Slippery Slopes (Winterhaven Series - Vol. 1)

Chapter 49

Silence settled between Lane and Todd during the trek up to their room. Lane's disappearance into the back room with Nolan wasn't lost on Todd, nor his reemergence with Lizzy. As far as he knew, no one else had noticed. Lane was getting bolder when it came to Nolan. And usually, that meant they were becoming less and less concerned about getting caught.

Todd remained concerned. Tonya had basically caught him with Drew. Maybe she hadn't seen them kissing, but she had overheard enough to indict him. For whatever reason, she hadn't used the literal evidence against him, even though she and Rodney had made their blatant implications in the billiard room. Behind closed doors, Todd felt safe with Drew, shielded from prying eyes. Out in the open, he felt conspicuous even when he wasn't near Drew. Maybe going out to the bar and hanging out with Nolan and Drew hadn't been the best way to debunk Rodney and Tonya's insinuations.

While rearranging the lounge, he'd noticed Jude casting Lane and Nolan curious glances, even shot a few of those glances toward Todd and Drew. If he did know, or suspect something, he hadn't said so. And Darren...Todd didn't know what was going on with him. There was much more to his and Rodney's history than he'd told them, of that much Todd was certain.

Todd was jerked from his thoughts when he bumped into Lane's back. Lane's steps had slowed as they started down the east wing hallway on the second floor. "What..." Todd started then stopped when he saw Tonya and a couple of her friends lingering and talking to two of the guys who had been with Rodney in the dining room. The cool look Tonya shot Todd twisted up his guts. Being raised by an abusive, manipulative woman, it was his instinct to cower in the face of any such women. Although he had resisted Tonya the last time she'd come to his room, it was Lane who had ultimately made her leave.

The small group all looked their way, talking low, snickering as their eyes glowed with accusation and contempt. Lane and Todd had to pass by them to get to their room. Lane ignored them. Todd tried to.

"So who's the giver and who's the taker?" one of the guys smirked.

"Oh, Todd's definitely the taker," Tonya smiled. "He'd have to have something to give for it to be the other way around."

Todd stiffened and started to snap back when Lane grabbed his arm. "Ignore them," he murmured tightly. "Don't give them the satisfaction of pissing you off."

Swallowing the forming knot in his throat, Todd held his peace and followed Lane.

"How does it feel being the girl, Toddy?" Tonya snickered, and her friends giggled. "Feel good having your ass pounding by a thick manly cock? You know it makes you walk bowlegged. It makes you look like a cowboy who got banged by his horse."

"Fuck, girl," one the guys busted up.

Todd could feel the heat rising up his neck, flushing his face, as rage bubbled through his veins. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and he turned. "Look, you fucking bitch-" He grunted suddenly as Lane shoved him into the room and shut the door. Hot air surged through his nostrils.

"They're ignorant assholes," Lane said. "You can't argue with them. That's what they want—to know they're getting under your skin. They're not worth your time or energy."

He was right, and Todd knew that by getting pissed, he was playing right into Tonya's game, but he didn't know how not to let their embarrassing, humiliating words get to him. When such slur was flung at him, he heard it all in his mother's degrading voice, insisting he wasn't a man at all and never would be.

Was this how it would be...out there? Constantly having to "deal" with bullshit attitudes and slander? How long could he handle it before he couldn't take it anymore?