Page 6 of Good Friends
He looked Kent in the eyes. “The deal was if we got serious and long-term with anyone, we’d tell the other. Well, Jayce hits me up any damn time he fucking sees me on Messenger, man, telling me how great Porter is. Porter has no trouble telling me about other guys he plays with, but doesn’t evenmentionJayce beyond the one time they scened? And he told me then that he didn’t fuck him? I can take a damn hint.”
“I’m just saying maybetalkto him. Maybe there’s more to the story.”
Gavin sat back and took another swallow of his drink. “I think I’m beyond caring now,” he softly admitted, even as he knewthatwas a lie.
If he was beyond caring, he wouldn’t be so fucking…mopey.
“Says the guy who can’t be bothered to go have a little fun.” Kent stood. “Just saying, you’re not acting like a guy who’s beyond caring, and I’m kind of an expert in this territory.” He patted Gavin on the shoulder and walked around the pool to go talk to a couple of guys smoking cigars over in the far corner.
Except Gavin knew Kent was right about one thing—he wasn’t beyond caring. He was hurting and angry and felt betrayed.
I never should have asked him to play with Jayce.So much for doing a good friend a favor.
That sure bit me in the ass.
Then again, Gavin also knew had he just shoved back his fear before he signed the contract in the first place, andadmittedto Porter he wasinlove with him,talkedto him…
I sure as hell wastedthatopportunity.
* * * *
Around eleven that night, Gavin quietly retreated to the guest bedroom where Kent and his boys, Tim and Paul, had graciously extended him the invitation to sleep tonight.
The party was still in full swing, had barely hit its stride. But he didn’t want to be a downer. Sure, some of the guys were exhibitionists, and no one was ever required to participate at one of these things, but he still felt…
Weird.
Which was weird in and of itself, because one of the things he’d desperately looked forward to doing once he’d returned to the States was exactlythiskind of thing—reconnecting with his kinky friends.
Except he’d really hoped to be doing it with Porter.
In fact, he’d sort of hoped he’d be doing alotof stuff with Porter, like moving in with him.
Instead of having to find an apartment via online listings and then renting a truck to move his shit out of storage.
Because he thought he and Porter would be doing that together, using Porter’s truck, having fun taking a shower together after…
Maybe talking about Gavin never moving out.
Why’d I ever let Jayce talk me into letting them play together?
And that was another thing, because, ew,really?Jayce, ofallpeople?
The guy was okay for a friend, was fun to have around for laughs, but the fact that Porter hit that not just once, butmultipletimes? On a regular basis?
Jayce was a walking health department warning poster on the perils of not having good sexual hygiene. When they taught high school sex ed classes, they could probably use Jayce as the poster boy for allll the examples of STIs and the symptoms. Jayce got around more times than a free Ferris wheel at the state fair.
Like he’d evenwantto fuck Porter now. It wasn’t that Jayce was a slut, it was that Jayce was anirresponsibleslut who couldn’t be trusted to religiously wrap or require others be wrapped, didn’t get tested on a regular basis, and likely wasn’t even on PrEP or anything. Gavin wouldn’t want so much as a blowjob from the damn guy. Not without a full-body condom or something. Damn sure wouldn’tgivethe guy one, either.
Gavin hadn’t even told any of their mutual friends he’d moved back to the area. Especially not Jayce. He didn’t want it getting back to Porter yet. Yes, he’d eventually tell the guy he was back, once he felt strong enough to talk to him without crying.
I’m a dumbass.
He damn sure wasn’t going to spill his tea to their friends and look even more pitiful. Because most of them would likely tell him he was a fucking dumbass, just like Kent had.
And they’d probably be right.
Just like Kent was probably right.
