Nick shoved the door open and got out.

The tears in his mom’s eyes...the sadness in her voice, for fucking nothing. He’d wrecked her. For the first time in his life, he fucking wrecked her.

“Nick,” Bryce called from behind him. “I’m not...it’s just. I’m not saying I’m done with you.”

Nick turned and looked at him. “Maybe you should be. Maybe this is all too fucking much.”

***

Bryce didn’t know what to think, or what the hell to do. Life was a whole lot easier when the only things he cared about were his family, his shop and Christi. Everything was different with Nick, everything was more, yet he didn’t say a word as Nick walked away.

He didn’t go to Nick’s house, instead making his way into his own.

Bryce wasn’t sure how he felt about anything right now. No, that wasn’t true. He knew how he felt about Nick; but then there was that voice in his head telling him there was no fucking way this could work. Not when Nick’s mom would never accept him and Bryce’s own family couldn’t trust him.

Even knowing all that...he hadn’t been ready to walk away. Fuck that. Bryce didn’t want to throw in the towel. He only thought they needed a night to clear their heads, but it seemed pretty fucking easy for Nick to walk away.

The pictures on the walls rattled when Bryce slammed his door. He went to the kitchen and drained a bottle of beer before going straight into the bathroom.

He turned on the shower, stripped out of his clothes and got in.

Bryce washed his body, as though cleaning the day off his skin would mean it didn’t happen. Soap ran down his back, down the crack of his ass, as he washed every inch of himself.

Hot water pelted his skin. There was a knot in his gut, an ache in his chest. With his hands flat against the wall, Bryce leaned forward, letting the stinging hot water run over his head and down his body.

A hundred different reasons as to why this couldn’t work spun around inside his head—they’d both considered themselves straight before this, their families, turning their whole worlds upside down for each other, and yeah, even the sex. Nick got him harder than anyone ever had, yet every time they were together, Bryce thought about the fact that Nick had yet to fuck him. He knew it would happen eventually, but couldn’t one fucking thing just be easy between them?

Even if it couldn’t, it didn’t change a damn thing. He didn’t want to fucking walk away, didn’t want to lose Nick. He’d do anything to keep him.

Bryce didn’t turn when he heard a noise behind him. He didn’t turn when he felt strong arms wrap around him from behind, a body flush against his back. He kept his hands against the wall, but pulled his head out from under the spray. “What took you so long?”

“It’s been fifteen minutes.”

“Fifteen minutes too long.”

Nick squeezed him tighter. He dropped his head back on Nick’s shoulder. “I’m sorry,” Nick said softly.

“I’m sorry, too. I feel like we’re on this fucking rollercoaster. We keep going over the same loops, the same dips, over and over.”

“The same highs, too.” Nick leaned in, his mouth right next to Bryce’s ear. “I’m not getting off the ride without you.”

Bryce moaned in response. “That right there. That’s what I want to hear.”

“You know part of it is nerves, right...?” Nick’s words hung in the air. Bryce knew exactly what he meant. Yes, part of the reason he couldn’t take Nick, had to be fear. Even though he wanted Nick, his body tensed, freaked out.

“Yeah...I know.” He was stressing himself out over it so much, that his body froze up. “I just need you.”

He heard Nick gasp. “I need you, too. I want you.” Nick ran his hand down Bryce’s body, wrapping a fist around his cock. “I want inside you. Want to fuck you all night, maybe even all day tomorrow, too. I want your ass hugging my dick, and to know I’m the only one who’s ever going to be there, the same way you own mine. I want to wake up at night and know I can roll over, push my cock inside you and have you any time I want. To know that you can do the same thing to me. Fuck, I want you so goddamn much, it’s like a part of me. Something I can’t live without, like my heart or lungs.”

Bryce’s legs nearly gave out. He thrust forward, letting his dick slide through Nick’s fist. “You’re getting better at the dirty talk.”

“I learned from the best.”

“Fuck me, Nick.”

Nick spun him, shoved Bryce’s back against the shower wall before their mouths collided together. It was a hard kiss, urgent and fucking needy. He bit Nick’s lip as Nick thrust his cock against Bryce’s. Bryce used both his hands to wrap around their erections as Nick thrust powerfully, pushing Bryce into the wall over and over.