Suffocate Read Free

call me that.”
    “That’s why I do it,” she answers popping her hands on her slender model sized hips. Immediately seeing me her jaw drops, “What—”
    “He crashed here last night,” Luke informs heading left for the stairs with me a safe distance behind him.
    “Why?” C.J. looks at me for an explanation.
    You know how you have that best friend that knows damn near every secret you have. Yeah? Well that’s C.J. Sometimes it’s such a pain in the ass. Like now. He knows exactly why I shouldn’t be here.
    “Someone got jumped last night,” Luke answers for me, the anger over the situation tearing through me quickly.
    “What?!” Erin and C.J. shriek in unison, their attention on me now.
    Annoyed I pass him on the stairs and mumble, “I have to keep your secret, but you can’t keep mine.”
    When I reach the bottom of the stairs that leak into their open style living room Erin’s face scrunches in discomfort. “Is that why you look like you made out with a brick wall?”
    “Several times,” I playfully answer her as I notice C.J.’s jaw is ticking.
    He starts, “What—”
    “I don’t wanna talk about it,” I shut him off and slide my hands in my jean pockets. “I just want a long hot shower and a long nap in my own bed.”
    “Wait. Wait. Wait.” Erin holds up a hand as Luke leans against the railing. “You slept in his bed?”
    “No,” I lie covering for him. “The floor.”
    “Oh,” she sounds slightly disappointed. “I was gonna say....he doesn’t let anybody sit on his bed let alone sleep in it.”
    Huh. Well. That’s...never mind. A mistake he made I’m sure out of pity. Just like letting me touch him.
    “It’s not a couch. No one needs to be sitting on it,” he sighs from behind me.
    “And the having sex in it?” Erin challenges. “That’s what beds are for .”
    “They’re for sleeping!” He snaps back. She opens her mouth and he tosses his hands in the air. “Not another word about beds until I’ve had at least one cup of coffee please.”
    She scrunches her face at him as I tilt my head at C.J. who clearly looks irked. In a cold voice he interrogates, “Why did you sleep here?”
    “Apparently I couldn’t drive with that many pain killers in me.”
    “You fell asleep after three minutes of being in the car,” Luke adds.
    “So why didn’t he take you home?” He grills.
    “I don’t have keys. Managed to lose them between frat fuckhead 2 and 6.”
    “You were jumped by 6 dudes?!” Erin shrieks. “Oh my gosh!”
    “Don’t worry too hard,” I assure her. “As you can see most of the damage missed my face.”
    “That’s not funny.” C.J. shakes his head slowly.
    “I heal quickly,” I continue talking to her. “Almost like a superhero.”
    “That is true,” C.J. sighs turning his attention to her. “It’s weird.”
    I could be a superhero. World’s first gay superhero. What do you mean I’m not the world’s first? How do you know? Why do you have better knowledge of superheroes than me? You should see my secret stash of comic books.
    After clearing his throat loudly, from the kitchen that’s on the other side of the open living room, Luke asks, “Are you staying for pancakes?”
    My eyes move over to his and the cold, distant look I’m used to seeing has returned. Putting my feelings away, I playfully answer, “Not this time Betty Crocker.”
    Erin starts giggling and Luke grumbles something before turning around to rifle through the cabinets loudly. Pleased by my comment she nods, “Nice...”
    I smirk and turn to C.J., “A ride?”
    “Yeah,” he grunts turning towards his picture perfect girlfriend. “Sorry to cut this short babe—”
    “I have spent the last three days with you in various positions. My pussy welcomes the break,” she says pulling her long brown hair to the side of her face.
    “I am in the room!” her brother yells from the kitchen.
    If it were up to me, he’d be complaining about the same thing.
    “You