Theron. It’s not my place to say anything, but I want you to think long and hard about why you’re attracted to him. If it’s only skin deep, walk. Now.”
He didn’t give me a chance to respond before stepping back into the bar and closing the door behind him. I stared at the heavy wood plank, wishing like hell I could figure out the hidden message it felt like he was giving me.
3
Sam
Two weeks later, I was convinced I was going crazy. I couldn’t get Theron out of my head. If I concentrated hard enough, I swore I could still feel his strong hands massaging my shoulders. I’d been getting better about talking to Corey when something was bugging me, but this wasn’t the type of problem I could take to him.
I spent as little time as possible at home, and today was a prime example of why. It was easier to push Theron further back in my mind when I couldn’t hear myself think over the thumping bass below me interspersed with shouting. My roommates were more concerned with perfecting their gaming abilities than studying. Most of the time, I was certain living in a frat house would be more peaceful than living with these animals. And to think this was a quiet night.
By nine o’clock, I gave up on making any headway on my capstone project. Tomorrow, after class, I could sneak into my office at the club without anyone questioning me. It wasn’t ideal, but I’d be able to work in peace. And if I happened to fall asleep on the couch in there, oh well. If Jack knew I slept there more often than in my own bed, he’d never said anything.
I pulled up the chat app on my phone and scrolled down to Mav’s name.
Sammy1995: What would you do if a guy at work went out of his way to help you clean up, massaged your shoulders when you were stressed out, and insisted you take a break while he cleaned up at the end of the night?
Maverick0808: Drop to my knees and beg that Daddy to take me home and love me forever.
Sammy1995: I’m being serious.
Maverick0808: Same. Do you know how rare men like him are?
Yes, I did know but, dammit, Mav wasn’t supposed to encourage me to make stupid choices. If things went south with Theron, it’d be impossible to see him in the playroom with another boy. And if he was there on his own, chances were he was looking for someone, and that meant I would eventually see him taking care of someone else.
Bile churned in my stomach at the thought. He wasn’t supposed to pamper some other brat; he was supposed to take care of me. But he didn’t exactly know that, now did he? No, he didn’t, because I was a frigid bitch to him most of the night. Yes, I knew he’d been watching me because I’d been watching him as well. And I’d gone out of my way to sneak past him, rather than get another taste of what I knew I wouldn’t be able to have. Once he knew about me, he’d run the other way.
Maverick0808: Are you going to see him again?
Sammy1995: Probably. IDK. If he comes in, I will.
Maverick0808: Do you want to him to come into the bar?
Sammy1995: Yes.
Sammy1995: No.
Sammy1995: Ugh. I don’t even know.
Maverick0808: What are you scared of?
I gaped at the screen, typing and deleting a series of shitty responses. Maverick was the only person who knew everything. We’d been friends long enough that I’d trusted him when Anthony bailed. He knew how long it took for me to believe I wasn’t a deceptive little shit and a fucking disgrace. And on bad days, he was the one I still turned to when I couldn’t silence that voice.
Maverick0808: That was shitty of me. Let me put it this way… Do you really think he’d be like that? Don’t give me your knee-jerk reaction, really think about it. Would he say any of those fucked up things to you?
I wished I knew the answer. My gut said no, but I’d been wrong before. William seemed friendly with Theron, and he knew bits and pieces of my backstory. If Theron was worthy in his eyes, it would go a long way to easing my mind.
Sammy1995: You’re a genius.
Maverick0808: This isn’t news.
Sammy1995: Dick.
Maverick0808: Yep. But you love me.
Sammy1995: Truth. If only you were closer…
Maverick0808: Yeah, as if that’s the only reason we’d never work.