to the basement.

“I told you, I don’t care.” Adjusting the bag on his shoulder, he clomped down the stairs, closing the door behind him and leaving Finn to his own devices.

Some runners could be out for hours, especially if they were training, so Finn busied himself by looking around the foyer. The floors and walls were dark wood, polished to a deep shine, and framed photographs of all sizes littered the walls. Some were portraits that ranged from artistically lit silhouettes to extreme close-ups while others were more candid. Shots of nature filled the spaces between, many from drone height. Each one was stunning, easily captivating Finn and holding his attention. If they were Mason’s work, then he was talented.

When he was done perusing the foyer, Finn began to wander. The living room was next, although it didn’t seem very lived-in. The plush white furniture was stylish and full, without creases or dents in the cushions, as if no one had ever sat on them. A fireplace took up most of one wall, flanked on both sides by bookshelves and above by a mounted television. The area flowed easily into a well-appointed dining room, which housed a stately walnut table and eight antique chairs, along with a glass cabinet that held expensive-looking dishes, and through an archway beyond, the kitchen waited, and Finn couldn’t help but be drawn in. It was triple the size of his kitchen, with granite countertops and a generous island in the middle. The stove had six burners, the sink was like a small bathtub, and the cabinets seemed to go on forever. Finn wasn’t much of a cook but the surroundings made him want to prepare a meal there, just for the experience.

Creaking echoed through the house as the front door opened and closed, pulling Finn from his self-tour, and he darted back toward the foyer but stopped at the edge of the living room, unsure.

Breathing heavily, Ollie wiped his brow with a small towel as he checked his fitness watch, mumbling to himself about calories. Finn’s earlier observation had been right; Olliehadgotten thinner. He was swimming in the purple T-shirt he wore but the tight shorts underneath were like a second skin. The way they hugged Ollie’s ass seized Finn’s attention with more force than anything else in the house and he had to shake himself and wrench his gaze away.

He didn’t know why but he felt out of his depth. But he couldn’t stand there forever or he’d end up scaring the life out of Ollie.

Taking a steadying breath, Finn cleared his throat and Ollie jumped, spinning around with such force that it made Finn dizzy.

“H-Hey, Ollie.” Finn grinned but he could tell it was wobbly. “It’s been a while.”

At first, Ollie didn’t react. He only stared, unnaturally still. Then he blinked and shook his head, dropping the towel he’d been holding so he could brace a hand on the wall.

“Great, I’m hallucinating now,” he murmured, swaying on his feet.

“I’m not a hallucination, Ollie. I’m right here.” Stepping into the foyer, Finn reached out and touched Ollie’s arm. As they connected Ollie snapped his pale blue eyes to Finn’s, all the color draining from his face.

And then he promptly passed out.

Diving forward, Finn caught Ollie before he hit the ground, preventing him from smashing his head on the hardwood floor.

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