Chapter 3
Chapter three
Seth
I’m going crazy. That has to be what’s going on. Because I really don’t want to think about what it would mean if I’m not going crazy.
It’s been a week since I got my sleep meds. A week of waking up sated from some of the wildest wet dreams I’ve ever experienced. A week of that deep tenderness of being thoroughly fucked.
Except I’m waking up in bed, with nothing out of place save for drying cum on me.
Okay, so maybe the morning after the first night I took the meds, I found my hand strengtheners in my bed. But I tend to just throw them wherever when I’m done with them, so I could have tossed them onto my bed and forgotten to move them.
But that doesn’t explain the sinking feeling in my gut that I’m missing something. Maybe I’m sleep fucking? That wasn’t listed as a possible side effect of the medication, but that doesn’t mean it couldn’t happen. Right?
I squirm in my seat at the coffee shop, my sore ass clenching at the thought of what I might have done with that exercise equipment. And who knows what else.
A hand taps my shoulder, and I jerk away, a yelp escaping me. I blink up at Mattie, his blue eyes wide as he stares down at me. Those eyes are even more blue than usual, with the bright beanie making them pop.
My cheeks heat, and I clear my throat, taking a sip of my very cold coffee to hide my embarrassment.
Thankfully, no one else in the coffee shop seemed to notice my shriek of surprise.
“Are you alright?” Mattie asks softly.
“Mhmm.” I nod enthusiastically, taking another hasty sip of my coffee. Though at this point, it tastes like tar and leaves a gritty feel on my tongue.
“You sure? ‘Cause I’ve been trying to get your attention for the last five minutes.”
I risk a glance at him and quickly look away from the concern on his face. Great, even he thinks I’m nuts.
“Sorry. Just a lot on my mind right now. Didn’t mean to freak you out or anything.” I run one hand through my hair, tugging at the strands as I lean back with a sigh.
“I know I’m not Oliver, but if you need to talk to someone, just call me over. The least I can do is give you an ear. Though I must warn you, I’m a sympathetic crier. So, if I offer you a shoulder to cry on, we both will be bawling.”
I choke out a laugh at his honesty, some of my tension draining from my shoulders. Maybe I just need to cut loose a bit. Will it solve my problems? No, probably not. But I need to do something besides work, TV, and constantly having my head on a swivel.
“Thanks, man. If Oliver doesn’t get here soon, I might take you up on that.” I smile up at Mattie, who returns it with a chuckle.
“Want another coffee?”
I look down at the congealing lump of caffeine before handing it over to him. “Maybe just a tea, for now.” He nods and takes the cup, and I can’t help but watch his ass sashay on his way behind the counter.
“Dude, are you ogling Mattie’s ass?”
I jerk and let out a groan as Oliver slides into the seat across from me, his laughter making my cheeks heat up again. Is today just going to be nothing but an embarrassment for me? I peek at Mattie, relieved that he apparently didn’t hear Oliver.
“You’re late,” I point out, changing the question.
“And you’re ignoring my question. But, yes, I’m late, and I’m sorry.
” He lets out a deep sigh, and I drag my attention away from the blonde barista and focus on my friend.
It’s still weird to call him my friend, but we’ve been hanging out nonstop ever since he first dragged me to this little coffee shop.
The guy knows more about me than my own mother at this point, and our compatibility has only made my crush even worse.
But all of that gets put on the wayside when I actually look at him.
His face is drawn, with dark shadows under his eyes, and my tension that was slowly seeping away, floods back.
“Everything okay?”
“I don’t know. My cousin was supposed to have shown up a few days ago. He’s staying with me for a bit because his parents are prudes. But he hasn’t gotten here, and I can’t get hold of him.” He trails off, gazing at his phone silently.
“Oh shit! I’m sorry. Does anyone know where he is?”
“Where who is?” Mattie asks as he sidles up to our table with our drinks. A Chai with honey for Oliver, and a calming chamomile for me. “Sorry! Not my business. Ignore my nosy ass.”
Oliver shakes his head, a small smile on his lips. “No, it’s ok. My cousin seems to be missing. Noone has seen him since he jumped on a bus to head here.”
“Has anyone tried to track his geolocation?”
I blink up at Mattie before glancing over at Oliver, who is giving him a similar blank expression. “You mean like GPS?” Oliver shakes his head when Mattie nods. "No. At least I don't think so."
“Well, I can give it a go. I just need some info, and if he has the right apps, it should be easy.”
“What if he doesn’t have the right apps? He’s not exactly tech savvy,” Oliver replies, brows furrowing in concern.
Mattie gives us a sly smile, bringing out a small pad of paper. “No worries about that either. Just get me his info, and I can figure out a place for you to start looking. Might take me a few hours if that’s okay.”
“Um, yeah. Sure.” Oliver snags the pad and jots down the information as I wait, absently staring into my steaming tea.
As much as I want to talk to Oliver about my drama, it feels sort of selfish to bring it up now. A missing family member is more important than sleep disturbances and possible medication side effects.
My ass twinges again at the thought of what might happen tonight. Should I just not take the meds? But I also don’t want to go cold turkey with them either. I’ve heard some meds can really fuck you up if you just stop taking them.
I’m dragged out of my thoughts when Oliver hands Mattie the paper, thanking him as the blonde barista with the bubble butt heads towards a back room.
Okay, wow. Bubble butt? Really?
Maybe I do need to get laid. It’s been too damn long after all.
“What’s going on with you?” Oliver says, blowing gently on his drink before taking a sip. “And don’t say it’s nothing. You have this sad, constipated look on your face, and you’ve barely said anything. So, spill.”
“I think I need to get laid,” I blurt out. While not the complete truth, it’s probably the closest thing to the root cause of my current sleep related issues.
Oliver chokes, coughing as he hastily puts his cup back on the table. I bite back a laugh and give him innocent eyes as he blots away the tea he spewed across his shirt with my impromptu confession.
“Then go get laid,” he grunts, giving me an irritated look before rolling his eyes. Yes, I can pull the puppy eyes when I want to, and I’m giving him the full dose in the hope he doesn’t do something drastic, like set me up with his fiancé’s sister.
He stops trying to clean his clothes and rolls his eyes. “I am not going to be a wingman! Just do one of those hook-up apps or go to a party or something.”
I grimace at his suggestions. He laughs at my expression before he freezes, his eyes going wide. “Wait, does it have anything to do with your family drama?”
I let out a soft laugh. “No. And I haven’t seen my silver fox stalker either. I got a hold of that doctor you suggested and got some meds to help with my sleep. But. . .” I trail off, my face heating up.
I take a deep breath, rubbing my hands on my thighs. Why is it so difficult to say? There’s nothing embarrassing about acknowledging potential side effects. Even if those side effects aren’t exactly publicly appropriate.
“I think they are causing some serious side effects. Like in the sleepwalking category.”
Oliver blinks at the change in topic, but leans forward, giving me his full attention. “Go on. Do you think it’s serious enough to see the doc again? Or find a new med?”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to go cold turkey, but I also don’t really have any hard evidence of…
things. I go to sleep and wake up in my bed, but…
” I trail off as my face gets hot. I know I’m not explaining things clearly; it’s obvious by the confused look on Oliver’s face, but damn it, I don’t want to talk about this in the middle of a coffee shop.
But I also know if I don’t say anything now, I’ll find a way to run away from the problem. Or at least not talk about it. Hey, personal progress!
“I think the meds are causing, like sleep sex or something,” I finally mumble. When nothing but silence greets me, I glance at Oliver to find him staring at me with wide eyes.
“Like, you’re hooking up with randos while asleep?”
I groan; my face is so hot I probably look like a tomato. “No, I don’t think so? But, um, I’ve woken up feeling sore in places and there’s evidence of things on my bed.”
Oliver shakes his head, raising one hand in a hold-up gesture. “What do you mean sore? Like you fucked your fist until raw, or like you got fucked?”
“Um, the latter. But my door is always locked when I check, and the only window that opens enough to go through can only be locked from the inside. So, am I bringing random people home or –”
“Or are you doing it to yourself?” Oliver finishes my sentence.
I swallow, ducking my head. “I don’t even have anything for that.”
I didn’t want to tell him that after my ex, I didn’t have the courage to go to a shop to purchase toys. And the idea of bottoming for anyone filled me with anxiety.
Oliver smirks. “Trust me, a lot of things can be if you’re curious enough. And no, not from personal experience. My fiancé likes to…try new things.”
I raise my eyebrows at that statement, and while I feel somewhat better with the knowledge that I’m not some weirdo using household items for pleasure, it’s still unbelievably embarrassing.
“Hey, you can always set up a camera in your room. They have cheap ones these days that will upload directly to the Cloud. You can view it from your phone or computer.”
“Oh, that’s brilliant!” Relief rushes through me at the realization that I can get to the bottom of at least one of my problems.