Chapter 27 Jacob
Jacob
I feel like I’m walking on a fucking cloud. I know that sounds silly as shit, but it’s true, okay?
Everything’s been going stupidly smooth lately and for once, I feel… happy. Like actually happy. Griff and I talk and text and flirt and there’s just something about it that feels different. It honestly feels like it means something.
Not that my whole damn life revolves around this weird-ass situationship, alright?
Hughie and I aren’t at each other’s throats, my classes are basically speedrunning themselves with straight A’s, and training’s been chill. I love working with the hockey team. It’s my absolute dream job, even if Lauren is still hitting on them fucking constantly.
So yeah, I’m just out here floating around with this dumbass smile on my face. Which is probably why, when an arm snakes around my waist and a hand clamps down on my mouth out of nowhere, I don’t immediately go apeshit.
Nope. Instead I let out this pathetic muffled scream and trip straight into whoever’s kidnapping me into a goddamn supply closet.
What. The. Actual. Fuck.
The second the door clicks shut and they let me go, I whirl around ready to fucking pounce only to see it’s fucking Griffin.
He’s grinning like an idiot. And then he laughs. Like full chest laugh.
This man.
“Griff,” I breathe, and I swear to God, every tense, coiled muscle in me just melts into a puddle.
He doesn’t say shit. Just grabs my face and kisses me like he’s been dying to. Like he’s been holding his breath since the last time and only now gets to exhale.
Our mouths crash together. It’s teeth and lips and heat. His tongue pushes into my mouth like he owns the place. And yeah, I meet him right there. Our tongues are clashing, slick and messy.
He makes this low noise, almost a growl, deep in his throat and holy shit, that sound goes straight to my spine and zaps right to my cock. My hands are in his hair before I even realize it, tugging just enough to make him groan into my mouth again.
We’re pressed so tight together there’s no room to think. He backs me into the shelf, knocking over a box of gloves or something. His hands are under my shirt now, palms hot and a little rough, dragging up my sides like he needs to memorize every inch.
I gasp into his mouth when he brushes my ribs, and he laughs a little huff against my lips, smug as hell but still soft, still stupidly into this.
And for a second, the kiss slows. His tongue slides against mine, teasing now, lazy and confident, like he’s got all the time in the world to ruin me.
When he finally pulls back, we’re both panting with lips swollen. And yeah, I know I’m not the only one rock-hard right now. It’s insane how fucking turned on I am. One more second of that and I swear I would’ve dropped to my knees or pulled him down on top of me.
But of course, voices float down the hall, immediately snapping reality right back into place.
We absolutely, 100%, cannot fuck in the supply closet.
Shame.
Not that making out like hormonal high schoolers is much better, but hell if I can bring myself to regret it.
“What are you doing?” I hiss, glancing toward the door like some sophomore's about to barge in and catch us mid-makeout.
Griff just chuckles cool and unbothered, and brushes his thumb over my bottom lip. “I just needed to kiss you.”
I nearly fucking moan. Like, audibly. I bite it back but my whole damn body reacts. That stupid giddy smile I have been wearing recently makes a reappearance.
“Here?” I ask, trying not to sound as breathless as I feel. He’s not usually this reckless.
His grin doesn't fade. He nods. “Yeah.”
I roll my eyes, but my heart’s doing gymnastics. “You are dangerous.”
He shakes his head at that, his expression shifting into something more serious. “No. Just missed you. I wouldn’t have done it if I thought we’d get caught. I wouldn’t risk your position. You know that, right?”
I nod before the words even register fully, because yeah. I do. I trust him. “I know.”
That gets a smile out of him and he leans in to press a slow, featherlight kiss to my lips. My eyes flutter shut like a damn reflex.
“What’re you doing after practice?” he murmurs, still close enough that I feel the heat of his breath.
I shrug, trying to play it casual even though my heart’s sprinting. “Probably heading home. Hanging out with Hugh.”
“You should come over,” he says, voice quiet but steady.
I blink. That’s new. He’s not hiding me, exactly, but we’ve been lowkey feeling it out and taking our time. “Are your roommates going out or something?”
He shakes his head, and my brows pull together.
“No, you can hang with us.”
I don’t say anything right away. That feels… big. Bigger than what we’ve done so far.
Griff must see the hesitation, because his tone softens again. “Listen, we can invite Hugh too. I just… I wanna spend time with you.”
And fuck, how am I supposed to say no to that? To him?
“Okay,” I breathe.
“Yeah?”
“Yeah, of course.”
His smile lights up the room. Like, actually. I swear I feel warmer just looking at him. He’s so fucking handsome and soft in this way that guts me.
He leans in again and kisses me, slow and indulgent. My toes curl in my sneakers. I make a stupid noise in the back of my throat that I immediately pretend didn’t happen.
“Perfect,” he whispers, pulling back just enough to smile. “I can’t wait.”
We walk into Griffin’s house together after practice.
This isn’t the first time that I have been here but it’s the first time that I have come here because Griff invited me.
Back freshman year, Hugh used to drag me here so that he wouldn’t have to come to parties alone.
That had felt really fucking different from this.
Hughie is at my side wearing sweats and a scowl.
He was…suspicious of the fact that I wanted to come.
Well, maybe not suspicious but definitely nervous.
He still isn’t on board with whatever it is I am doing with Griff.
I think maybe he will come around some day but I don’t know.
Maybe he just needs to know that this isn’t one sided.
Terry and Mack are standing near the kitchen, cracking up at something stupid Mack said and when I step in, I feel this tiny shift in the room’s energy. That or maybe I’m paranoid but I think that Mack is smirking at me like he knows.
Again, I must be fucking paranoid.
Terry spots us and grins wide and before either of us can say anything, he says, “Ya’ll want a beer? I can order pizza if you guys want.”
“That sounds great,” I tell him. I don’t know why this entire situation feels so comfortable. I want to fucking belong here so that someday my situation with Griffin could be open and the first step would be his friends accepting it.
Griffin comes down the stares already holding a bottle and nods at me with a blinding smile. I have to look away before anyone can see the stars in my eyes just looking at him.
I grab a beer from Terry and smile. Mack chuckles and slings an arm over my shoulders, “Dude, love that you came to hang out. You’re so much better than Lauren.”
I snort out a laugh and roll my eyes because that isn’t saying much.
Hughie laughs too and surprisingly, grabs a beer from Terry, “Anyone would be better than her.”
I’m not sure what I expected from being here but this is calm. They don’t have girls slung over their laps or beer bottles scattered around. It’s surprisingly homey honestly.
I move to the living room with the guys and plop down on the couch. Griffin sidles up next to me on the couch, picking up an empty spot like it was always meant for him, and every once in a while his eyes flick toward me just long enough that I feel heat rise under my skin.
“Pizza’s on me,” Terry says with that laid back charm.
Connelly isn’t present and I’m kind of grateful. I haven’t really focused on my knowledge of him and Sabrina. I try to push that shit way back in my mind.
And as I settle back against the couch with my beer in hand and Griffin beside me, and the familiar cadence of the guys’ voices around us, I realize this is exactly the kind of night I didn’t know I needed but am suddenly very glad exists.
Terry and Mack start up the video games and Hughie makes jokes that are so unlike him in front of anyone but me. It feels good. I like knowing that I can come here and hang out and be around Griffin without any pressure.
I am, however, very aware of him. The way his thigh is pressed against mine and his laugh is so close that it vibrates through me.
Honestly, I am have this ridiculous hope that when this little get together dies down I can grab some time with him.
I want…well, I really need…to feel him against me.
Pushing into my body, preferably. I have to shake that thought off before I get hard and make a fool of myself.
I’m watching them banter back and forth, feeling this easy pull of contentment in my chest, when there’s a knock on the door. Just that one sharp tap at the door, quick and unexpected.
Griffin jerks his head up and he says, “Who the hell? That was the fastest pizza delivery ev-”
Before he even finishes, the door swings open and Sabrina strides in like she owns the place. She is immaculately dressed with tight jeans and a tighter shirt that in no way hides her massive tits. Her hair is curled and her make up is painted perfectly.
My stomach drops into that weird place it goes when someone you didn’t expect shows up and your body forgets how to function normally.
Griffin freezes mid sentence, jaw basically unhinging, and the air in the room suddenly feels like static. I don’t feel like I belong here anymore because why the fuck is she walking in here so comfortable when they broke up? Because they did right?
Terry leans back in his seat with this delighted grin plastered on his face and says, “Damn, you deliver pizza now?”
The joke hangs there and everyone looks between Sabrina and Griffin like we’re all waiting for some kind of massive blowout.