Page 51 of Silver Sweet
My brain full-on record scratches. I let go of the knob. “You’renotgay,” I say.
He looks at me like I’ve lost my mind. “You want to rewind time and tell that to my fourteen-year-old self? When I realized I didn’t want to kiss Eva Terrell on Homecoming—because I couldn’t stop thinking about sticking my tongue in her brother’s mouth.”
“In a totally platonic way,” I add. “That sounds not gay.”
He bursts into a laugh. “You can’t be serious.”
I’m losing it. I force myself not to rub my face with two hands. “This can’t be real. Only one of us can be gay.”
He makes a face likeI’munreal. “Says who?”
“Says me and the band.Ourband.” Holy fuckingshit, he cannot be attracted to men. This got so infinitely worse. I squat down, hands on my head.
“What are you doing?” Phoenix frowns.
“I’m like trying not to freak out right now.”
“It looks like you’re already freaking out.”
My eyes are planted on the shiny floorboards. Why did I assume he was straight? Because I know his brother has been spotted in the press kissingdudes.And I thought—what are the chances thatbothSt. Pierre brothers could be into guys?
“Jesus Christ.” Phoenix bends down and grabs me by the arm, pulling me back to my feet. “What is your damage?”
My brain is spinning. “My damage is that we’re both into guys, and you’ve been flirting with me.”
He chokes on a laugh. “I have not been flirting with you.”
No.No way. I have not been imagining this. I glare. “Dude, you told me you were going to hold me down and cover my mouth.”
His muscles tense. “Because you were pissing me off.”
I give him a look likecome the fuck on.
He growls out a frustrated breath. “Okay. Maybe a littleflirting, but it’s fucking harmless.”
“Harmless. Yeah. That was before I jacked off in the shower thinking about what you said. For which I am blamingyou.”
He laughs harder. “Wait—you’re blamingmefor jerking one out?”
“Yeah. I am. It’s your fault.”
“You are…” He grinds his jaw and makes a deep noise in the back of his throat. He’s not killing the mood here. His eyes dance over me in a rough wave.
“A musical genius,” I offer.
He scoffs. “Yeah,right.”
“A gorgeous god.”
He takes a step forward in warning. “Tom?—”
“The guy you can’t stop thinking about.”
His eyes flame at this, and I realize I might have hit the bullseye. I’m grinning as he steps so close, my back hits the wall.
“You jerk one out to me too yet?” I taunt.
“Shut the fuck up,” he growls, so close to me that he could so easily place his palm over my mouth and make me. He presses his hand to the wall above my head. He’s a few inches taller, but I’m not cowering beneath the threat in his eyes.
