It Gets Complicated (BoyxBoy)

Chapter 4: Say It

I looked at myself in the tiny bathroom mirror at work. I looked horrible. The perfect outfit and styled hair that I had left the house with that morning seemed to slowly fall apart as the day had gone by. There were coffee grinds smeared into my jeans, a squirt of liquid sugar splashed here and there on my shirt, and my hair was still recovering from when the espresso machine decided to spit on me.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and my heart started pounding even harder in my chest. This was really happening. I was going to get into Ryan's car and ride the 45 minutes to his apartment where I would be surrounded by drunk college kids for the first time in my life. Yeah, I really am out of my mind.

I turned the key to lock the back door with my bag thrown over one shoulder and my hat pulled backwards over my unmanageable hair. As far as anyone else knew, I was staying the night with a friend from college. It was a true statement. I hadn't specified who the friend was, most just assumed that I meant Victoria, a girl who had graduated the previous year.

I splashed through the wet parking lot to the familiar silver corvette where Ryan was leaned against the passenger door with a lit cigarette. When he finally noticed me approaching, he quickly dropped the cigarette on the ground and snuffed it out.

"You know, smoking is a bad habit." I chuckled. Before taking the box from his back pocket and shaking it. There were only a few left that loosely jangled around. "Lighter?" I pulled out one of his cigarettes and held it between my lips while he lit the end. I took a long drag before exhaling and leaning against the door beside Ryan. "I think you're a bad influence."

"You smoked before me," he took the cig from my hand and just looked at it for a moment, "and I figure if you quit, you'll keep on after me." I took my cancer stick back and took a second drag from it.

"I guess it's a good thing I don't have any plans for after." I dropped the cigarette in a puddle.

"You just wasted like thirty-five cents." He whined.

"Coming from the poor boy with an apartment and a corvette." My sarcastic comment was met by two arms entrapping me on either side of the door and a raised eyebrow glancing down at me. "You are as intimidating as a chihuahua." I crossed my arms over my chest, trying to keep up my calm demeanor while swallowing nervously.

"So I don't make you even the least bit nervous?" He tilted his head to the side like a curious puppy. Ryan leaned in and kissed me for a moment before whispering in my ear. "Are you sure about that?" His soft voice sent a shiver down my spine before he lifted me up into the air and threw me over his shoulder.

"Put me down!" I laughed and struggled against his strong arms.

"Not until you say it," he taunted as he carried me in circles around his car.

"Say what?" The unfamiliar and joyous smile on my face felt strange, but good. He slid me down so my legs were around his waist, his hands on my back the only thing keeping me up. He looked into my eyes with a sort of adoration before kissing me once more. "So maybe you make me a little nervous." Almost as if the world were telling us to get going, a soft rain started to fall. We didn't move for what felt like a long time, just staring at each as the water droplets caught in his hair and slid down his face.

"You are absolutely beautiful." His thumb brushed over my cheek. "Ready for the party?" I just blushed and nodded before getting set back down on my feet. The car ride was a lot quicker than I had expected, our hands intertwined between us the entire way while he told me about the different people he had invited.

"Derek is kinda like the adult of our group. He gives it to ya straight and keeps everyone in line. Kyle is a total whore. The boy can't keep his dick in his pants for more than 24 hours. I seriously think he has a problem. We call him Ky because we figure the girls he's been with don't even bother to finish putting his name in their phones.." He laughed. "We call Rich the Rebounder because when his relationships fall through he gets so shit-faced he'll sleep with anyone. If he comes onto you, just kick him in the crotch or something, he'll be alright. Oh and then there's Matthew, he's just kind of chill. He thinks he can dance drunk, but besides that he's pretty normal."

"Okay, so Derek is responsible. Ky is lustful. Rick is-"

"Rick? Do you mean Rich?"

"I swear I thought you said Rick." I laughed.

"Don't worry about it, you'll be fine. We're gonna have fun tonight." We shared one last long look before getting out of the car and walking into the apartment complex.