Untouchable (boyxboy)

Chapter 11

In sleeveless muscle shirts and board shorts, Spencer and Mike appear ready for the beach. Dylan also looks casual, though with a more mature style: a polo shirt over khaki shorts.

All three stare up at us, and we stare back, both groups trying hard to process what it sees.

Isaac is the first to recover. He grins down at his friends and, rather than move away from me, pulls me closer against his side.

"You guys got here early!" he exclaims. "Well, what d'ya think? Do we make a damn cute couple or what?"

He turns and kisses the side of my face with an audible smack.

Meanwhile, I'm standing like a deer in headlights, frozen stupid with dread, waiting to be destroyed.

Spencer and Mike burst into peals of incredulous laughter.

"Isaac, dude! What the Hell are you doing? People can see you out here!" Spencer exclaims through his giggles.

Isaac's bright smile dims, and his expression clouds with confusion.

"So? I told you guys I like dudes as much as chicks, remember? What's the problem?"

"Nothing, I guess," Spencer says, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes. "You just always act so normal, I guess we forgot."

"This is normal," Isaac argues, his arm tightening a little on my side.

Spencer lifts his bare shoulders in a shrug. "Whatever you say, man. It's cool."

"No man, it's fuckin' hilarious," Mike cackles, raising his phone. "This is pure gold!"

I realize what he's doing just in time to turn aside, ducking my head into the space above Isaac's shoulder to hide my face.

"Hey!" Isaac shouts, releasing me and charging towards his friend. "Don't do that Mike! Delete it right now!"

"What? Why?" Mike objects, looking at his phone with glee.

Isaac grabs for it and Mike jumps away, and then they do a weird little dance, like male animals facing off in the wild or something, until Isaac proves quicker and snatches the phone from Mike's hand.

He taps the screen a few times and then tosses it back.

"Fuck, man? Why'd you do that?" Mike complains. "I thought you said it was 'normal' and shit."

"It is—or it should be. But don't take pictures without asking. You of all people should know better," he adds.

He holds Mike's gaze a moment, and another nonverbal battle goes on between them for a few seconds, until Mike loses again and looks away.

"Sorry," he says, apparently chastised. "I just thought it was funny."

Isaac seems genuinely perplexed. "It's not funny," he says, eyeing me critically. "It's beautiful. I did a good job, don't you think? It looks just like Belle's dress."

For Belle's sake, I hope not.

So far I haven't dared to look at Dylan, but I do now, curious to see how he reacts to Isaac's glowing comparison.

He's frowning, but the stark, raw hatred I'd seen before is gone, or at least concealed behind a more neutral facade.

"What are you guys doing here so early, anyway?" Isaac goes on. "I thought you wouldn't be here 'til the afternoon."

"Ooh, uh-oh," Spencer laughs. "I think we interrupted Isaac's play, guys."

Isaac rolls his eyes. "I'm working here, dumb-ass. Although, no one said I don't enjoy my work."