Permanent Jet Lag by A.N. Casey

Author:A.N. Casey
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: coming of age, gay, lgbt, family, contemporary, tearjerker
Publisher: NineStar Press

Chapter Eleven

An old nineties romcom was playing on the TV in Chris’s room when the nurse finally came back. I’d always hated romcoms on principle mostly because, well, I was a dude, and also because the time between meet and love was so notoriously short. But Chris watched with at least mild interest, his hands propping his head up so he could see properly. It wasn’t until the nurse cleared her throat that he looked away from the television and blinked his way out of an apparent daze.

“You’re free to go, Mr. Wood,” she said, and he beamed.

To give him the privacy of dressing alone, she left the room, and I offered to do the same, but Chris just waved his hand and told me that “we all have the same parts.”

I didn’t see what good that did or why it was supposed to be comforting when he knew full well I wasn’t very interested in opposite body parts, but I stayed anyway and tried to focus on the ceiling when he climbed out of bed in nothing but a flimsy hospital gown. Problem was, peripheral vision was still very much a thing, and as good as I wanted to be, I couldn’t help but notice the firm, tanned expanse of Chris’s back that ended in the band of his boxers and the curve of his ass underneath. Chris had a swimmer’s body, and I’d been excited enough in hearing about it, but seeing it—the lean muscles of his arms, the abs, the long legs, the tanned skin—was a bit of wet dream in more ways than one.

Someone coughed, and I nearly jumped out of my skin before turning to face Todney. He closed the door behind him and raised an eyebrow just as Chris finished buttoning his jeans.

“What’s going on in here?” He sounded way too much like a dad—arms crossed over his chest, eyes narrowed, posture ready to attack.

“Strip show,” Chris said without pause, not even looking up. “I’m practicing for my new job. I didn’t tell you? Right, Todney, I’m a stripper. I’m practicing lap dances next. I mean, I can give you one if you want, but Lucas sort of asked first.”

All the heat in my body rushed directly to my face. Chris pulled his shirt over that last lingering strip of stomach and flattened out the wrinkles.

Todney rolled his eyes. “If you two have sex in a hospital room, I will leave you.”

“I want you to leave me,” Chris said. “I mean—” He paused and scratched the bridge of his nose. “You’ve been here too long. You need a break. Take Rylie home, and Lucas can take me home.” He looked to me, his eyes wide and hopeful, and I nodded without thinking. I didn’t need to think. A whole life spent overthinking, and here I was, reacting to anything and everything that had to do with Chris as though it was basic instinct.

“Yeah, I can take him,” I said. “Clay left me his car.” He’d walked home an hour ago after wishing Chris his best.

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