“Sure,” Tanner said, a mischievous smile drawing his dimples. “And he doesn’t like you, either.”
Even I couldn’t miss the sarcasm in his tone, but I shook my head. “He doesn’t.”
“Yep. That’s what I said,” Tanner continued. “Totally doesn’t even notice you.”
“Well, he doesn’t,” I said, harsher than I’d meant to.
Tanner snorted. “Of course he does, Elliot. He’s just a big coward.”
“I…” I wasn’t sure what I meant to say.I don’t know what you’re talking about?That was my catchphrase by this point. But his words rubbed me the wrong way. “Damien’s not a coward. I saw him flirt with three guys in one evening and get all three phone numbers.”
“And what did he do to all three of them?” Tanner asked pointedly, his muscular arms moving around to keep him afloat.
I shrugged. “Sleep with them one after another, I guess.”
“Exactly.” He grinned.
Whatever he thought he was doing, it wasn’t working. He just reminded me how Damien found everyone more attractive than me. As did Tanner, but he was blind to that.
My face must have given my thoughts away, because Tanner chuckled. “Don’t look so hurt. He’s got no problem chasing meaningless sex, that’s true. I don’t think any of us ever had. But we’re all cowards in the things that matter.”
I frowned and swam back and away from him, but didn’t turn my gaze away. “Are you a coward?” I asked.
He found that grin-worthy, somehow. Tanner always would. “The biggest one of us all. I’m hoping to change that, but that’s not the point.”
“The point? And here I was, convinced you had none,” I said.
Tanner accepted the teasing and returned the gesture by splashing water into my face. “The point is, he’ll never make the first move.”
My eyebrows curved as I attempted a nonchalant shake of my head. “And he shouldn’t.” I managed to squeeze those words out through my tightening throat and spin away from him. We swam a little more, far from one another, and I was somewhat grateful for the abrupt and somber change of topic. This way, at least, I wasn’t burning up with lust and worrying that either of them would discover how hard I was. Easier if I wasn’t hard at all.
The thing was, neither Damien nor Tanner would pay any attention to a random erection. Four years living in a frat house with other guys, we’d all learned that erections were inevitable. Especially when all of us were gay and our favorite hobbies were chasing guys and telling tales about the chase.
I made for the pier and got out while Tanner was still far off shore. But he hooted after me and called my name twice as I stood, my back turned to the lake, water dripping off my body. “Yeah?” I answered, looking over my shoulder, more than a little aware that I was completely naked and in his line of vision.
Tanner’s grin was so bright that I could see it under the moonlight alone. “Nice ass,” he called and laughed until he sank under the surface of the lake.
I watched for a few moments longer, then found him reemerging, and headed for the camp. I was well and truly cold. My balls had fucking shrunk in the water and my dick lost thirty percent of its size. It was pure luck that, when I reached the tent and the roaring fire that Damien had created, he wasn’t around. He was digging through his things inside the tent and I quickly lifted my shorts from the pile Damien had made of all our clothes, pulled them on, and sat on a log by the fire.
Air was just a little cool on my skin. I would have called it refreshing, except for the fact that I was still drying and gusts of wind were relentless. My shorts got damp in places by the time Damien crawled back out from the tent.
“Oh,” he said and shot me a conspiratorial smile. “Did you do it?”
“Did I do what?” I asked flatly, stretching my arms out and turning my open palms to the fire.
“The move,” Damien said with urgency and insistence. “Did you make the move?”
I looked at him darkly.
“Shit,” he whispered. “It didn’t go well?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I said, louder than I’d planned. It tore out of me before I could hold it back. “I didn’t hit on him. He doesn’t like me, Damien. Not like that. You made a mistake.” I heard my words and the closeness to an admission in them, so I quickly added: “I don’t like him like that, either. We’re friends. All three of us.”
“I didn’t make a mistake,” Damien said stubbornly and sat on another log on the other side of the fire. He wore clean underwear and held a towel which he’d used for his dusty blond hair. His torso was bare and lit by the flames. His eyes shone with the sparks that rose from the fire pit.
“You did,” I countered. “But that’s fine. I never took you seriously. Either of you, actually. Because, guess what? I’m not looking for a matchmaker. Or a match, for that matter. We’re in different states, for fuck’s sake. And friends, all three of us. So, I’d really appreciate it if you both stopped pushing me on the other one. I don’t know what kind of game this is, Damien. And look, I like teasing you guys as much as anyone, but this is getting out of hand.” My tongue had untied and there was no stopping it now.
Damien cut in. “On the other one?” he asked, eyebrows rising.
