Chapter Sixteen
Prom was boring as fuck.
Imagine Damon’s surprise when, after spending hours in a park taking pictures, the first thing he had to do when they arrived at prom was…take more pictures.
Madison pulled Elliot down the hall, while Chelsea ushered him toward the photographer set up in the corner of the gymnasium.
“More?” he groaned. “Didn’t we get enough?”
“Shh,” Chelsea said. “Those were outside photos. These are the official prom photos. No more after these. I promise.”
“Fine,” Damon said.
“Maybe just a few candids,” Chelsea mumbled. She ignored Damon’s long whine.
After more photos, they were both taken in different directions by friends and teammates. Damon scanned for Elliot, and uneasiness crawled under his skin when he couldn’t find him.
No one was dancing. Everyone was scattered in groups, talking to each other.
Madison and Elliot reappeared, walking inside from the hall, and Damon inhaled deeply as if he’d been suffocating until he set eyes on him again.
Damon crossed the gymnasium, tuning in to their conversation before he reached the corner they’d settled in.
“You want something to drink?” Elliot asked Madison, his tone as bored as Damon felt.
“Not really.”
“So this is prom?”
She laughed. “Yeah.”
“To think I could be playing video games in my underwear right now.”
She shoved him a little. “Huh, so you guys take your clothes off to play video games? Interesting.”
Elliot was blushing when Damon grabbed his arm and saddled up beside him.
“Who’s taking their clothes off?” Damon asked.
“No one!” Elliot said. His blue eyes were almost bluer when his pale skin was turning red. Even the tips of his ears were tinged pink. He was so cute when he was embarrassed.
Fuck me.
Madison giggled.
“Damnit,” Damon said. “I’d do just about anything to get out of this suit.” He grabbed his collar and yanked a little to loosen his tie.
Elliot swallowed, not meeting his gaze.
“You wanna?” Damon asked, patting his chest pocket.
“What?” Elliot screeched, his eyes darting to Madison and back to Damon.
“I heard you asking about a drink. I have…” he trailed off and patted his chest pocket again where he’d hidden the flask, widening his eyes to make himself clear.
“Oh. Oh,” Elliot said. “I thought—” He shook his head and did a cute little hair flip. “Never mind. Yeah, uh, let’s go.”
“You go first,” Damon said. “So no one sees us go in together.”
Elliot walked toward the bathroom. Damon watched him the entire way.
He hadn’t had much of a chance to look at his best friend until now.
Even from behind, walking away, he looked really good.
He’d ditched the suit jacket so his button-up shirt was showing off his lean body.
His blonde hair, usually stick-straight, had a little curl to it around the collar.
As Elliot put his hands in both of his pants pockets, Damon’s gaze was drawn to the way the fabric pulled tight across his ass. Heat gathered in his groin.
Madison laughed, and Damon startled, having forgotten she was standing there.
“You’re obsessed, you know that?”
Damon worried his lip. “It’s not like super obvious, right?”
“Nope. Not at all,” she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.