Nathan Marsh's State of Being

Chapter Ten

enticed

"You know it's pretty cute you let him get to you."

"The fuck you talking about?" I asked Harley. His words had me staring at him incredulously.

"Noel. I think you like him."

I knew why Harley was saying that. We'd just left the lecture hall for the math class we shared, and had run into Noel on our way out of the same building that he was heading into.

All he'd done was send suggestive brow wiggles at me, looking between Harley and me with a smirk. I'd rolled my eyes and flipped him off which only made Noel laugh, the sound drifting away after his retreating back.

"You're a moron. He's my roommate. Even you--"

"Yeah, yeah. I remember what I said." Harley waved me off. "But that doesn't stop it from being obvious that you're into him."

I pursed my lips. I didn't like Noel. He was hot, duh. He was cool, definitely. He was either having sex with or nearly having sex with a girl in our room just about every other day.

I didn't like Noel. I admired his spirit and moral freedom.

"I don't because I can't," I told Harley firmly.

"Is this because of Jason?"

"Oh my God. Not everything is about Jason," I snapped. "I'm over him."

"Usually having to say that means you're not."

He gave me a pointed look that I wished I could smack off his face.

"You're impossible today. Did Dante piss in your cheerios this morning?"

"He did and they were delicious."

I wrinkled my nose. "You're disgusting."

Harley's face was solemn. "You're deflecting." He paused. Then he casually said, "I know Jason messaged you again last night."

My eyes widened. Turning to face Harley, my stomach flipped. I grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop on the sidewalk. A short girl yelped as she narrowly sidestepped us, shooting me a glare.

I looked at Harley, raindrops softly falling on his cheek before he adjusted his hood. "How?"

"You forgot to sign out when you borrowed my iPad last week."

I pushed away the sinking feeling in my stomach. I forced my face into an expression of neutrality. "Snoop."

"You didn't tell him to get lost."

I felt uncomfortable, my skin itching, thinking back on the night before.

Noel hadn't been in the room. I was laying in bed, restless and bored. And because I had stupidly unmuted Jason a few days prior, I got the notification when a message came through from him.

At first he just wanted to know if I was busy. When I didn't answer, he said he had an emergency. I had warred with myself for a few minutes on whether or not to open the chat. And when I finally caved and did so, Jason sent a picture of his hard dick tenting his boxers. I recognized his hand with a small scar on the back as his thumb rested on himself over the fabric.

Harley was right. I didn't tell him to get lost even though both then and now I knew I should have. I felt like shit, remembering how amazing I felt laying in bed and jacking off to thoughts of Jason, the picture open on my phone where it sat next to my shoulder. It was hardly anything--he wasn't even naked--but I'd felt so alone.