23. Miguel #2
I work him over with more enthusiasm as he pants into my mouth. The ringing ends, but a series of rapid pings takes its place.
With our foreheads connected, he rasps, “Don’t stop. Please, don’t stop. I’m so close.”
My fist flies up and down his swollen shaft. “Come for me, baby. Make a mess of yourself.”
He stiffens all over, growling through clenched teeth as his cock throbs in my grip.
I don’t let up until his stomach is splattered with cum, the last of it dripping onto my hand.
His head falls back, too heavy to bear while he recovers from the intense release, chest heaving.
Before I can move and find something to wipe us off, he pins my thighs to him.
“Stay. Use my shirt. I have an extra in my bag.”
I’m cleaning the mess when my phone pings again. I twist and bend like a contortionist to snag it from the coffee table, and we read the messages together.
Marcus
Is Graham with you?
Code Pegasus
Angel
Graham’s not answering his phone.
He needs to call Marcus NOW.
CODE PEGASUS!!!
“Tate,” we say in unison. Code Pegasus means Tatum has found herself in a sticky situation, and it’ll take all hands on deck to rescue her.
I scramble off to the side, sending quick responses to Marcus and Maisy before switching to social media. Graham stuffs his cock in his underwear, then rushes to his backpack and rummages through the overstuffed pockets, searching for his phone.
“What kind of trouble could she get into in a small town?” he asks, tossing his wallet and keys onto the floor. “No one knows she’s there.”
It doesn’t take long to find the online buzz. Photos of Tatum and her man are posted everywhere. She’s wearing a disguise, but the fake glasses and her natural brown hair color aren’t fooling anyone. Plus, they’re kissing in the middle of an arched footbridge like fucking beacons.
More photos of them eating dinner and dancing at a club rack up the views and shares. A livestream of the current situation, however, is what makes my stomach clench. A mass of screaming fans surrounds a hotel, leaving them hemmed in with no escape.
“This is really bad, Graham. They’re trapped. How big is San Antonio? Where did all these people come from?”
Graham is famous, but Tatum’s star shines in a different stratosphere. She can’t go anywhere without getting mobbed. And after hiding for six months, she resurfaces at a popular tourist destination, of all places.
Finally, Graham locates his phone and a wrinkled T-shirt.
“Over thirty missed calls,” he says, tapping the screen and bringing it to his ear.
“Hey, Marcus. I fell asleep as soon as I got home, and my phone was in silent mode. No, I haven’t looked yet.
I’m in California. Right, you knew that.
” Agitation comes off him in waves as he paces my living room, bunching the shirt in his hand.
“Yeah, I can move my flight up. I’ll let you know as soon as I have the details.
” When the call ends, he looks like he’s physically being torn in half.
“I’m so sorry, my darling. They need my help. ”
My arm cuts through the air. “Don’t apologize. Go help her. Help them.”
He shoves the phone in his back pocket and shakes his head, whispering, “Damn it, Jake.”
“This isn’t Jake’s fault. He knows nothing about her life.” My voice rises as the panic takes hold. “Tate knew the risks, and she never should’ve gone there without taking precautions. She was reckless!”
In the past, when our friend group would venture out in public, I kept my distance from Tatum. The majority of onlookers’ attention would be directed at her, and I wanted no part of it.
Graham tugs the shirt over his head and kneels between my feet because I’m glued to the sofa.
“I’ll play my part and fix this. Tate will be back in Walford before dinner.
” Unaware of the real fears wreaking havoc on my heart, head, and stomach, he smiles and rubs my legs.
“Next weekend, I’m free all day on Saturday. How do you want to spend it?”
The scared voice in my head whispers Maybe we should skip a weekend.
This rescue mission will thrust him into the headlines.
He’ll have eyes on him again. I should take this opportunity to press pause and regain perspective—to remember why I ran a year ago.
But a selfish voice screams at me to lock down the date and keep him a little longer.
I relax my features with practiced calm and a smile. “I’ll think of something and let you know.”
Graham cups my cheek and brushes our lips together. “Wish me luck.” Another quick kiss, and he’s gone.
My appetite and sense of chill leave with him.
Me
Are you awake?
Carmen
No.
Me
Check social media.
I curl into a fetal position and wait, hugging my phone and a cum shirt to my chest. Right when I’m convinced I have a stomach ulcer on the verge of rupture, Carmen plows through my apartment door with a pillow in her arms.
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop!” she yells.
My hand trembles when I hold the phone in the air. “I’m not built for this life, Carmen.”
“How can you be sure when you’ve never tried?”
“I tried for four years, remember?”
“You hid for four years.”
She rips the sleep mask off the top of her head and drops it to the floor, along with the pillow. Once her quilted bathrobe is tied, she climbs onto the sofa and spoons me from behind. I push the cum shirt to the rug.
“Be honest with yourself, Miguel. You hid in the privacy of Graham’s house, and you hid behind his pretend hetero relationship. I’m sorry if this sounds harsh, but all you did was build a nest in a different comfort zone than the one you had before you met him.”
“And he tried to force me out of it. He made decisions without consulting me.”
“Then leave the nest on your terms.” The arm she has draped over my torso tightens. “Take one baby step. Prove to yourself that you’re willing to try harder, and prove to him that he’s not wasting his time. Graham’s a nice guy, but even the nicest people have their limits.”
I don’t want to push Graham to his limit, not when he’s already running himself ragged because I’m afraid to ride in an airplane without a travel buddy.
Since the day we met, he has catered to my every whim and comfort, like ensuring my happiness is his sole purpose in life.
Even now, he’s risking his directorial debut—his childhood dream—to spend one day a week with me.
“He’ll do anything for me, won’t he?”
Carmen nods against my shoulder.
My silk top catches on my clammy fingers as I clutch my stomach again. If I can’t cover the physical distance, the least I can do is meet Graham halfway in effort. It’ll take more than baby steps to bridge the gap though. To prove I’m in this for real, I’ll have to take a giant, terrifying leap.