Page 54 of His Untoward Hate

“Sorry, brother,” he muttered.

Sky shoved him in the chest once more, and the group of men immediately backed off, retreating from him. With Sky’s towering, muscular build, tattooed body, fearsome expression, and intimidating presence, anyone who dared stand against him quickly backed down in defeat.

Sky pushed through the others blocking his path, then grabbed Jude’s hand again and pulled him away from the crowd of lingering stares.

“What are you doing?!” Jude whined.

Sky did not answer him until they were far enough from those assholes. He took a deep breath and raked a hand through his hair. He did not look at Jude for a moment to somehow calm his nerves, a hand on his hips and a tongue pushing the side of his cheek.

“What did you think you were doing?”

“Please…” he begged. “Please don’t smile like that to other men,” Sky murmured helplessly, his voice low and strained as he looked into Jude’s eyes, hurt flickering through him for reasons he could not fully explain.

He had never begged anyone in his life, but if it meant protecting what he felt for Jude, he would do it without hesitation.

Jude did not seem to hear what Sky had said.

The jealousy radiating from Sky was starting to get under his own skin in a way he absolutely hated.

You never smiled at me like that for the past five years since the start of class in seventh grade, and you gave it up easily on them? Sky thought bitterly.

Sky wanted to say it out loud, but decided there was no point anymore.

“I should go back to them. We’re having fun, while you’ve just been sitting there the whole time. You’re no fun, Sky Granger!” he yelled stubbornly, already turning on his heel when Sky suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled him back to face him.

“Then dance with me,” Sky said firmly, loud enough for him to hear. “Only with me.”

Jude stopped his unsteady steps and looked up at Sky in disbelief, his beautiful grey eyes wide and searching.

Sky’s chest tightened as Jude suddenly broke into a smile. His lips curved so softly, revealing his perfect teeth, his eyes disappearing into the warmth of it. It was not like the smiles he gave to others earlier. It was gentler, more genuine, something pure that Sky could feel deep in his chest.

“Okayyy, let’s dance, Sky!” he said excitedly, grabbing Sky’s hand and tugging insistently as Sky tried to resist, pulling him back toward the dance floor.

Sky made sure to steer them away from the group of men from earlier.

“I haven’t seen you dance. Come on!”

Sky did not dance. Ever. He never did. He hated it.

But slowly, almost against his own will, he began to loosen up, moving his head subtly up and down in response to Jude’s request.

Sky thought that no one here knew him. He just wanted this moment alone with Jude, especially while he was drunk. He wanted to hold onto it, to remember him like this, because he did not know if he would ever get another chance again.

Jude’s messy hair, his smile, the way he moved, and just him. It was enough to make Sky unconsciously smile as he watched him.

Sky’s hand seemed to move on its own as he helplessly lifted it to gently brush some strands of hair away from Jude’s forehead. At that moment, it felt like they were the only two people inside Smirnoff’s, completely oblivious to everyone around them. Their eyes locked as they swayed to the music, neither willing to look away while the distance between them slowly disappeared.

“You have a beautiful smile,” said Jude.

Jude slowly wrapped his arms around Sky’s neck, and Sky instinctively leaned down so he could reach him more easily.

The feeling was unreal.

Sky could not even begin to put it into words, but it was the most overwhelming and beautiful feeling he had ever experienced, and at the same time, it terrified him.

Jude leaned his forehead against Sky’s chest as they both stopped dancing.

“Thank you for staying with me tonight,” Jude whispered, while Sky was still caught off guard by the realization of what had just happened between them.