The Right Move

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Chase: Made some new friends

Smiling, Chase leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head. God, he missed his friends. Every day he talked to them was another sharp reminder of what he’d had to leave behind. What he’d been forced to leave behind.

No. No, he wasn’t going to think about that. He was thinking about how much fun he’d had with Trevor, Jorge, Rita, and Kate. Sure, it had made him long to be spending time with Kellianne, Rick, Evan, and Vee, but for the first time since he’d moved into his single room, the longing hadn’t ached. It had made everything bearable in a way that even chatting with everyone online couldn’t compare. He loved talking to his friends, but he’d rather be there with them. And while he wasn’t replacing them (since there was no limit on friend slots in this RPG), having people around did satisfy some need in his heart that he’d hoped to ignore.

“f**k, I’m getting maudlin, aren’t I?”

With the chat on his screen quiet, Chase stood, shaking out his limbs and shaking off his mood. It was Saturday night—nearly Sunday morning—so it made sense that his friends wouldn’t be online. They were probably hanging out or going to bed. Honestly, he hadn’t planned to spend so long with Trevor and his friends, but…

But they’d been having so much fun. Oh sure, there’d been moments when he’d been lost—what the f**k was with the corn references?—but Rita and Trevor seemed to pick up anytime Chase felt too uncomfortable and had gracefully taken the conversation in a new direction. In fact, the most uncomfortable thing he’d had to face all day was that the group seemed more…handsy than he was used to. Jorge and Kate poked at each other like siblings; Trevor hovered by Chase’s side, like he thought Chase couldn’t handle himself alone; and Rita liked to pat everyone’s back.

In that aspect, Chase had been on edge all day, although most of his time had been in the safety of the chair, watching television. Dinner had found them packed at the kitchen table, and even making himself as small as possible, his shoulders had bumped against his neighbors. Which was fine. Really. It wasn’t like he wasn’t used to it. In fact, if he’d been back with his friends—his old friends, he supposed, if these were his new ones—then he wouldn’t have minded. But new people? Strangers? So close to him? Each brush and pat had made his skin crawl.

But he’d survived, and Trevor, who’d taken one of the seats next to Chase, had seemed keenly aware of Chase’s discomfort, because after the first accidental bump, he’d leaned in the opposite direction, giving Chase the room he needed. Chase had considered—briefly—telling the entire group about his dislike of physical contact, but it always got him looks. Questions passed over their eyes: Were you hurt? Abused? Molested? Is it a skin condition? Autism? Fibromyalgia?

No, no, no, and no times ten. If it was a physical condition it wouldn’t diminish as he got to know a person. As for emotional reaction: if it was that, he didn’t remember it, and it seemed like it would show up other places, like lying in bed with his (ex-) boyfriend. But people thought there had to be a reason for every little quirk.

He smirked as he flopped onto his bed. Maybe he just had trust issues with the whole world. A year ago, his mom would have said he needed to be more trusting and open, be willing to lower his barriers. Believe in the best of people.

She hadn’t said anything of the like to him since the debacle.

He shoved that thought away again. No, he was thinking about Trevor. And Trevor’s friends. But mostly Trevor.

At first, it had been kind of weird that Trevor just showed up at Chase’s door—how did Trevor find his room anyway?—but the invite had been welcome. Chase hadn’t really planned on making new friends his final year when they’d all go off in different directions after graduation anyway, but he had been getting restless. There was only so much studying and online gaming he could do before his eyes stopped working.

His phone pinged, and he dug it out of his pocket. Vee had messaged him: I hear you’ve made friends. They better treat you right or I’m driving across this damn state to s***h their tires.

Chase: Not going to beat them up?

Vee: I’ll have better luck getting away with it if I s***h tires. People take bodily harm *so* personally.

Chase: Have I ever mentioned that I’m glad I’m your friend and not your enemy?

Vee: You have, but you really should mention it more often. If you get my drift.

Chase grinned and wrote back, Noted. I’ll be sure to leave offerings at your doorstep.

Vee: That’s better ;) Now get some sleep!

Chase sighed and closed his eyes. He really should get to sleep before dawn came. But his thoughts kept circling back to Trevor. He was sweet in an awkward nerd way. Chase understood that all too well. And once Trevor had been with his friends and not trying—undoubtedly—to impress Chase, he’d lost a lot of the awkward (and added on to the nerd).

Being cute didn’t hurt him either. Trevor might not appreciate the comparison, but he reminded Chase of a teddy bear: a lot of soft edges that would be nice to lean against and hug, if they ever got that far. Not that Chase had thought about hugging Trevor. Much. Honestly, hugging wasn’t what his first thought had been when he’d seen the other guy sprawled on the floor, surrounded by little letters. Well, it hadn’t been f*****g either, but when he’d thought about Trevor this morning, that was a different story.

Heat rushed into Chase’s cheeks, recalling his fear that somehow Trevor, standing on the opposite side of the threshold, would know Chase had jerked off to dirty thoughts of him earlier. To the thought of that broad, strong body wrapping its arms around him. The ease with which those stout legs could pick him up. The imagined burn as the slight scruff grazed his neck as Trevor nibbled kisses along his throat.

Chase rolled over, painfully flattening his growing erection against the bed and burying his face in the pillow. He was supposed to be going to sleep.

He wasn’t going to jerk off to Trevor again. He was not.

On the other hand…