[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
him? Why you're so sure? You're choosing him, and that hurts. I just, I need to understand why."
"It's hard to explain," said Aidan, chancing a glance from the road over to Steven.
"Try," said Steven.
"All right. When I first arrived in the fall, I was terrified. I'd had bad luck with roommates, as you
know. And there was a group of guys who liked to watch and tease as I moved my boxes to the room
every year. You know the type. Trying to be macho by putting other people down." Aidan sighed and
continued softly, the whirring of the heat making Aidan's voice fight to be heard. "Sammy called them
out. Told them they should be ashamed of themselves, that they were just cowards to be afraid a guy
might look at them. And he stripped off his shirt and lifted one of my boxes, and he carried it to the
room."
"That's it?"
Aidan pulled the car to the side of the road and shut his eyes. "No. But that's when I knew. It hit me
in a rush all at once. I tried to pretend it was lust for a while, just lust. Sammy's like you, gorgeous and
built and beautiful. It made it easier to pretend that's all it was."
"So there's more?"
"Just little things. The way he'd endure my crazy movies, our opposite schedules. How he'd try to
help me with sciences even before I started helping him with writing and lit. He treated me like I was
family, from the start. Made me a part of his friends. Included me in parties and outings and
everything, really." Aidan trembled. "But that's not why I love him. I love him because he protected
me and made me feel safe that very first moment, and I never stopped, it just got so much stronger."
Steven screwed his eyes shut. "I want us..." Steven sighed deeply. "I still want to be friends. It'll be
hard for a while. But don't you dare let Sammy take that friendship from you."
Aidan took Steven's hand and kissed it. "Good friends," he said.
Steven looked at Aidan. "It's going to be okay. Just take me home. I need some time."
Chapter 23
Aidan returned Steven to his dorm, parking nearby and walking up with him. They parted
awkwardly, and on the walk back down, Aidan called Tim Hagenbac and asked Steven's friend to
check on him throughout the night.
Aidan had parked near Steven's dorm, and he walked back across campus rather than drove. The
walk was somber this time. There was no strong arm to encircle him and make him feel safe and
loved. Instead, he'd... Dear God. He'd broken up with a man who loved him. This is the right thing.
Steven even agreed, half-hearted attempts to spend the night with him aside.
Aidan took a very deep breath, filling his lungs with the frozen air and breathing out a hazy mist.
The sounds of the night had him hyper alert, the raucous laughter of the dorms, the drunk students
stumbling down the walkways. These were all things he knew, even found comfortable in a sense, and
yet tonight they brought with them fear. The fear he'd felt earlier, the fear that Steven had kept at bay.
Aidan felt cold and vulnerable, but climbed the stairs of his dorm with determination and
nervousness. He'd done it. This was his choice, and he'd committed to it. He reached the final landing
and smiled. Screaming. He couldn't make out the words, but he could see the stares from everyone,
standing in the doors of their rooms, staring at the door to his room. He might not be able to make out
words, but he knew that voice well enough. Caroline.
The eyes moved to him and widened, and half the doors shut almost immediately. Crap.
Aidan strode calmly down the hall, ignoring the looks. He reached the door to witness the room in
shambles, Caroline destroying anything she could put her hands on as she screamed.
Aidan cleared his throat, and her eyes turned on him with fury. She reached for the photo of him
with Michael, the one that sat on his nightstand, and she picked it up before Sammy could snatch it
away. She lifted it to throw only to find her hand grasped tightly in massive hands as Sammy twisted
it from her hands.
"Hit me," said Sammy. "Not--"
She slapped Sammy hard, long nails ripping across his face, leaving a trail of rapidly beading red.
"You bastard," she said, lunging at Aidan. Sammy reached for her and held her back.
"Bad enough you stole Sarah's boyfriend, but mine!" She strained against Sammy's grip, stamping
hard on his foot. Sammy groaned, and she managed to wriggle free, a clawed hand trying to reach
Aidan.
"I hit back at anything that hits me," said Aidan, "and I'm not the prissy fag you think I am."
"You fucking bastard!" she screamed. "You already have Steven, you miserable fag!"
"Carol!" said Sammy, grabbing for her loose arm.
Aidan shook his head. "Let her go," he said softly.
Caroline lunged for him, but Aidan was faster, blocking her and stepping aside quickly. "You hit
me and I will hit you," said Aidan, deftly turning aside another strike that left her overextended. Aidan
swept out with one foot, and Caroline fell onto the bed screaming as she tried to get back to her feet.
She lunged up, and Aidan deftly struck her lightly on the forehead before her balance could adjust,
causing her to fall back down onto the bed. "Stop it," he said, looking around the room. He pulled out
his phone and looked at her. She tried to stand up and found herself toppled quickly again.
"You bastard!"
"What did I do?" asked Aidan.
"He cheated with you!"
"No," said Aidan, "he didn't. I wouldn't do that."
"He's leaving me!" she screamed.
"I know."
"It's your fault!" She lunged again, and again a deft strike as her balance shifted left her falling
backward onto the bed. She screamed in frustration, throwing a pillow at him.
Aidan blocked it, tossing it back onto the bed. "You have a choice, Caroline," he said softly, forcing
her to quiet just to be able to hear him. "You can leave, now. Or I can call campus police and you can
spend the night in jail for assault."
"You wouldn't do that!" yelled Caroline.
"I would. Now get out," said Aidan.
"You can't have him!" she screamed, this time angling herself enough to escape to her feet and
slapping Aidan across the face. Aidan felt the sting of her nails as he twisted to avoid the worst of it.
Caroline came at him with nails outstretched.
Aidan dodged backward and spoke into his phone. "I'd like to report an assault in my dormitory.
Yes. That's correct," said Aidan, breathing heavy as he dodged aside from another blow.
Aidan seized the pillow from the bed and used it to block her strike again and push her back onto [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
zanotowane.pl doc.pisz.pl pdf.pisz.pl aikidobyd.xlx.pl
him? Why you're so sure? You're choosing him, and that hurts. I just, I need to understand why."
"It's hard to explain," said Aidan, chancing a glance from the road over to Steven.
"Try," said Steven.
"All right. When I first arrived in the fall, I was terrified. I'd had bad luck with roommates, as you
know. And there was a group of guys who liked to watch and tease as I moved my boxes to the room
every year. You know the type. Trying to be macho by putting other people down." Aidan sighed and
continued softly, the whirring of the heat making Aidan's voice fight to be heard. "Sammy called them
out. Told them they should be ashamed of themselves, that they were just cowards to be afraid a guy
might look at them. And he stripped off his shirt and lifted one of my boxes, and he carried it to the
room."
"That's it?"
Aidan pulled the car to the side of the road and shut his eyes. "No. But that's when I knew. It hit me
in a rush all at once. I tried to pretend it was lust for a while, just lust. Sammy's like you, gorgeous and
built and beautiful. It made it easier to pretend that's all it was."
"So there's more?"
"Just little things. The way he'd endure my crazy movies, our opposite schedules. How he'd try to
help me with sciences even before I started helping him with writing and lit. He treated me like I was
family, from the start. Made me a part of his friends. Included me in parties and outings and
everything, really." Aidan trembled. "But that's not why I love him. I love him because he protected
me and made me feel safe that very first moment, and I never stopped, it just got so much stronger."
Steven screwed his eyes shut. "I want us..." Steven sighed deeply. "I still want to be friends. It'll be
hard for a while. But don't you dare let Sammy take that friendship from you."
Aidan took Steven's hand and kissed it. "Good friends," he said.
Steven looked at Aidan. "It's going to be okay. Just take me home. I need some time."
Chapter 23
Aidan returned Steven to his dorm, parking nearby and walking up with him. They parted
awkwardly, and on the walk back down, Aidan called Tim Hagenbac and asked Steven's friend to
check on him throughout the night.
Aidan had parked near Steven's dorm, and he walked back across campus rather than drove. The
walk was somber this time. There was no strong arm to encircle him and make him feel safe and
loved. Instead, he'd... Dear God. He'd broken up with a man who loved him. This is the right thing.
Steven even agreed, half-hearted attempts to spend the night with him aside.
Aidan took a very deep breath, filling his lungs with the frozen air and breathing out a hazy mist.
The sounds of the night had him hyper alert, the raucous laughter of the dorms, the drunk students
stumbling down the walkways. These were all things he knew, even found comfortable in a sense, and
yet tonight they brought with them fear. The fear he'd felt earlier, the fear that Steven had kept at bay.
Aidan felt cold and vulnerable, but climbed the stairs of his dorm with determination and
nervousness. He'd done it. This was his choice, and he'd committed to it. He reached the final landing
and smiled. Screaming. He couldn't make out the words, but he could see the stares from everyone,
standing in the doors of their rooms, staring at the door to his room. He might not be able to make out
words, but he knew that voice well enough. Caroline.
The eyes moved to him and widened, and half the doors shut almost immediately. Crap.
Aidan strode calmly down the hall, ignoring the looks. He reached the door to witness the room in
shambles, Caroline destroying anything she could put her hands on as she screamed.
Aidan cleared his throat, and her eyes turned on him with fury. She reached for the photo of him
with Michael, the one that sat on his nightstand, and she picked it up before Sammy could snatch it
away. She lifted it to throw only to find her hand grasped tightly in massive hands as Sammy twisted
it from her hands.
"Hit me," said Sammy. "Not--"
She slapped Sammy hard, long nails ripping across his face, leaving a trail of rapidly beading red.
"You bastard," she said, lunging at Aidan. Sammy reached for her and held her back.
"Bad enough you stole Sarah's boyfriend, but mine!" She strained against Sammy's grip, stamping
hard on his foot. Sammy groaned, and she managed to wriggle free, a clawed hand trying to reach
Aidan.
"I hit back at anything that hits me," said Aidan, "and I'm not the prissy fag you think I am."
"You fucking bastard!" she screamed. "You already have Steven, you miserable fag!"
"Carol!" said Sammy, grabbing for her loose arm.
Aidan shook his head. "Let her go," he said softly.
Caroline lunged for him, but Aidan was faster, blocking her and stepping aside quickly. "You hit
me and I will hit you," said Aidan, deftly turning aside another strike that left her overextended. Aidan
swept out with one foot, and Caroline fell onto the bed screaming as she tried to get back to her feet.
She lunged up, and Aidan deftly struck her lightly on the forehead before her balance could adjust,
causing her to fall back down onto the bed. "Stop it," he said, looking around the room. He pulled out
his phone and looked at her. She tried to stand up and found herself toppled quickly again.
"You bastard!"
"What did I do?" asked Aidan.
"He cheated with you!"
"No," said Aidan, "he didn't. I wouldn't do that."
"He's leaving me!" she screamed.
"I know."
"It's your fault!" She lunged again, and again a deft strike as her balance shifted left her falling
backward onto the bed. She screamed in frustration, throwing a pillow at him.
Aidan blocked it, tossing it back onto the bed. "You have a choice, Caroline," he said softly, forcing
her to quiet just to be able to hear him. "You can leave, now. Or I can call campus police and you can
spend the night in jail for assault."
"You wouldn't do that!" yelled Caroline.
"I would. Now get out," said Aidan.
"You can't have him!" she screamed, this time angling herself enough to escape to her feet and
slapping Aidan across the face. Aidan felt the sting of her nails as he twisted to avoid the worst of it.
Caroline came at him with nails outstretched.
Aidan dodged backward and spoke into his phone. "I'd like to report an assault in my dormitory.
Yes. That's correct," said Aidan, breathing heavy as he dodged aside from another blow.
Aidan seized the pillow from the bed and used it to block her strike again and push her back onto [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]