Chapter 3
Chapter Three
Corvus
It had been futile to hope Hudson wouldn’t notice my weird behavior with Michelle and the other man back at Tanaka Motors. Of course, he picked up on the fact that I’d been acting strange. Hudson was just… aware like that.
“Yo, what the fuck was that back there?” Hudson asked as he pulled onto the highway. “I’ve never seen you be so nice to anyone.”
I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “Bro, they literally came and helped me when my fucking car broke down. Was I supposed to be a dick?”
“No,” he answered immediately. “But you weren’t yourself, either.” He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. “You good, dude?”
He was right. I hadn’t been myself around Michelle and the other man.
And it had nothing to do with the two of them being hot as fuck.
There was just something about them that made me feel…
trusting of them? I didn’t know. They just had a…
vibe. And the way both of them seemed ready to go to bat for me when they thought Hudson was bullying me or something had made my chest ache.
No one had ever been ready to defend me except for Hudson and Kreed.
And I mean, fuck, the way the man had ordered me to eat and watched to make sure I ate an entire slice…
I swallowed thickly, hoping Hudson didn’t notice.
I craved that kind of attention. For someone to want to take care of me.
And I just had this… feeling Michelle and the other man wanted to.
Fuck, they’d already begun to, and they didn’t even know me. I sure as fuck didn’t know them.
“I don’t know. I’m just having an off day, I think.” I leaned my head against the headrest. “What about you? I’m surprised you’re even out of bed yet.”
He grunted. “I think I’m finally rested enough.
I woke up about ten and saw you were gone.
” He slowed for a red light. “Next time, leave a guy a text or something, yeah? Not like you to just up and disappear. Kreed said he found you outside stupid early this morning and that it’s not the first time he’s caught you awake. ”
I winced. No wonder Kreed hadn’t believed me. He’d been noticing—probably had noticed when we’d come home for spring break, too.
Hudson paused for a moment, and I didn’t say a word either. I sure as fuck didn’t want him worrying about me. My PTSD from the godawful fucking day I almost lost him was my own shit to deal with.
“If things are getting bad again—”
“They’re not,” I lied, cutting him off.
He pressed on the accelerator when the light turned green.
“All I’m saying is that if they are, then please, at least, talk to your therapist about it, even if you don’t want to talk to me or Kreed.
I’m not offended, bro. But you’re my family, and I know that day fucked with all of us.
Even Kreed still has nightmares, Corvus. It’s normal if you do, too.”
I screwed up my nose in mock distaste.
“Oh, are we getting in our feelings now?” I teased, wanting to get off the topic.
And fucking about would get Hudson off my back, too, which I needed.
I didn’t want to burden him with this—not when he’d been the victim of the incident.
He’d been the one stabbed by a man who was hired by his mother—not me.
He huffed a laugh. “No, dimwit. Just… You know what? Never mind.”
I laughed. “I’m hungry. I only ate one slice of pizza while I was there waiting on you to show up. Feed me, Hudson.”
He sighed like he was put out with me, but I also knew he was only joking. Especially since Hudson loved to eat.
“Where at?” he asked. “I want pho, but I don’t particularly care either. Craving anything in particular?”
“Hmm.” I pretended to think about it, but there was only one thing I wanted to eat, which was pizza.
And I knew why, but I also didn’t care to look too closely at that.
Wasn’t ready to, honestly. Because I didn’t form attachments.
I fucked and dipped. No boyfriends or girlfriends.
No one to bring home to meet Kreed and Hudson. It kept me from getting hurt.
But there was…something there already. And I kind of hated it.
“Just pasta,” I said, instead of telling the truth.
Hudson nodded. “Pasta it is.”
I shifted my legs, my eyes glued to the TV screen in front of me.
Hudson and Kreed had gone to bed a while ago, doing fuck knew what, and I didn’t particularly want to know.
So, after dinner, I’d come up to watch the original Dirty Dancing, one of my favorite comfort movies.
When Hudson found out, he purchased it for me, so I didn’t have to search through multiple streaming services to find it.
Now, I had unlimited access, and after the day I had, I was more than grateful for my best friend’s giving nature.
To the world, he was an absolute dick. But to those he actually gave a fuck about? He truly was one of the best people in the fucking world.
My phone buzzed beside me on the bed, and I groaned, slapping my hand around until I found it. Unlocking the screen with my thumb, I lifted it enough to read the text that’d come through.
Unknown:
Your water pump went out. Should have the part in two days.
Unknown:
This is Kip, by the way. The guy at the auto shop.
I quickly saved his number to my phone, my heart in my throat for a reason I absolutely refused to spend time trying to identify. Wasn’t ready for that yet. Not sure I ever would be.
Corvus:
Thanks. I didn’t expect you to look at it so quickly.
Kip:
I like keeping pretty boys like you happy, chibi.
My cheeks flushed, and my heart skipped a beat in my chest. I’d been called pet names many, many times, but none of them got me all bothered like him calling me chibi or Michelle calling me bub.
What the fuck did chibi even mean?
Corvus:
Well, this pretty boy is thankful.
I quickly went to Google and typed chibi into the search bar, my heart stalling for a whole second when I saw the meaning.
It meant little or small in Japanese, and suddenly, I felt a little too emotional because did Kip so easily see that side of me?
The side that wanted to be cared for but was terrified to let anyone close?
Physically, I wasn’t small by any means.
I was a little over six feet tall, and I weighed nearly two hundred pounds.
Hudson and I always worked out together, so while I was lean, I was muscular, too.
But my personality? When I was alone, I felt small as fuck. Too small for this fucked-up world.
Kip:
This will probably be bold of me, but my wife and I would like to have dinner with you. Is that okay?
Would that be okay? I sure as fuck didn’t know, but even through all my uncertainty and feeling like I was already getting way in over my head with all these damn foreign feelings, I quickly responded.
Corvus:
I guess? And your wife? You and your wife share?
It was the only thing that made sense to me. I hadn’t seen a ring on Kip’s finger, but then again, I also hadn’t been looking all that hard. I’d been overwhelmed and tired and just wanted a break from the shit inside my own brain.
Kip:
My wife is Michelle. You met her at the shop. She towed your car. And yes, we share partners, chibi.
Kip:
When is a good day and time for you? We’ll work you into our schedule whenever.
My heart wouldn’t fucking survive this. Work me into their schedule whenever?
It was such a simple thing and something I should have expected from them, since he’d been the one to ask me out.
At the same time, I was so used to men just giving me a day and time when it came to dates that this… threw me for a loop.
Corvus:
Whenever is fine. I’m pretty much free all summer.
Besides, making a decision like that? Not my thing. Even when I asked out a woman, I usually let her decide by wording it in a way that made her feel like I was still very interested in her instead of just looking for a way to get off.
I was an asshole who was allergic to commitment and feelings. Sue me.
Kip:
Okay, chibi. Are you okay with meeting us at Rochelle’s on Saturday night at 7 PM?
Corvus:
Sure you don’t want to pick me up?
Kip:
We could, but we’re also not looking to get laid Saturday night. We want to get to know you. Don’t be a brat, chibi.
I pouted at my phone. How did he know I was being a brat?
Corvus:
I wasn’t being a brat.
Kip:
Lol, you definitely were. But that’s okay. I don’t mind bratty boys, chibi. So, does that work for you?
I chewed on my bottom lip, my heart beating a little too fast and my fingers trembling around my phone. But before I could stop myself, I typed out a single word.
Corvus:
Yes.
Kip:
Good boy. It’s a date.
Good boy… It’s a date…
Fuck. What the hell was I getting myself into?