I tried to roll my eyes but was pretty sure I hadn’t succeeded because they were closed. I trembled when a cold hand touched my cheek.
“You really are burning up. Where’s your thermometer?”
“No idea. We had one, but I can’t find it.”
“Okay… When is the last time you took something?”
“Only had ibuprofen. Ran out last night.”
“Jesus fucking Christ, Brax. You’re going to kill yourself. Who was that guy who left right before I got here? He told me to bang on the door to wake you up. I thought he was being funny and wanted to give you shit.”
Asher left? “Brother.”
“And he couldn’t make sure you had some fucking medicine?”
My head throbbed. “Your voice is even more annoying today. Shut up. Go home.” I just wanted to sleep. That was all I needed. I curled up and tugged the blanket over me.
I flinched when the bed shifted and something cold pressed against my face. “What the fuck are you doing?” This…wasn’t us. This wasn’t me and anyone. Except for Grandma, and I guess my best friend Manuel’s family, if they’d known. Other than them, I couldn’t remember anyone caring when I was sick.
“Blowjob, remember?”
“Not dying.”
“Not taking any chances.”
He continued to wipe my forehead, cheeks, shoulders, and the back of my neck with a cold cloth. That meant he’d been in my bathroom, in my things. I wanted to tell him to leave, that we didn’t do this, and I didn’t want him taking care of me. I didn’t want anyone to do that. But I couldn’t find the words.
“By the way,” Ty said, “your ass looks great in those underwear.”
It was all I wore, and I hadn’t even thought about that. “I know,” I mumbled, and Ty chuckled.
I didn’t know how much time passed before the bed shifted and he was gone. Finally floated through my head, but then there was a beeping sound. “101.2,” he said. “Here, take this.”
My head, hell, my whole body throbbed, but I forced myself to open my eyes. Ty stood beside my bed with a frown, Gatorade, medication, and a thermometer. “Carry that around with you?”
“Delivery.”
“What are you doing?”
“I don’t know. Let’s pretend it’s not happening.”
I was down with that. The last thing I wanted was to get help from Ty. I took the medication, drank some of the Gatorade, and closed my eyes. “Go to class, Lacrosse.” Only he didn’t.
I fell asleep, and eventually he woke me up to take some more medication, which I did before passing out again.
I dreamed about Ty sucking me off…then me doing the same to him. From there, we were in some kind of TV competition about who could make whose life more miserable, and the motherfucker won, because of course he did.
I woke up to piss twice. Each time I saw him sitting in the corner of my room with his laptop and books. “Why are you still here?”
“Because you’d be sad and maybe cry if I left.”
The next time I woke up, my room was empty. The lamp on the bedside table was on. I still felt like shit, but maybe slightly more human than when Ty had first come over. A bottle of water and more medication sat next to my phone on the nightstand. I grabbed my cell and frowned when I saw a text from The Sexiest Man Alive.
What. The. Fuck.
My screen opened, and I clicked the message.
The Sexiest Man Alive: I used your face ID to unlock your cell, but I didn’t do any snooping…or did I? Now you have my phone number, and I have yours. Had to leave for practice. I called Oscar and told him you’re still sick and won’t be in tonight. I helped you, so you should come to my game this weekend.
My fingers hovered over the screen. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to respond or not. This felt…like a really bad idea. But him blowing me had been too. Bad ideas were often the most fun.
Me: No.
He sent me back a screenshot, showing he had my name as Brooding Bad Boy. I smiled just a little bit. Not a real smile, though.
Me: You’re an idiot.
The Sexiest Man Alive: I’ll let you blow me afterward…
I hadn’t been to one lacrosse game the whole three years I’d been at FU. Hell, I hadn’t been to any sports games, and I didn’t plan to start now. In high school, I’d go. I’d sit there worshipping the first boy I’d ever kissed—in secret. When people found out about us, he treated me like shit, making up lies about me and what we’d done.
Me: No.
The Sexiest Man Alive: You’re in denial…you want to watch me play…you sure as shit want my dick in your mouth… Stop brooding and say yes.
Me: I’m not brooding.
The Sexiest Man Alive: hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
I shook my head. A second text came through.