Chapter 17AsherTheo
Asher
Silence. Neither Theo nor I said a word as he drove us back to his house after our first practice with the Westchester Warriors.
Coach had announced the starting line at the end of practice.
I made it; Theo didn’t. I felt terrible.
Guilt curled around my lungs, making it hard to breathe.
The only reason I was on that fucking team was because of Theo.
I peered over at him as he drove. His eyes looked sad, and it shattered my heart.
A sad Theo made me want to cry. Things had been so awkward between us for the last few days, and I didn’t know what I’d done wrong.
My gaze turned to the passing trees on the roadside.
Guys aren’t supposed to cry, but I wanted to—more than anything.
I love you so much, Theo. Tell me how to fix this.
Suddenly, I blurted out, “Coach said we’d all get our shot. You’re gonna show everyone how fucking amazing you are, man. I’m sure of it.”
He let out a heavy sigh, eyes scanning the road, tired and defeated. “I didn’t play my best today. My head wasn’t in it.”
I knew he was right, but I wanted to lift his spirits. “You did better than you think. Everyone’s so good, you know? You were awesome, and I know Coach will give you a shot.”
Theo shrugged and sighed again. I couldn’t take it anymore. My heart felt like it was about to break if we didn’t get through this.
“Did I do something wrong, Theo?” I asked softly.
He shot me a quick glance, confusion clouding his face. “No. Why do you ask?”
My throat dried up, and my voice caught. “You’ve been really quiet. We haven’t been the same since I moved in. Do you want me to leave?”
“Not at all,” he said quickly. “I know I’ve been weird. It’s not… well…”
He went silent again. The tension in the car was so thick I thought the windows might crack.
“Just say it, Theo. Please.”
He finally looked at me, then looked back at the road. Deep breath. I thought he was going to say something, but then he roared in frustration and pulled over.
The bile crept to the back of my throat. Whatever he was going to say was big, and I fucking dreaded it.
He turned to me again, inhaled to speak, then sighed and rested his head on the steering wheel. “This is so hard,” he groaned.
I knew what was coming. He was going to ask the question I’d been dreading for years. He must have overheard me and Quincy. I felt so stupid.
“Just do it, Theo. Just say what you want to say because it’s killing me.”
Theo lifted his head and bellowed, “Are you gay, Asher?”
My eyes closed as that hollow feeling gobbled me up, tears welling at the base of my eyes.
I sobbed, “Yes,” then ran out of the car, running into the woods that bordered the road and sprinting into the forest as fast as my legs could carry me.
Theo
“Wait! Asher!”
I locked the car as I bolted after him. The brush scratched my legs, and I held an arm just over my eyes to try to block the low-hanging branches. I squinted, doing everything in my power to home in on that bobbing bush of red hair that was rapidly outpacing me.
“Stop! Please!” I begged.
Asher was relentless, running faster than I’d ever seen him move, taking us deeper and deeper into the woods.
I wouldn’t stop. The need to confess my feelings for him pushed me past my limits.
Legs throbbing. Chest burning. My heart was in my throat.
I had to tell him. I kept telling myself it would be okay if my feelings weren’t reciprocated, but I knew my heart would break if I heard those words.
Please God, let him like me back.
I finally caught up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist, trying to get him to stop. We stumbled and landed on the forest floor. Asher covered his face, audibly weeping into his hands.
“Asher, look at me.” He shook his head, refusing to pull his hands away from his face. “Asher, please look at me so I can talk to you.”
He shook his head again, still covering his face. “I’m sorry.” His voice sounded so small and wounded. I scooped him into my arms and cradled his body, which was shaking as he wept. “I’m sorry I’m like this. I’m so sorry, Theo. Please don’t hate me.”
Now I was crying. To see him breaking apart like that because he thought I’d hate him for being gay filled me with a mix of despair and rage. Who told him he had to hide it? Who made him believe he couldn’t be honest? I was his best friend! He could tell me anything, and I’d be there.
“I could never hate you, Asher.”
He shuddered in my arms, and his sobbing eased a bit. Slowly, he lowered his hands and looked up at me with those wounded green eyes. He released little whimpers, trying to calm himself down as he lay in my embrace. “No?”
“No. Never. I could never hate you.” I pulled him in closer as I rested a hand on his chest. The touch sent a shiver racing through him, and he slowly rested his hand on mine. “Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
He opened his lips to speak, their pinkish hue making me warm, and said, “I was afraid I’d lose you.”
It hurt to hear those words. “I didn’t make you feel safe.”
“That’s not it!” he replied. “You make me feel safe. You make me feel so good, Theo.”
“Yeah?” He nodded in assurance. By then, our hands were clasped together, pressed against his heart.
“Can I tell you something?” I asked.
His eyes grew wide, and he nodded vigorously. “Of course.”
Here we go. I took a deep breath and said, “I think I have a crush on you.”
His mouth fell open. My heart beat with the force of a jackhammer. “It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. But I wanted to tell you because I don’t want us to have secrets, okay?”
Asher looked at me with an unreadable expression. I couldn’t tell if he was appalled or amazed or what. He looked at me with wide eyes and his mouth ajar. “O-okay,” he stuttered out.
I nodded, my stomach slowly sinking. He didn’t feel the same way, but that was okay. Or, at least, I kept telling myself it was okay.
Suddenly, Asher gripped my hand and said, “Wait. What did you say?”
“What?”
“You said what about a crush?” he asked.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “I have a crush on you, but it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way. I just don’t want you to feel like you can’t tell me things, Asher. You can tell me anyth—”
Asher put his fingers to my lips, stopping me mid-sentence. “Say it again,” he said in a low, tender voice.
He lowered his finger to let me speak. “I-I have a crush on you…”
Without warning, Asher leapt up and kissed me. I pressed my hand to the back of his head, running my fingers through his gorgeous hair, and kissed him back.
It was a frantic, desperate kiss. As if we both thought we needed to hurry up and get our fill before time ran out.
The kissing soon slowed, and we fell into a passionate flow.
He maneuvered his lower half to straddle my body, seated on the forest floor.
With his legs wrapped around me, I pulled him into a tight embrace, caressing my hands over his back and shoulders.
I just wanted to touch him—to feel him against my hands and massage the tension out of his back.
I soon lowered my hands to cup his perfect ass, and he released soft mewling sounds in response.
Goddamnit, the feel of his butt in my hands ignited a fire at the base of my stomach. I needed him. Craved him. Nothing felt weird about it. Our bodies slotted together perfectly, like we were destined to be in that position.
It was so intense, and we hadn’t stopped kissing since we started. I gently took his face in my hands and parted us. “I take it you have a crush on me, too?”
Asher released a gasp of laughter and replied, “Only for the last three or four years.”
I couldn’t believe it. Words escaped me. For a second, I had a mental meltdown thinking back on the years of friendship we had and realizing he’d been crushing on me for most of it. But then I realized I didn’t care. I didn’t care about the past or anything else, to be completely honest.
All I cared about was him. That boy, whom I’d become obsessed with without even realizing it, was finally in my arms. The green of the forest as the backdrop to his beautiful face, dotted with freckles and framed by his red hair, made me wild.
Desire consumed me, and I pressed my lips to his and kissed him as I gently lowered him to lie on the ground. I wanted to envelop him with my body—kiss him as I pressed against him, sealing our bodies together.
Asher wrapped his legs around me as I rutted against him.
I reached down to get a fistful of that ass I’d become obsessed with.
He hummed his approval as he kissed, then lowered his hand to play with my cock through my shorts.
His touch sent a shockwave of pleasure ripping through me.
I stopped thrusting into him and let him feel me.
“Fuck, Theo. I can feel how big you are.”
My eyes met his, and the lascivious look on his face turned me feral. I kissed him more as I pulled my cock out.
His hand found my length, and he stroked it, making my eyes roll back. It felt so fucking good. It was different; there was a desperation behind what we were doing that made everything feel more intense—more precious.
I maneuvered my body to lie beside him, careful not to crush him in the process.
Asher was slender for a hockey player. Years of working out gave him the arms, shoulders, and legs necessary to hold his own on the ice, but he wasn’t as thick as I was.
He felt fragile in a way, and it turned on my protective instincts, compelling me to pull him closer as I unzipped his pants.
I freed his length from his red boxers and held it in my hand.
It took a second to wrap my mind around the fact that Asher’s dick was in my hand.
I never had another man’s dick in my hand like that.
I thought I’d freak out, but I didn’t. His cock looked incredible—long and thick, with a hint of orange hair at his pelvis. It was perfect—just like him.
I looked up to see his eyes, wide with disbelief, as we lay there on the ground, each of us stroking the other.
My head cocked to the side, taking in his beauty. I felt almost lightheaded from how much I wanted him.
He leaned in to kiss me and began stroking me faster, and I did the same for him.
We pulled apart, and I looked at Asher. His breathing was heavy, and his eyes were hooded with lust—the pink hue of his lips now red because of our constant kissing.
I stopped stroking him momentarily to spit on my hand, then continued.
He gasped, and his eyes rolled back before staring at me once again with that look of wonder.
We lay there, looking into each other’s eyes, as we gave the other pleasure. I could feel my orgasm coming on, and started stroking harder out of instinct. He did the same, and I got to witness those beautiful eyes fall apart as his orgasm came.
He bit his lower lip before calling out, “Oh, Theo!” As he yelled, thick ropes of cum shot out of him. I looked down to see his cock, thick and red, throbbing as cum shot out of it.
It was the hottest thing I’d ever seen, and it tipped me over the edge. I came like I never had before. A thick rope of release shot into the air and landed on the ground before me.
“Holy fuck,” Asher said in response.
We were both panting, coming down from the mindblowing orgasms we’d just had. I turned to look at him and saw him staring at me in disbelief.
“Is this real?” he asked.
I chuckled, then pulled him in for a sweet kiss before saying, “It’s real, Pretty Boy.”