Page 38 of Best Friends, Tennessee

“Good,” I finally said gently, nodding and praising him because I didn’t know what else to say. “Very good.”

I swallowed past my dry throat.

A few minutes ago, I hadn’t cared if this was a bad idea.

Now? I was increasingly certain that it had probably been a pretty terrible one.

Not that I regretted a second of it.

I just felt weird. Like everything I’d known was just flipped on its side.

But more importantly, I had to convince Ori that Ididn’tfeel weird. Because I never wanted him to think I was grossed out by what we’d done. It was hot as fuck, and the last thing I felt wasgrossed out.

“Damn,” he said softly, looking up at the sky.

“That was so fun,” I said, knowing my voice sounded awkward and overeager. “So much fun.”

When he looked over at me, he searched my face.

“You’re totally freaked out.”

“Fuck, no,” I said. “I’ll jerk off next to anybody, and you know it.”

Shit.

Did that make it sound worse? Like Ori was justanybody?

Thoughts raced through my mind all at once. I thanked the stars above when Ori stood up from the blanket and pulled in a breath, walking back toward the house.

“Need to clean off. You want a towel?”

“I’ll, uh, put out the fire. Be back inside in a minute,” I told him.

A moment later he disappeared inside. I was left with nothing but my own thoughts and the sound of the crickets, which sounded louder now, as if they were laughing at me.

Life had never felt easy for me, exactly, but one thing was certain: I’d always known who I was. I knew what my role was. What I was supposed to do.

First off, I was a Tennessee boy, born and raised.

I liked football, horses, country music, and intelligent women. I was going to try to have a good career, and a few hobbies.

And beyond that, one day, I would marry a fierce Tennessee country gal, show her love, and have a couple of kids. I was supposed to fix all of the things my parents hadn’t given me, and I’d vowed to live my life with aplan, with goals, on a clear path.

Ori had just tossed a fucking lit match onto my mental “life list,” though.

Get really turned on by your best friendwas never on the list.

Scratch that.

Make yourself come next to your former best friend, who’s now sort of your rival, and also the only person you’ve ever felt truly comfortable around.

I’d checked that one off with flying colors.

Bonus points: shoot your load onto his arm.

Make him suck it off.

Holy lord above.

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