Page 81 of When Ben Loved Jace
“Karaoke!”
I beam at the suggestion. “For real?”
“Yup! Eric throws epic parties. You’ll have to come to one. Anyway, he’s got a machine that he breaks out sometimes, and frankly, it’s torture on the ears. I’m including my own efforts in that, so prepare yourself.”
He’s not kidding. Before long, we’re taking turns belting out tunes, and Tim’s voice ishorrible. I’d almost forgotten having heard it back in high school when we jammed with Ebony and Ivory, the band Allison and I joined because she was dating the bass player. Tim is nearly tone deaf, but it doesn’t seem to discourage him in the slightest, even when I choose songs that I know will be difficult for him, just to amuse myself. I can’t stop laughing. I’m kind of wasted. We also sing some duets, which is fun. And more than a little endearing. By the time we run out of steam, it’s getting late. We go out back soChinchilla can potty.
I’m struck again by how tranquil the nights are out here, away from all the hustle and bustle. Secluded. I stand closer to Tim than necessary as we stare up at the stars.
“The circumstances suck,” he says, breaking a comfortable silence, “but I’m glad I got to see you again.”
“Yeah.” My heart swells. “Me too.”
“Do you wanna stay the night? I mean, we’re both too drunk to drive.”
I smile. “Okay.”
After we go back inside, Tim locks up and turns off lights. I follow him upstairs to a bedroom that is surprisingly minimal. Nicely decorated, yes, but lacking in personal touches.
Tim moves to the door. “If you need anything, I’ll be down the hall.”
“Oh!” I say, looking around. “This isn’t…”
“What?”
“Nothing!” I turn around so he can’t see my cheeks burning. This is aguestroom. Duh. “See you in the morning.”
“Yeah. See you then.”
I strip down to my underwear and crawl into bed, the room seeming to spin around me. It’s been a weird day, but I’m happier now than when it began. And horny. I don’t see the point in waiting. It’s not like we haven’t done it before. And I really don’t want to wake up alone, when my mind won’t be as numb and I’ll have to face the painful truth. I slide out from under the sheets and stumble to the door. Which turns out to be a closet. After snickering, I try again, this time making it to the hall. That certainly brings back a few memories. I find myself creeping down it, as if trying to avoid waking his parents. There are a lot more doors to choose from in this house. I reach one that is only open a crack and hear the rustling of sheets.
I push my way inside, drunk on hormones as I move toward the bed. Or maybe all those beers are to blame. That seems more likely. There must be a nightlight on in an adjoining room—a bathroom probably—because I can see one of Tim’s strong round shoulders, his dark hair spilling across the pillow. A slumbering lump fills the other half of the mattress. Chinchilla isn’t much of a guard dog, it would seem. Tim’s back is to me, so I take off my underwear, kick it aside, and walk around the bed. I push on his shoulder so he’ll roll onto his back. Then I hear a warmchuckle.
“What are you doing?” he asks.
“What do you think?” I ask while climbing on top of him.
His hands move to my hips. “You’re naked.”
“And you’re hard,” I say after lowering my rump.
I bend over to kiss him. Before I can, Tim grabs me and rolls over, trapping me beneath the sheets. “Not like this.”
“How come?”
“Because you’re drunk. And I don’t want to be the reason you can’t go back to Jace.”
That sobers me up. “Can I at least sleep in your room?”
“Yeah.” Tim confuses me by getting out of bed. Despite the limited light, I see enough to know that I’m not the only one who is naked. “I’ll sleep in the guest room,” he says.
“You don’t have to go.”
“We both know that I do.”
He bends over and kisses me on the forehead. “Good night, Benjamin."
"Sweet dreams," I reply.
