Chapter Thirteen
Layla picked the table by the window like she always did. She was early. Bryce was on time, but he still felt late. Bryce pushed inside and waved when she looked up and saw him. He moved through the crowd until he arrived at the table.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hey.” She stood as if she might hug him, then decided not to and sat back down. “You look good.”
“You too.”
He sat down and watched steam come from her drink. He decided not to order in case this conversation took a nasty turn. He wasn’t sure how Layla was going to react to the news of him and Sage, even when she was the one who ended their relationship.
Layla watched the door for a few seconds, then sighed and looked at him straight on. “I’ve been hearing things.”
Bryce nodded. “Okay.”
“About you,” she said. “And Sage.”
He looked and held her gaze. “Yeah.”
Her mouth pressed into a line. “So, it’s true,” she murmured.
“It is.”
Layla shifted in her chair before asking, “For how long?”
“Not long,” he said. “We’re figuring it out.”
She nodded. “I didn’t want to text. Things can get weird in texts, you know. You mean one thing, but sometimes it doesn’t come across the way you actually mean it.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean, and I’m glad you called.”
“I was going to ask if you were okay,” she said. “But you look okay.”
“I am.” Bryce meant it. “You?”
“I’m fine.” Layla glanced down at the table, then back up. “I’m not mad.”
“Why would you be mad? This between me and Sage happened after we broke up.”
“I’m not hurt either,” she added. “We were done.”
Bryce kept his sigh to himself. He didn’t need to remind Layla that she had ended things between them. “We were.”
She sat back. “So this didn’t start—”
“No,” he said. “After. It was after.”
“Okay.” She let out a breath. “People keep asking me like I have answers, and I don’t. I said we’re not together, and they should ask you.”
“That’s fair.”
“Do you want me to tell them anything else?”
“No.” Bryce shook his head. “You don’t have to say anything. If they want to know anything, they can come and ask me or Sage.”
Layla’s mouth twitched. “I’ve done that enough already.”
He huffed a small laugh. “True.”
“Are you happy?” she asked.
“Yeah,” Bryce said. “I am.”
She looked at him and then nodded. “Good.”
A pair of students pushed through the door, shaking snow off their hats, laughing as they walked inside. Layla lifted her mug and took a sip before placing it back on the table. “You were distant before we broke up,” she murmured. “I thought it was school.”
“It was school.” Bryce shrugged. “And me. I didn’t know what to do with myself. That wasn’t on you.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I needed to hear that it wasn’t about me doing something wrong.”
“It wasn’t. You did nothing wrong.”
She nodded. “So I just tell people to come to you if they want to know anything.”
“Yeah,” he said. “If people ask you stuff, tell them to speak to me.”
“Okay.”
He rubbed his thumb along the edge of the table, then looked outside, watching the snow fall. “I’m sorry about the part where I went quiet at the end. I had stuff going on.”
“I’m sorry about the part where I pretended I didn’t notice,” she said. “I should have said something sooner.”
“I had no idea I was doing it until you said something. Like I said, I had stuff going on.”
“Okay,” she said and put the mug down after taking another sip. “I think that’s all I wanted.”
“Thanks for asking in person.”
“I didn’t want to be a headline in Dan’s group chat.” Layla rolled her eyes. “Also, tell him if he says anything about my name again, I will key his bike.”
Bryce chuckled. “I’ll pass it on, but with the way Dan is going, you might have to wait in line.”
They talked for a few more minutes, and when Layla finished her drink, they both stood. Bryce stood awkwardly for a few seconds until Layla stepped in and gave him a quick hug. “Be nice to each other,” she said into his shoulder.
“We will.”
Layla let go. “Okay. Go do your… figuring it out.”
“I’m on it.”
She laughed, shook her head, and walked out into the cold, leaving Bryce standing watching her.
A minute later, he pulled his hat on and also left.
Bryce walked the five blocks home without stopping, hands in his pockets, head clear in a way it hadn’t been all morning.
When he pushed the apartment door open, Sage looked up from the counter where he was chopping something green.
“How’d it go?” Sage asked, putting the knife down.
“Good,” Bryce said as he hung his coat up and kicked his sneakers off. “We’re okay.”
Sage nodded and went back to the cutting board. “Is she mad?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
Bryce crossed the room and leaned a hip against the counter. “She asked if I was happy.”
“You say yes?”
“Yeah.”
Sage smiled. “Good.”
Bryce watched his hands move as he began chopping again. “You okay with everything?”
“I’m okay,” Sage said. “I wanted to give you space.”
“Thanks.”
Sage slid the garlic into the pan, and Bryce heard the olive oil hiss. “Hungry?”
“Not yet,” Bryce said. He stepped in close and touched Sage’s wrist. “Come here first.”
Sage turned the burner down and wiped his hands on a towel. Bryce slid his fingers into Sage’s hair and tugged him in for a kiss. Sage returned it, moaning softly as they touched.
“Bedroom,” Bryce said against his mouth.
“Yeah,” Sage said.
Sage turned the heat off under the pan and went to Bryce’s bedroom. Inside, they kissed as they stripped naked. Bryce paused and stared at Sage’s lean body before closing the gap and kissing him. “I never thought I’d find a guy hot, but you really are.”
Sage blushed and laughed softly, kissing along Bryce’s jaw. “I know. It surprises me how hot I find you. All these months of living together and I never noticed, but now it’s all I notice.”
Bryce grinned, then pulled him close and kissed him. Sage moaned, causing Bryce to deepen the kiss. Bryce moved them closer to the bed, then eased Sage down on it and lay over him. Sage’s hands slid down his back to grab his ass and then back up to hold Bryce’s shoulders.
Bryce kissed along Sage’s jaw and then down his neck.
Sage’s fingers lid into his hair and gently pushed him down.
Bryce chuckled. “Want something?” He didn’t wait for Sage to answer.
He moved to one of his nipples and licked over it before sucking the nub into his mouth and flicking it with his tongue.
Sage gasped, his legs moving on the bed, and Bryce could feel his hard, leaking dick slid over his abs. His own cock twitched in response. He slid a hand between their bodies and took hold of Sage’s dick, stroking it slowly and letting his thumb rub over the head.
After spending a few minutes licking and sucking Sage’s nipples, Bryce moved down, kissing Sage until he reached his cock. Licking over the head, he moaned when he tasted Sage’s pre-come. “Never thought I’d like this, but I do.”
Sage groaned and arched up. “I know. I want to do this to you too.”
Bryce lifted his head. “Sixty-nine?”
Sage nodded, and they quickly moved onto their sides. Sage’s dick was right in Bryce’s face, and he leaned forward, sucking the head into his mouth and licking it. Sage did the same to him, and Bryce shuddered at how good it felt.
“This might be a struggle,” he admitted.
“I know what you mean. We’ll take our time. It’ll feel better in the end.”
Bryce pouted. “I wanna come now.”
“Bryce…” Sage chuckled and then went back to sucking Bryce’s dick.
Bryce groaned. “Sage. So good.” He sucked Sage’s dick back into his mouth and tried to focus on making him come.
Sucking and licking and playing with Sage’s nuts.
Sage’s hips moved on the bed, forcing Bryce to take more of his cock, but Bryce didn’t mind.
He knew he was doing the same thing. He struggled to keep still, but what Sage was doing had him moaning and shifting on the bed.
When his jaw began to ache, Bryce pulled off and licked his lips. He had his hand on Sage’s hip and pulled him closer so he could lick up and down his shaft before sucking the head again. Sage grunted, his hips surging forward.
“Close,” he muttered before going back to blowing Bryce.
Bryce groaned and worked harder. He heard Sage cry out, and then his come spurted into his mouth. He swallowed and swallowed until Sage slumped back on the bed. Bryce sat up, then straddled Sage’s hips and stroked his dick. Sage looked up at him and nodded.
“Do it, Bryce. Come on me.”
Bryce grunted, his body tensing up, and then he murmured Sage’s name as he splashed come over his chest and abs. He slammed a hand on the bed next to Sage, his body shuddering until his orgasm faded away. Falling onto the bed, he cuddled up to Sage and panted softly.
“This isn’t weird, is it? How easy this is for us?” he asked when he was capable.
“No, it’s us, Bryce. Let’s not overthink it.”
Bryce smiled, then lifted his head so he could kiss Sage. “We should clean up and then watch something on TV.”
“I’ll finish cooking.”
“Oh yeah.” Bryce laughed. “I wanted you more than I wanted food.”
“And I’m not complaining.” Sage sat up, then grimaced. “You left a mess.”
Bryce looked at Sage’s back and then ran his hand over it. “I like leaving my mark on you.”
Sage grunted and then looked back at him, a smile on his face. “Neanderthal.”
“Yeah.”
Sage twisted around and leaned over him. “Want to make more mess?”
Bryce grinned before pulling Sage down. “Yeah.”