✔️Playing Heroes [a BoyxBoy novel]

Chapter Four

Nick in the Media

Chapter Four

Friday's were my sacred days. They were my days off. Days off work I mean; I still had classes, but I worshipped Friday's. That Friday night, I had big plans which consisted of reading books on the sofa while sipping tea like the classy bitch I was. It was supposed to be quiet. It was supposed to be time for myself, but as soon as I sat on my cracking leather couch, there was a persistent banging at my door.

"I swear if it's another pizza guy with the wrong address..." I muttered and heaved myself off of the couch, heading towards the door. I didn't even bother to look in the peephole as I swung it open, ready to give whoever it was on the other side of the door a piece of my mind. But, I saw it was only Maree, her long dark-brown hair in two braids and her mocha-colored skin glowing from the cold winter outside.

"Well?" She asked, "Are you gonna let me in? Or do you have... company?"

I snickered, stepping aside to let her in. "I haven't gotten any good company in a while."

She sat crossed legged on the wooden floor in front of my TV where I joined her a second after. "Honey, you haven't gone out enough to find any good company."

"Oh well," I shrugged. "I'm not complaining. Let's just say that I find the company of myself more entertaining than the company of another guy who is just looking for a good fuck."

"Respect," Maree agreed, snapping her slender fingers. "Oh, how was your mom, by the way?"

I winced and filled her in on the events. I finished with a heavy sigh and I felt as if all the energy had been drained from me. "I don't know, Maree. I know she isn't in her right mind... but she just seemed so... scared. So scared for me, y'know?"

Maree gripped my hand tight, a comfort I didn't know that I needed. She knew about all the struggles I went through when my mom got put away, but she supported me. I didn't think I'd be able to go through all that without her, a strong rock for me to lean on. She was more like my sister than a best friend. She was there when I had my first crush through to my first heartbreak. I told her everything and that included all of my interactions with A.

I smiled, hoping it projected my gratitude and gave a slight squeeze back. "I don't want to talk about this," I confessed. "It's depressing."

She understood. I knew she would. So, she put on a cheeky grin and prodded my cheek. "How're things going with this sexy and mysterious A guy? Any more foreplay- I mean interactions with him?"

"I was wondering if you'd told your little girlfriend about us," a deep and familiar voice said from my small kitchen. My stomach dropped as I matched the voice to a face and sure enough, when I turned around, I saw that A was rifling through my fridge, dressed from head to toe in his black suit. He picked up a container of Chinese takeout. "It makes me feel like we can move forward with this relationship."

"Holy fucking shit," Maree cursed under her breath, slapping my thigh. "Is that him? That's him, right?"

My throat felt dry. Him being here probably wasn't a good sign. "What are you doing here?"

"He's fucking hot," Maree whispered, slapping my thigh harder to try and get my attention. I ignored her and kept my eyes trained on A, who was stuffing himself with cold Chinese food.

"You're not answering my question," I pressed.

"Turn on the TV, sweetheart," he said simply, his beautiful lips quirking.