A single bet. Two people. And one month of free ice-cream.
Unspoken promises, heated gazes, and an inexplicable lust for each other. Will Tyler and Brandon confess their true feelings? Or will their playful banter and awkward moments dissolve into n...
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Brandon rushed onto the stage. The microphone echoed his words throughout the area and rang in my ears like bells of doom. It would have been futile to think that no one had heard it. Sure enough, chaos erupted from the crowd. Cheers, hooting, and laughter reached my ears. I tightened the grip on the makeup brush in my hand. There was no escaping this. I wished I had a common name and no one would've figured out who it was. But I'd yet to meet another woman named Tyler in my school. If not me, then who could it be?
I opened my mouth to rebuke Brandon for the confession, but he was already out of hearing distance. Seth quickly hurried after him. Rebecca eyed me from my side, trying to gauge my reaction, but I was too embarrassed to face her. I could vividly remember the banging night we had yesterday. The groans, the shouts, and the pounding we did on the wall. Or the waist crushing acting I'd done this morning. Brandon hadn't spared any effort to boast in front of Leo and Liam too. How were we going to explain that? Not to forget the free lunch that was on the line now...
How did one lie spiral into this big fiasco? I finally understood how it felt to be on the receiving end of these awkward incidents. Usually, it was me who would cause these blunders and would have to beg for apologies or hang my head in shame. But today, Brandon seemed to have caught up to me and even upped the game.
The lights dimmed on the stage. Even in the darkness, I could make out Brandon's silhouette. The thick coat of oil on his skin made him glow under the soft fairy lights. I squinted to look at his face and saw the distressed lines on his forehead. The knot of anger loosened in my chest. I sighed. It didn't take a genius to find out that he was beating himself up for it. He probably thought I was still super angry. But really, who was I to say anything to him at this point? I'd already humiliated him and myself in numerous amazing ways at each and every turn. Wasn't it better that he was turning more like me?
At least, we could bury our heads in the sand together from now on.
The thought almost comforted me. Brandon continued to eye me from the stage. It wouldn't be good if he was distracted during the performance. They had practiced too hard and too long for it to be ruined because of this. I sought his eyes and gave him a thumbs up. He widened his eyes at the gesture, but then his shoulders relaxed and he flashed me a smile. I returned the smile. That was better.
Rebecca tapped my arm and said, "Tyler, let's go. The props have been kept."
We stepped out from backstage. The crowd was still bustling and laughing from the previous incident. I kept my head down as I mingled into the sweaty bodies and tried not to attract attention. Rebecca looked around for Liam and Leo, but it was impossible to find them at the last moment. The two of us stood right in front of the stage, getting the closest and clearest view, and waited for the performance to start.
The spotlight shone down on Brandon and Seth. Their shiny bodies came into view and the crowd hushed. I swallowed at the scene. Swimmers were just built differently. Even with the shirt on, I could see their defined muscles underneath. The thin layer of fabric felt more of a tease—like they were deliberately playing peekaboo with our feelings and obstructing the view to the delicious goods. I glanced around. My thoughts seemed to mirror what others were thinking. Everyone held their breaths as they watched them.
