“Ah. Yeah, my parents probably wouldn’t be thrilled with that either. But that’s because they secretly worry that I’m gay.”
Devon lifted a brow. “Are you?”
“No. Just completely inept at getting a girlfriend.”
Devon laughed. “I’ve heard you have to actually go out to find girls. Not just hang out here at the house or with study groups at the library.”
“Hey, I drank two beers at study group last night. It was a wild time.”
Devon laughed. “Scandalous.”
Ahmed tapped his book. “My double major is a total cockblocker. It’s hard to find any time to go out anywhere, and most of the girls that come to our parties here have already put me in the friend zone.”
“Want me to set you up? There’s this girl in my accounting class who I’ve gotten pretty close to. She’s quiet, but once you get her talking, she’s hilarious. Cute, too, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“I’m into cute. And I like funny.”
“Cool. I’ll invite her to the next party and do an intro.”
Ahmed grinned. “Do you charge a wingman fee?”
“Yeah, if you get a date out of the deal, you owe me a cup of the super expensive coffee. Not this shit we call caffeine.” He dumped his half-empty cup in the sink.
“Deal. I’d return the favor but the only other gay guy I know is my bio professor. And he smells like formaldehyde and has unfortunate amounts of nose hair.”
“Sexy. But thanks, I’m good.”
“I’m sure. It’s gotta be easier with guys, right? I mean, figuring out what a girl wants is so damn complicated.”
Devon smirked, thinking of the man who’d just walked out the door. Complicated didn’t even begin to describe it. “It’s as simple or as complicated as you make it.”
And Devon seemed to have a masochistic streak, because he was making this as complicated as fucking possible. Last night should’ve never happened. Seeing Hunter with his father today had cemented that. Even if Hunter has some curiosity brewing, even if maybe there was something there between them, Devon would be a major dick for pursuing it.
He knew himself too well. He hooked up and moved on. He didn’t do relationships. Doing anything with Hunter would screw up their friendship and worse, would risk messing up Hunter’s situation with his family.
Devon had been on the receiving end of being turned out from his family. He didn’t wish that on anyone. Hunter’s dad was a douchebag. That guy Hunter could probably do without. But Hunt also had a mom and a sister, extended family. He had all of that waiting for him back in Houston—financial security, a future where he wouldn’t have to worry about making ends meet, a home. It hadn’t been that long since Devon had been staring down the possibility of having to drop out of college and get two jobs just to get by. If his younger sister hadn’t hit it big with her music career, he wouldn’t be here right now. Oakley had saved them both when she’d landed her gig in a girl singing group. But Devon hadn’t forgotten what it’d felt like to be completely and utterly on his own—alone with no one standing in the wings to catch you if you tripped up.
He wouldn’t risk putting Hunter in that situation just because he had a hard-on for the guy. He needed to keep his hands to himself, sleep in his own bed no matter how damn cold, and stop fantasizing about his best friend. They were beyond lines being drawn in the sand. Moats needed to be dug and armed guards installed.
Maybe it was time to move out of the frat house altogether. He could afford a student apartment now and save himself the torture and Hunter the risk of this going any further.
He could start looking for a place today. He and Hunter were supposed to go see Oakley in concert this weekend, a road trip that had been planned for a while. He’d tell him then, come up with a way to make it sound like it had nothing to do with what happened last night. Maybe he could even use Oakley as an excuse—she gifted him with funds for his own apartment.
God, that sounded lame.
He’d figure something out.
He had to. Or this was going to end badly.
And no matter what, he knew one thing for sure: He didn’t want it to end. He’d never had a friend like Hunter. He could find people to warm his bed. That part was easy. But there was no way he’d find someone who got him like Hunter did. That shit was different. Special. And worth protecting.
Chapter 7
College
This was so not his scene. Hunter tried to move to the beat as the crowd pulsed around him near the front of the stage, but this music wasn’t his thing and the high school chick in front of him kept casually grinding herself back against him, making everything awkward. He wasn’t drunk enough for this shit. Grinding girl sent him a look over her shoulder that obviously was some sort of invitation, but he couldn’t be less interested. She had on a pound of makeup and reeked of some kind of sweet perfume and alcohol. No thanks.
Dev was having no trouble keeping up with the beat, though, and seemed to be having a way better time. The shots he’d taken before they came in had probably helped. The kid had been in a weird mood the whole ride here. But now he was bouncing next to Hunter, face lit up with pride, as he watched his baby sister perform on stage with her girl group, Pop Luck. Hunter took a long sip off his cup to finish his beer, entertained more by the view of his tipsy, dancing friend than what was on stage or the girl in front of him.