Reap What You Sow 🌈

Chapter 16

Two other guys had taken a seat at the other side of the table. Emilio and Rory ended their game so they could play in two teams. While Rory waited until the others were ready, he looked around to see if Maddie was doing well. He smirked as he saw her; she was surrounded by boys — handsome boys, that is. She was obviously having a good time. 

"You better chain your girlfriend if you don't want her to end up in someone else's bed," Emilio said with a grin, who had followed his gaze. 

Rory laughed. "Well I wish them luck. They won't see her naked before there's a shiny wedding ring on her finger."

Emilio stared at him. "Seriously? We've another religious chick livin' here. It better not be a new trend. But uh, I guess she's not your girl then?"

"Nah, Maddie is more like a sister."

For a moment he considered to tell him that he wasn't into girls, but he was too chicken. Emilio was finally thawing a bit, he didn't want to mess it up.

The door opened and a blond guy entered the living room. Rory's eyes widened in shock — and suddenly he hoped he was seeing things. When the boy however greeted no one in particular, he recognized his voice. It indeed was Nieck. 

Shit — he had never expected to see him again. He met him about four months ago at a party, where they had talked for a bit. For the first time in his life he had felt attracted to someone who was gay too, so after a sleepless night he had decided to bite the bullet, asked their mutual friend for Nieck's number and he had asked him out. Unfortunately, Nieck told him he didn't feel the need to hang out together. 

Rory swallowed nervously and pretended he hadn't seen the guy, for he really didn't know how to behave. Although it was a while back, he felt ashamed of his text now and he wished he'd never sent it. 

. . .

Emilio had expected to be too distracted by Rory's presence to game decently. He was wearing a nice scent, which he smelled stronger every time the boy leaned closer to say something. Which he did pretty often. The two of them formed a team against Sep and his friend, and Rory wasn't exactly the silent type of gamer. Half of the time he said their manoeuvres out loud because of which they failed to surprise the other two. It helped Emilio to focus on the game. Usually a disastrous teammate made him moody, but Rory's voice was energetic and he enjoyed listening to it, and his laughter awoke something inside him he didn't want to think about. He didn't care if they would win or lose. 

"You know they can hear us, right?" Emilio teased as Rory suggested an ambush. 

"For all they know it could be a diversion!"

Nevertheless, Emilio let his character run into the direction Rory had suggested. Now and then his elbow touched that of the boy next to him. Every time it happened, his skin tingled and he wasn't sure if he should pull his arm away or not. 

Actually, he wanted to be alone with Rory, so he would stop wondering if someone could see what this guy was doing to him. He had already considered to have a smoke, but he was sure Sep would use that opportunity too, so that wouldn't change a thing. 

In the end, they didn't pause the game before the pizzas were delivered. Emilio shoved back his chair and stretched his stiff limbs, watching Rory as he walked over to his friend to talk to her and some others. Emilio's head felt full because of Rory's presence and he grabbed a pizza and went back to his seat. It didn't take long before he was joined by Juan. 

. . .

Juan looked at his cellphone. Something he had done more and more often the past two weeks, hoping for a text from Dana. She hadn't texted him. There however were a few pictures in their group app; the girls were having their own ladies night. Frowning, he looked at the pictures of bras that were hanging in a row. Effortlessly, he could pick Dana's. At other days pictures like this would have made him smirk, but this time he felt a stab in his heart as he wondered if he would ever see her in that bra again and if he would ever take it off.