Page 13 of Julian Shared
“This isn’t the first time they’ve done this,” I tell Joel. “Their lights are on at all sorts of hours and there are guests over all the time.”
“You jealous?” Joel wags his eyebrows at me like it’s a question, but I hear the edge of an accusation in his voice. “As reigning champ of neighborhood party planning and premier host with the most, are you worried he's gonna come for your crown?"
"That twink?" I scoff. Cameron was burning cheese when we first met. I won’t ever need to worry about him upstaging me in culinary pursuits. "Please. He could never."
"Of course,” Joel chuckles, his arms stretching behind his head as he lounges along our mattress, “there's no other twink like you."
"Oh, stop. I’m too old to be a twink.” I play with the collar of my robe again, distracted by the handsome sight of Joel. He didn't shave after getting out of the shower. His five o'clock shadow has become so dark I can almost feel it tickling my skin across the room.
I’m still not ready to sleep, but maybe I’m ready for bed after all.
"That’s a bunch of nonsense. You’ll always be my sweet little twink.”
With a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, I turn back toward the window to close the curtains…though I end up throwing them open even wider as I catch movement from the pool next door. There are a bunch of guys swimming.
"I knew it," I hiss. The bitterness in my voice turns into venom. "He's having aparty.”
Ever since they moved in, Cameron’s never properly invited me over to his place. Sure, he’ll open his door to me for our cooking lessons, and he’ll come over for morning coffee or afternoon tea, but he’s never welcomed me over to his house for a get-together.
He and Trevor didn’t even have a housewarming party.
And now he’s hosting a party on the same day I had one.
Granted, it’s a small party. Only three other guys are swimming as Cameron dips into the water and joins them. I’d recognize his head of sunshine-yellow hair from any distance orany time of day. They’re army boys, no doubt. Their muscles bulging and mouths running with hoots of laughter.
I recognize one of the soldiers specifically. Buddy is one of Cameron’s party guests. No wonder they were both acting weird earlier.
I watch as Buddy and the others…they’re…Cameron is…with all of them.
"Joel!" I whisper-shout as I’m waving my hand desperately in the air. "Come here, right now, and look at this."
Joel finally joins me at the window, his arm snaking around my waist. He props his chin on the top of my head and looks at the debauchery happening next door.
“Oh, you’re definitely peeping now,” he laughs.
“This isn’t funny,” I snap. Cameron’s in his pool having sex with not one, but two men. Neither of which are his husband. He’s trapped between Buddy and one of the other soldiers. Buddy sits on the edge of the pool while Cameron’s head is shoved into his lap, bobbing up and down. The nameless soldier behind Cameron in the water is doing, well, it’s obvious what’s going on there.
Cameron’s being…taken from both ends while the third soldier waits for his turn.
Trevor’s not even swimming with them. Or watching his husband being used. He’s eating a hot dog.
“I can’t believe he’d do something like this.” Cameron had seemed like such a nice, good boy.
“How in the hell areyoubeing so judgmental right now?” I can’t see the grin on Joel’s face, but I hear it in his voice. “You blew me in public within five minutes of us meeting.”
I bristle at the implication and refuse to acknowledge it. Instead, I focus on what’s happening in the present rather than remembering my own past.
“They’re going to get Trevor slammed with a 314. It’s irresponsible. They’re married.”
Though, does it still count as adultery if they’re both present during it?
It doesn’t matter. I’ve seen enough and learned more than I ever wanted to know about my neighbor. A mixture of emotions brew inside of me. Heat flushes across my face and rushes downward.
Shame. Anger. Disgust. And most damning of all is curiosity.
It all swells within me. Leaves me hot and bothered and confused.
“Eh, the honeymoon bliss is probably starting to wear off. Probably spicing it up with a little threesome.”
