Page 24 of The Way Home
“So… no fun reunions then?” My dad prompted.
Well, a kiss that lingered on my lips days later and waking up with Riley snuggled in my arms, but I couldn't exactly tell him that. “I believe you called to ask about my interview. Can we get back to that, please?”
My dad laughed his big, belly laugh. “Fine, fine. You're the one who didn't want to just talk business. I was only following your lead. How are you feeling about it?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “I either knocked it out of the park, or I made a complete fool of myself.”
“I'm sure it's the first one, Jeremy.”
“Thanks, I hope so, but I also think I kind of blacked out through part of it, so there's no way of knowing. It would be easier to run down a field with a team of goliath players chasing me down.ThatI could do, no problem, but it turns out interviewing for a job youreallywant and not just any old job to earn a check comes with a bit more pressure.”
“I wouldn't have suggested it if I didn’t think you were the right person for it. It was my team, too, remember? I'm sure they love you now as much as they loved you back in school. Try to relax. Find something to do to get your mind off of it for a bit. I have zero doubts they will be calling you and offering the job soon.”
My dad was my first coach, way back in myPop Warnerdays, when the uniforms were bigger than we were. He'd always beengood at the pep talks. Hearing his certainty brought me a smidge of relief. “Thanks, Dad.”
“Of course! Okay… on a completely different topic, how's everything going with Riley? Are you two getting along? Your mom's been really worried but remains hopeful.”
I clicked my tongue for a moment as I decided how much to reveal. When we were dating as teens, I'd been getting ready to introduce Riley to my dad, but then he showed up with his mom. At first, I thought it was a dream come true, the perfect situation, where we could be together more because our parents were together. Except, Riley began to push me away, and I never got to have my dad meet him as my boyfriend. Now I didn't know what we were to each other. It was all kind of murky, but I knew without any doubt that I liked being around him again, even when it was difficult.
Well, a little bit of truth went a long way. “It's been a little awkward at times, but it's also been really nice. I've missed him very much. We haven't really gotten to spend a lot of time with just the two of us, especially as adults.”
“I understand. We became a family, and soon after you each went your separate ways. I know you didn't get to choose having Riley and Jackie in our lives, but I love them both so much, and I don't know where we would be without them.”
“I love them both, too.” I'd loved Riley first, of course, but Jackie had quickly become very special to me when the Carter and Rodriguez families blended. She filled a hole I didn't know was there. My dad and I had always gotten along just fine, but she added something wonderful to our dynamic. I really lucked out in the stepmom department. “Please tell Jackie not to worry. We're going to be fine. I'm really happy he's staying at the cabin with me.”
“Good, good. I'm glad to hear it. Now get off your ass, go for a run, and stop second-guessing yourself. Oh, and call me as soon as you hear something, which I suspect will be soon.”
“Thanks, Dad, I will. Talk to you soon, love you.”
“Love you, too, Son.”
He was right. The first step was getting off my ass. I put my phone away and stood up. If I wasn't wearing my nicest—and only—suit, I might have started running up and down the stairs of the bleachers to burn out the anxiety I felt. I was on school property, and the panel of people I interviewed with were still conducting other interviews. It probably wouldn't be a great look to be seen sweating through my suit.
Home first. Then a run. That's what I needed.
As I was driving along the windy path toward the cabin, my thoughts returned to Riley. Of him climbing into my bed and breathing intently to help me relax. Of him waking with his hand rubbing over my chest. Of him staring at my erection before running away. All those images in my mind had me adjusting myself and spreading my legs wider. A good fuck would help burn all this stress off, too.
If Riley hadn't been at the cabin and things were…normal… I would have opened one of my apps and seen if anyone was nearby and DTF. But things were anything but normal and also closer to what I wanted than ever had been. I couldn't imagine hooking up with anyone else now, because Riley was the one I truly wanted. I loved sex, and I enjoyed different bodies, but it was always him I wished were with me as I lost myself momentarily in others.
I was stuck in this permanent state of need and desire with no outlet but myself. When I got home, I sat in the car for a moment, trying to regain some sense of control. Except everything felt out of my control at the moment. The job, Riley,my future. Luckily, enough dread seeped back in that my cock managed to settle.Thank God for small existential crises.
A run was definitely a good idea. Run first, then fuck. Even if it was just my own hand. Hopefully the combo would be enough to relieve some of the tension and stress.
Feeling the urgency to move, I ran into the house and bee-lined straight to my room. I heard a brief “hey” come from the kitchen, but I ignored it. If I stayed to talk to him, I would just end up picturing his eyes gleam with hunger and licking his lips as he stared at my cock. Maybe Riley hadn’t licked his lips this morning before escaping the situation, but the image came to mind and it was hard to shake.
Shedding my suit, I changed into a tank top and joggers as quickly as possible. My dress shoes were swapped for running shoes, and with my water bottle in hand, I was ready. As I came out of my room, Riley stood near the hallway, hands on his hips and a worried look on his face. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. “I’m going for a run. I’ll be back in a bit.”
“Oh. Okay. Did you, uh, want company?”
The offer was tempting but also the last thing I needed right now. “Sorry, darling. I need to push myself and run hard, so if you can't keep up with me, I wouldn't bother.”
His face fell, making me immediately regret my choice of words. I was too wound up to fix it right then, so I offered an apologetic smile and left. Once my feet hit the dirt at the bottom of the steps, I took off. Pushing into the ground, I ran, following the same path we'd taken the other day. Only this time, I chose the one that led to the public beach area. It was about a half mile longer, but the beach itself would allow me plenty of room to run, and running along the coarse sandy beach would work different muscles.
Feet pounding, legs burning, sweat dripping. The harder I worked, the more I felt my nerves about the interview fall away. There wasn't room to think about it when the ache of my muscles was all I could focus on. I pushed myself until I lost count of how many laps I'd run around the beach. Slowing into a jog, I let my heart rate come back down. My thighs cried for me to stop, but I knew I needed a cool down. Doing a hard stop after such an intense workout was never a good idea, no matter how much my body wanted me to simply collapse onto the sand.
The endorphins released during the run helped me feel more confident about my interview. They had all been smiling when it was done, and they seemed genuine. Maybe they were being polite, but it didn't feel fake. The run had helped bring a lot of clarity in that aspect, but they did nothing to calm the intense need I felt. Since I refused to get caught jerking off alone on a beach in public, I decided to head back to the cabin to take care of my other problem.
Jogging at a much more casual pace on the return path, my legs ached in such a way it tethered me to what I was doing. I was one stray thought away from making the job ten times more uncomfortable. Running with a stiffy bouncing all over wasn't the kind of pain I wanted right now. I focused on each step, on the rhythmic sound of my shoes hitting the dirt. My pulse was no longer beating in my ears with the unruly pace I'd set before, so I tried to concentrate on the sounds of the woods. On anything but Riley.
