Page 68 of Manhattan Tormentor

“You think there’s something wrong with you and that’s what makes me sad for you, Finn, because you’re who you are. Broken crayons still color inside and outside of the lines the same.”

The beer goes to his mouth again as he leans against a chest of drawers. For a first-year college student, he has a nice apartment. I never asked why he’s not in the dorms or living with his best friend. Fortunate for me, I suppose, or I’d never be allowed across the door.

“Don’t analyze me, Fierro. You’d be dead wrong every time. You don’t know me.”

“I know enough.”

“Yeah, like what?”

Unable to withstand the emotional and physical distance. I move around the two leather chairs he has parked in front of his gaming set up and come to stand in front of him.

He tenses when I put my hand on the side of his neck but doesn’t push me away. Gray eyes as intense as ever stare me down like he thinks he can intimidate me. Anyone else would cower under his glare.

“I’m guessing the call was with your dad and you don’t get along with him.”

Finn rolls his eyes. “Look at you, Einstein, stop, you’re dazzling me with your brilliance.”

“I know you like me.”

His smirk drops, and his sexy lips I can’t stop looking at curl at one end. If he bares his teeth, I might lose it. I have serious problems if Finn being angry does it for me.

“In your dreams.”

“Dreams and reality. Or was it someone else’s dick I had in my mouth not long ago?”

“I let you suck my dick, big deal. Doesn’t mean I like you.”

“Yeah, it does.”

“I don’t like you. Ican’tlike you.” He hisses roughly between his teeth. The hammering of his pulse through his throat is frantic. He shoves me back as I expected. My eyes follow his bare back, watching how his anger flexes through the muscles.

We’ve been hooking up for weeks, I only want one genuine reaction from him that doesn’t come with his orgasm sounds.

“Why is that?” I ask, equally quiet, bracing for the answer because as I know with Finn, nothing is simple.

He doesn’t disappoint.

His eyes are chilled and bottomless.

A man who hates me in this moment.

“Because you’re a guy!” he shouts loud enough to hear six blocks away. When he inhales, it expands his entire torso.

I shake my head. “Did you happen to miss that at some point? The mutual hand jobs were not clue enough?”

“I’m not fucking gay!” he rasps in a whisper, almost like the words are abhorrent to him, like saying it louder will make it truer.

All it does is hit me hard in the center of my chest. I’ve known this and still I put myself in this place of hope because thereissomething between us. Whether he faces it is up to him.

I’ve never cared about labels. Gay, bi or pansexual, I’ll still want him. But for Finn to be so cruel in his denial hits me in a place I’ve always sworn never to go to.

I slouch my shoulders in acceptance. I will not force the issue, I went in with my eyes wide open, like all idiots do.

I gave in to the attraction between us and held out hope.

Taking a deep breath, I look away. “Yeah,” I mutter, “whatever you say, Maverick.”

“Don’t fucking act like that. You knew this already, what we were doing.”

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