Wrecked in the Woods (Straight College Jocks)

Chapter 1

“So are you gonna tell me what happened with Rebecca, or do I have to guess?”

I keep my eyes on the window. The road has been narrowing for the last hour, trees pressing in on both sides. Sunlight cuts through the branches in flashes, striping the dashboard in gold.

“Nothing happened with Rebecca,” I say.

“Exactly.” Brody takes one hand off the wheel and points at me.

“That’s the problem. She was all over you, Tate.

Sitting in your lap, playing with your hair, sticking her tongue in your ear.

And you just sat there looking like a statue someone glued to the barstool.

The only thing you did was offer her a glass of water. ”

“She looked thirsty.”

“She was thirsty, bro. She was thirsty as fuck. For you.”

The car rumbles over a pothole. Something rattles in the back seat.

Brody sighs. “You’re impossible. You know that, right? A hot chick literally throws herself at you, and your response is… she looked thirsty.”

Brody’s right, of course. Rebecca’s hand was sliding up my thigh, inches from my crotch.

Her breath smelled like vodka and watermelon.

I felt the press of her tits through the thin fabric of her dress.

But all I could think was, if I kiss her, I’ll have to bring her back to my dorm room.

And if I bring her back to my dorm room, I’ll have to actually fuck her.

And how am I supposed to do that when I can’t even get hard?

So I didn’t kiss her. I sat there, stiff as a board, until she finally gave up and slid off my lap with a little huff of annoyance.

“I never know what to do,” I say. “In the moment. I just freeze up.”

“What do you mean you don’t know what to do? You kiss her. You put your hand on her waist. You tell her she looks good. It’s not rocket science, Tate.”

Maybe for him, it isn’t. Brody’s always had this easy confidence with women. They flock to him like seagulls to a fishing boat. He never seems worried about getting it up. He never worries about much of anything, really.

I’ve known Brody half my life. We grew up two blocks apart.

He’s always been taller, more athletic, more popular.

But since college, since he started taking the gym seriously, the gap between us has widened into a canyon.

He’s all muscle and swagger now, built like a goddamn underwear model.

When we’re out on campus or at a party, I see people turning their heads.

Literally craning their necks to get another glimpse of the hot jock.

Meanwhile, I’m still the same awkward fucker I’ve always been. I’m not ugly or anything. I hold my own in the gym, and I’ve been told I have a nice face, whatever that means. But standing next to Brody is like hanging an oil painting from a yard sale next to a Rembrandt. There’s just no comparison.

“How much further?” I ask.

“GPS says forty minutes. But I think I lost signal like twenty minutes ago. Look.” He taps the screen. It shows a blank map, just a blue arrow in the middle of nothing.

“So we’re flying blind.”

“Relax, Tate. I’ve been up here before. I’ve got a sense of direction. I’ll get us there.”

“Famous last words.”

“What? You don’t trust me?”

“With your driving? Hell no.”

“Asshole.” He grins and hits the gas. The engine roars.

“Dude, chill.” I grab the handle above the door.

“See? This is what I’m talking about. You need to learn how to let loose a little. Live in the moment. Like with Rebecca.” He winks at me. “You should’ve just dragged her into the bathroom, ripped her panties off…”

“Jesus, Brody.”

“…and given her the dicking of a lifetime.”

“I’m not you, man.”

“Maybe you should be.”

“Can you slow the fuck down? Seriously.”

“Live a little, Tate.” He punches the gas again, and the truck lurches.

“Brody. I swear to God.”

“Fine. Fine. Party pooper.” He eases up on the gas. “Look, all I’m saying is, you think too much. You need to stop analyzing everything and just act. Let the animal take over. You know?”

“The animal,” I repeat.

“Yeah, the animal. The beast inside.” He beats his chest like a gorilla and growls.

“Wow. Just… wow. I don’t even have a reaction to that.”

“Hey, it works. Girls love that primal energy.”

“All those protein shakes are rotting your brain, man.”

He laughs and shakes his head. “Alright, alright. What would you say to get a girl, then?”

“Me? I don’t know.”

“Give me something. Act like I’m a girl. A hot girl. Hit me with your best pickup line.”

“I’m not doing that.”

“Come on. We’ve got another half hour in this truck. Humor me.”

“Okay, fine.” I clear my throat. “Excuse me, hi. I saw you from across the bar and—”

“No. Nope. Stop. Delete that from your brain forever. That is the cringiest shit I have ever heard.”

“Says the guy who just beat his chest and growled.”

“Try again. But this time… be an animal.”

“Brody…”

“Do it. For me.”

I sigh, rub my temples. This is my life. This is what I do with my long weekend. Driving three hours into the middle of the woods to his uncle’s cabin so I can roleplay as a smooth-talking predator in a beat-up pickup truck.

“Okay,” I say, trying to dredge up some semblance of confidence. “Okay. What would I say…” I look at Brody, at the smirk playing on his lips. The way the light hits his brown eyes makes them shine like amber. The first thing that pops into my head, I go with it. “You’re a hot piece of ass.”

“Well, thanks, bro.”

“Hey, you said to pretend.”

“Kidding, kidding. Continue.”

“Right. So. You’re a hot piece of ass. And I want to do things to you.” The words feel clumsy in my mouth. Like I’m trying to speak a language I only vaguely understand.

“What kind of things?”

“Dirty things.”

“How dirty?”

“Jesus, Brody, I don’t know. Just… dirty things.”

“Be specific.”

“Okay. Okay.” My temples are starting to throb. “Like… I want to bend you over the hood of this truck and make you scream my name so loud the squirrels will cover their ears.”

“The squirrels?” Brody erupts in laughter so hard he has to swerve to avoid a ditch. I grab the dashboard.

“Fuck! Brody! Focus!”

“Sorry, sorry,” he wheezes, wiping tears from his eyes. “The squirrels, Tate. Seriously.”

“Okay, smartass, you do it then. Show me how it’s done.” I cross my arms and slump back in my seat.

“Gladly,” he says, composing himself. He straightens up, squares his shoulders, clears his throat. I expect him to ham it up, do another over-the-top gorilla impression. But he doesn’t.

He looks at me. Really looks at me, in a way that makes the hair on my arms stand up. His expression goes serious. His jaw tightens. The smirk is gone.

“We could find a quiet spot in the woods,” he says, his voice dropping to a low register I’ve never heard before. “My truck’s got a spacious back seat, Tate.”

“Dude, why are you using my name?”

“I want to strip you naked, Tate. Slowly. Undo your shirt one button at a time. Feel your heartbeat under my palm. Find out if you taste as good as you look.”

“Am I not supposed to be a girl in our scenario?”

“I want to bend you over my knee and spank you with my bare hands until your cheeks are pink and hot. Then I want to spread them and lick your little asshole until you’re begging me to fuck you with my big, hard cock.”

“Jesus.”

“Harder than you’ve ever been fucked before. You won’t be able to hike that mountain tomorrow, Tate. Not after I get a hold of you.”

Silence. Just the engine and the drone of tires on asphalt. Then Brody slaps the steering wheel and grins.

“And that’s how it’s done, baby. Take notes.”

“Yeah,” I say, my throat dry. “Yeah, okay. I get it.” My hands are gripping my knees, knuckles white, and I don’t remember putting them there. But that’s not the problem. The problem is lower. There’s a pulse between my legs. A throb. A swell. Something I haven’t felt in a long time.

Something I shouldn’t be feeling right now.