Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 75999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75999 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 380(@200wpm)___ 304(@250wpm)___ 253(@300wpm)
“Nah, let’s stick to ghosts and skeletons.”
I slam the bag of plastic spiders to the floor in frustration. “Why does he always have to get his way? I like the spiders! Is it his house or ours?”
Cass turns to face me. He‘s angry with me. “If you’re so set on them, put them all in your room. This is a common space, and I don’t want them to make my boyfriend uncomfortable. How is that hard to understand?”
I wave my hand around the room filled with greenery. “But your plants are everywhere, and that’s okay?” When hurt passes over his face, my heart stops. “I didn’t mean it like that! I love the plants. Especially the carnivorous ones!” I gladly feed them extra in hopes that one day they’ll grow big enough to bite Logan’s dick off.
“He gave you no reason to dislike him so much,” Cass says, turning away, as if he no longer wants to see me. “He’s here maybe... twice a week.”
Which is one of the weird things about Cassian’s relationship. They’d been together for seven months now, lived in the same little town, and yet on the whole Cass spends more time on his own or with me than with his boyfriend, who always needs to be treated like a serious guest, as if he isn’t fucking one of the hosts.
Who does that?
Regardless of the way my relationship with Emily ended, in the first two years together, I was with her all the time and couldn’t imagine neglecting her the way Logan did Cass.
It’s as if the relationship is just a way to pass the time to him, and my Cass deserves better.
I spread my arms wide. “Exactly. He’s here every now and then, but we still have to adjust everything to him. It’s driving me crazy, man. Or like that time when he made it weird that I was watching a movie with the two of you? It was in the living room, and I made popcorn, but he still had a problem with it!”
Cass stares at me. “Well, you did sit between us to share that popcorn more easily, and then freaked out when there was a gay kissing scene.”
My cheeks heat up at the memory. I wasn’t expecting to see that in the movie, so maybe I got a bit flustered. “Did not.”
“You excused yourself so fast you almost tripped over the folded bit of carpet,” Cass says, but this time his eyes twinkle, as if remembering that moment amuses him enough to soften his reaction to the current argument. He folds his arms on his chest, which only emphasizes his wide-shouldered silhouette.
“It was unexpected, okay? One moment I’m sitting there, enjoying my popcorn, and then they’re going for it. I’m cool with gay stuff, but maybe I just don’t wanna watch it next to Logan. What if he got a boner?”
“What then?” Cass asks, challenging me with a direct stare that makes my balls shrink. “It’s you who wanted to skinny-dip when we went on that hike.”
“Yeah, and if it was just the two of us, we could have had fun!”
Cass spreads his arms. “Maybe he didn’t want you to worry about a gay guy staring at you, or something. Nobody stopped you from getting into the lake naked, by the way. Make it make sense, Mattie!”
I can’t.
Because it doesn’t make sense.
All I know is that being around Cass is like reliving our teenage years of chasing one another between the trees and having mud fights. When it’s just the two of us in the woods, I feel as if we never grew apart. In contrast, the two times Logan tagged along were a shitty experience. I couldn’t be myself, and Cass acted as if he was sitting on a broomstick, refusing to touch me in his presence, like I was a leper.
“I didn’t want to go in alone! Where’s the fun in that? And why would he be staring at my junk, when his boyfriend is right there, huh?” Now that’s a weird thought.
I never considered the possibility of Logan having the hots for me, and now that I do, I hate it.
Cass sighs and lowers the temperature under the simmering pot. He takes his time, and I can almost hear his brain working before he looks back at me. “Look, Matt, I get it that it’s hard, but can’t you just… give him a chance? For me? It’s really hard to deal with two guys who are so important to me but who dislike each other.”
My shoulders sag. I don’t want to upset him. “Was it easier for you last year? When I wasn’t here?”
He steps close and grabs my shoulder. “No! Dude, why would you say that?”
I can smell his herby cologne when I shrug. “I dunno. I just don’t wanna stand in your way.”