Not to mention that lately they hadn’t done much talking, full stop. These days, they barely even texted each other. Nick just showed up at his flat, and then they fucked. Like, Tyler had tried to just hang out like friends a few times, but Nick wasn’t very responsive to his attempts to restore the balance. Nick seemed to be always in the mood for sex when he arrived, ignoring Tyler’s weak attempts at conversation and just manhandling him until Tyler’s mouth was full of either Nick’s tongue or Nick’s cock.
One day in early November, Nick sucked his cock.
In Tyler’s defense, he was too turned on to say no. It was one of those rare times Nick came before him, leaving Tyler teetering on the edge of orgasm, frustrated and horny. So when Nick slipped down his body and fucking swallowed his cock, Tyler could only stare at him with wide eyes. Nick’s mouth felt incredibly good around him—wet, soft, and skillful—but the sight of it…Seeing his best friend’s lips stretched around his cock was such a gut-punching sight, Tyler didn’t know what to do with himself.
“Don’t,” he managed, thrusting into Nick’s mouth. He didn’t mean to, but he seemed unable to stop, needing—just needing.
Nick fucking rolled his eyes at him and started bobbing his head up and down, his finger massaging Tyler’s hole.
Tyler groaned, thrust a few times into Nick’s mouth and came.
“This wasn’t cool, man,” Tyler mumbled afterward, unable to meet Nick’s eyes. “I didn’t ask you to…to…”
“Suck your cock?” Nick said, zipping up his fly and reaching for his shirt. His expression was blank, impossible to read.
Tyler licked his lips. They felt swollen and sore. “Yeah. I mean, not that it wasn’t good, but you know—I’m not…”
“You’re not gay, I know,” Nick said, slipping into his jacket.
There was the now-familiar hard edge to his voice that lately never seemed to fail to irritate Tyler and turn him on a little at the same time.
Annoyed with his body, Tyler nodded stiffly, pulling the sheets to cover his lap.
“See you,” Nick said and left without waiting for his response.
Tyler whispered, “See you,” to the empty room.
Frowning, he flopped back on the mattress and let out a groan of frustration.
He hated what their friendship had become. Even though he saw Nick every day, it felt like they hadn’t talked in ages.
It felt like they were drifting apart, further and further with each day.
Chapter 13
“Understanding stock market trends is extremely important. Of course not everyone can spot signs of market weakness, but every uptrending market reaches a point when selling activity overtakes buying.”
Tyler looked longingly at the door.
“Do you agree, Tyler?”
“Sure, man,” Tyler said with a forced smile. He hoped that bore didn’t guess that Tyler didn’t remember his name. He thought the guy’s name was Dave, but he wasn’t sure, so he didn’t want to make things awkward if it wasn’t. In Tyler’s defense, he’d always been terrible at people’s names, and it had been years since he’d last seen that guy. When Andy had told him that it would be a small get-together party with some people from their school, Tyler had thought Andy had invited, like, ten blokes for some beer and chips, not fifty people Tyler barely remembered and had little in common with.
Now Tyler wished he hadn’t come. He hated parties like this. They had become downright unbearable in the last few years. Everyone else seemed to be at some fancy school or had some great job. Tyler always felt like a bit of a loser at these things. An outsider. A guy that everyone knew as that popular jock from their school days but no one really respected as an adult.
Tyler pulled his phone out, pretended that someone was calling him, and turned away. He felt lame, but anything was better than having to make small talk with some self-important prick in a suit that cost more than what Tyler made in a year.
Still pretending to be on the phone, Tyler walked away from Maybe-Dave, eyeing the door with longing. Would Andy get offended if he ditched his fancy party so soon after arriving? Probably.
“Why are you faking a phone call, you loser?” a familiar voice mocked him gently from behind.
Tyler froze before slowly turning around.
Nick was smirking at him a little, nursing a drink.
Tyler beamed, a wave of relief washing over him. Nick was looking at him, looking at him like he used to, with fond exasperation and amusement. It felt like it had been ages since Tyler had last seen Nick, not one day.
Nick’s dark eyebrows crept upwards. “Are you feeling all right?” he said, taking a sip from his drink.
“Yeah. Why?”
“You were looking like someone’s died, but now you’re grinning like an idiot.”
Tyler scowled at him, but it was half-hearted at best. Was it ridiculous that he’d missed being on the receiving end of Nick’s good-natured ribbing?