Chapter 1
One
Liam
Skateboarding everywhere is a lot of fucking work. I pound my foot against the pavement to propel my board forward. It’s a million degrees here in the sunshine state and sweat is pouring down my face, stinging my eyes. This is why I never wear a damn shirt.
But this is my only option. I won’t be able to afford a car anytime soon; there’s far more important things I need to spend my money on. Like the rent for my shitty place. I moved from my mom’s hotel into a different one.
Yeah. My mom lives in a hotel, and up until last month, I lived there too.
Thank fuck for Ben’s dad hooking me up with this construction job; now I get paid enough to afford my very own weekly rate hotel room.
South Florida can suck a dick. Nobody can afford to live down here.
The mega-rich stay in a different part of town and our neighborhoods are run down, but it’s still too expensive.
That’s one reason my mom chose to live in a hotel. It’s more affordable and she didn’t have to worry about passing a credit check or none of that shit.
A grown dude like myself has no business staying in a one room hotel with his mom. It doesn’t work and it made me never want to come home. So, as soon as I got my first paycheck, I found a hotel a few minutes away from hers and moved my shit in.
Hotels like this are a dime a dozen down here. They’re a whole side of life that no one talks about. It makes people uncomfortable to acknowledge how poor some folks really are.
We moved to that hotel right around the time I started middle school.
I didn’t tell anyone, because I was too fucking embarrassed.
I refused to take the bus home, so the other kids wouldn’t see it stop in front of the chain of motels on Federal Ave.
For a month straight, I walked miles a day, until I finally asked my mom to get me a skateboard.
Getting a bicycle was pricey, and the skateboard seemed much cooler to me back then. It took an entire day of fucking around with it in the parking lot to get the hang of skating, and it’s been my main mode of transportation ever since.
That’s the day I first saw Teddy. Even back then, he had crazy-ass, blond curly hair. I slipped off my board, skinned my knee, and when I looked up, I saw him sitting on a curb. He looked like a little kid, not middle-school age.
I grabbed my skateboard and went inside my cramped hotel room. There was a small possibility that he was actually a middle-schooler and I needed to make sure he didn’t recognize me.
The next day, I skateboarded all the way home and it felt fucking amazing. I was free; I was only jolted off my board once or twice. But when I came to a stop in front of my hotel room, I noticed the blond boy sitting in the same spot again. He had a backpack next to him this time.
Every day after school, for the rest of that week, he was there. And I carefully avoided him. Until Friday.
I was much more confident with my skating by the fifth day. As I flew around the corner of the parking lot quickly, I was just about to put my foot out and stop when I looked up and saw him sitting on the curb in front of my hotel room.
My foot missed the ground, and I flew off my board, landing on my palms.
“Fuck!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing in front of my room?” I asked him while brushing the gravel and dirt from my palms.
He looked terrified, which threw me off a little. His eyes were wide. “I-I’m sorry,” he stuttered. “I just thought m-maybe we c-could be friends.”
“How old are you? You look like you’re in elementary school or something.”
He pulled his lip between his teeth and looked down at the ground. “I know I’m small, but we go to the same school. I’ve seen you at the cafeteria.
Fuck. Why did I think no one else at school would live here?
“It was a stupid idea anyway.” He stood up and brushed his hands on the back of his shorts. “I’ll just leave you alone from now on.”
He turned to walk away, but I grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. I finally got a close look at his face. Skin a little on the fairer side, freckles scattered across his cheeks and nose. And thick lashes adorned the big green eyes. They made him look like a girl , I thought.
“What’s your name?” I asked.
He gave me an unsure look. “Theodore. But my mom calls me Teddy.”
Teddy . Like a fucking teddy bear. Okay then.
“Alright, Teddy. My name’s Liam. We can be friends, I guess, but you have to promise not to tell anyone I live here.” I gave him the most serious face I could back then—which is far less intimidating than it is now. But it worked, nonetheless.
His brows drew in and he looked truly annoyed. “Why would I do that? You think I want anyone to know I live in this shithole too?”
Even back then, he had no problem with calling me out.
I swing into the parking lot of the infamous park we still frequent.
I wasn’t sure if we’d still meet up here after graduating high school, but as it turns out, nothing really changed.
Well, except Ben and Damon. They keep it pretty low key now.
They still smoke weed, but they don’t party or anything else. And honestly, more power to them.
I skate up the concrete ramp, straight into the pavilion, and come to an abrupt stop, my chest heaving from the exertion.
I take in the scene in front of me. Ant and Ben are sitting side by side, and Teddy is sitting opposite them with his boyfriend, Asher.
He’s never brought him to the park before but it was bound to happen, I guess.
Just to be a dick, I walk up to Teddy, lean down, and wipe my sweaty face all over his shirt.
“What the fuck, dude? Come on,” he complains, but I know he’s not actually mad. Ant and Ben start laughing their asses off, but Asher doesn’t say shit.
A smirk lifts my lips. “Well, what the fuck is up guys? I see we’ve got a newcomer here. I don’t know if we’ve properly met,” I say with all the sarcasm I can muster. I’m feeling a little chaotic today, so why not?
“Shut up, Liam. You know this is my boyfriend, Asher.”
“Right. Been waiting for you to bring him around. It’s nice to finally meet you, bro.” I shift my gaze to him. It’s not nice at all, actually— and I bet he can tell by the crazy-ass smile on my face right now.
Teddy has told me all about this guy. I know his type; he’s only using Teddy to get in his pants. It’s obvious to me, but I don’t think it is the same for Teddy. He’s always tended to be na?ve.
“And who are you?” he deadpans. My brows pull together, and my smile gets even bigger. I probably look downright sadistic at this point.
“Damn, man. You didn’t tell him about me? I thought we were best friends,” I joke, lifting my hand to my bare chest in mock offense.
“Liam’s on one today, huh,” Ben says, with a chuckle.
“When is he not?” Ant rolls his eyes.
“Whatever.” I shrug. “I come bearing gifts.” I pull the pack of cigarettes out of my pocket and grab the joint I put in there earlier today. Bringing it to my lips, I light it and puff it a couple times before handing it to Ben. Asher can be last in the rotation, because fuck that guy.
I pull a small baggy of weed and the foil packet of blunt wraps from my pocket, and set them down in front of Teddy. “Will you roll this while the joint’s going around?” I ask, lowering my voice so only he can hear. I know how much he loves to roll the weed, but it also takes him forever.
A smile lights up his whole face, showing all his teeth. “Will you stop being a dick?” he quips.
A laugh erupts from my chest. “Sure thing, buddy,” I say, and clap him on the shoulder. He stiffens immediately. What the fuck is up with him lately? I pull my hand back.
Over the past few months, I’ve noticed a lot of changes in him. Him and I have always had an easy friendship even though we’re so different. But it’s like he’s pulling away, slowly separating himself from me.
He’s in for a rude fucking awakening if he thinks that’ll actually work though. The fact is, there’s no one in this entire world who knows me like he does. None of these dudes, not my mom, no one.
And I plan to keep it that way. People are fake as fuck, but I found the only good one. He’s the purest motherfucker out there, with a heart of gold. He’s my best friend.
If this is because he has a boyfriend now, then I’m not worried. They won’t last—Asher’s not good enough for him, and if I have to do something about it, I will.
My thoughts are interrupted by Ant’s voice. “Why don’t you ever sit down? You always just stand there like a damn weirdo.”
Ben snickers. I realize I’m just standing at the front of the table with my arms crossed over my chest. I zoned out while watching Teddy’s slim fingers break down the weed. They know how I am though, so I don’t give them a response. They talk, just to talk. Not me, though.
“Why are you guys still surprised about anything Liam does?” Teddy says and shakes his head at them, a smile playing on his lips. They’re so full; his features never stopped being feminine. His jaw is sharper now, but he doesn’t grow any hair on it.
I watch his light pink tongue dart out and lick across the blunt wrap right before he seals it. Without a second thought, I reach across the table and hand him the lighter.
While he lights up, I direct my attention to Ben. “Where’s Dame?”
“He’s at the community college scheduling his classes for fall.
I went and did mine yesterday, but y’all were working so he couldn’t come with.
He should be here soon though.” I nod my head, acknowledging his words.
Damon hadn’t mentioned anything about it.
Or maybe he did, and I wasn’t paying attention.
“Good for y’all, man. Making shit happen. He’ll have a lot on his plate with the long hours we work, though.”
“Yeah, that’s what I told him, but he insisted.”
“I think I’m going to apply there, too.” Teddy chimes in.
“Damn. Am I the only one not thinking about college yet?”
“Yup,” Ant says. “Nothing wrong with that, though. You have a career already with Ben’s dad. Not everyone needs to get a degree.”
It’s true. I’m perfectly happy with working for Luke.
I earn decent money and I really like working with my hands.
We install windows and doors and build fences.
I can just stick my headphones in and zone out while I work.
And Luke says there may be a chance for me to run my own crew in the future—which would make me more money, but I’m not in any rush to have more responsibility.
By the time the blunt gets passed to me, it’s nearly finished already. I hit it a few times, loving the way the smoke fills my lungs.
“You ready to go, baby?” Asher asks Teddy. My face screws up like I ate something sour, but I refrain from saying anything.
“Um. Yeah, I guess so,” he mutters, obviously lying.
Asher stands from the bench, and I take a moment to size him up. He’s clearly built, but not bigger than me. He’s got that pretty boy thing going on with the swoopy hair and pastel shorts. His parents probably have money.
Teddy bids goodbye to everyone, and then to me, he says, “Bye, Liam,” before walking past me.
He used to hug me. Does Asher have a problem with that? Is that what this is about? It’s the only rational reason I can think of as to why he won’t even look me in the eyes anymore.
Asher grabs his hand as they walk away and leans into his ear to whisper something, but he doesn’t know I can hear him. “That’s Liam? He’s kind of a dick.”
“What was that?” I ask. Please repeat yourself.
“What?” he says, turning around to look at me.
I smile back at him, a big one, too. “Pretty sure you just tried to talk shit about me to my best friend, right in front of me.”
He puffs out his chest a little, standing straighter. Teddy tries to pull his hand out of his, but I notice Asher squeeze it tighter, not letting him go. “He’s my boyfriend and I can say whatever the fuck I want to him.”
I’m barely listening to his whiny-ass voice, because I just saw Teddy wince.
The smile drops from my face. “Let go of him,” I grit, really hoping he can tell I’m not fucking around.
“What?”
Is this motherfucker deaf?
Without a second thought, I cross the short distance between us, cock back my fist and slam it into his face. The loud crack echoes through the empty pavilion as his head twists back and he falls on his ass.
Teddy’s jaw is pretty much on the floor and all the color has drained from his face.
“What the fuck?” Asher shrills from the floor, holding his cheek.
At that exact moment, Damon stalks into the pavilion. “What’s going on?” he questions. Ben goes to him, probably to explain what the fuck just happened.
“Go,” I bite out, looking Asher directly into the eyes. I pull out my cigarettes and walk back to the table to grab my lighter.
He’s won’t do shit—not with all of us here, so I’m not really worried about turning my back on him.
He stands up clumsily. “Let’s go, Teddy. Now.”
Teddy’s still open-mouthed, but he’s looking at me. Finally. I pull the cigarette from my mouth, holding it between my fingers as I gesture at him.
“He’s not going anywhere with you, my dude,” I mutter sarcastically.
He scoffs and storms off like the bitch that he is. “Fucking psycho,” he mumbles as a last-ditch effort.
That shit is in one ear and out the other for me. I know what I am.
“You good now? Finally got it all out?” Ant questions, a knowing smirk on his face.
“All good here.”