Noah
I froze, towel clutched around my hips, my whole body stiff as
Miguel’s eyes stayed glued to the marks on my skin. My heart
pounded so loud I swore he could hear it.
“Miguel, it’s nothing,” I blurted, fumbling with the towel until it was
wrapped tighter around me. I sucked in a breath. “It’s… it’s not what
you think it is.”
His eyebrows shot up, his face unreadable for a beat before that crooked grin tugged at his mouth. “Really? ‘Cause what I’m thinking
is either someone’s beating the crap out of you, you’ve got a really
kinky girlfriend… or you’re one of those very, very fanatic Catholics
who whips themselves for fun. Which, honestly, would explain your
recent streak of celibacy.”
My head snapped up. “I’m not in celibacy, dude! Jesus. I just don’t
bring who I date around here, that’s all.”
Miguel blinked at me, waiting. The silence stretched. My palms were
sweating. Shit, I had to say something before Sherlock Holmes Jr.
pieced it all together himself.
1/6
Chapter 107
“The truth is…” My throat locked, but I forced it out. “…I’m a bit into
BDSM, okay? Bondage and… stuff.”
Miguel’s jaw dropped so far I thought it might actually hit the floor.
Before he could say anything, I scrambled on, words tumbling out.
“It’s not a big deal, alright? Just–just don’t say anything. Please.
Please, Miguel. This stays between us.”
His grin widened, but it wasn’t cruel. It was curious. Respectful, even.
“Hey, hey. Relax. I’m not gonna run my mouth. Respect for being
honest, man. That’s… actually kinda awesome.” He tilted his head, his
voice softening. “I just wanna make sure you’re not being abused or
something. You know what you’re doing, right?”
“Yeah, yeah.” I waved him off, heat climbing my neck. “I know all
about it. No one’s torturing me against my will or chaining me to a
radiator. I’m just… experimenting. Safely. That’s all.”
Miguel chuckled, shaking his head. “Damn. I knew there was a freaky
side under all that golden–boy quarterback crap. Good for you, man.”
Then, like the world’s worst wingman, he added, “So… details?”
I shoved at his shoulder, laughing nervously. “Hell no. You’re not
getting details.”
“Fine, fine.” He smirked. “But you better come with us for a drink
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Chapter 107
tonight, help plan homecoming. Keeps the assholes from starting
rumors, you know?”
“I’ll see,” I muttered, tugging my towel tighter.
But even as I said it, my chest tightened with the truth. No way. Not a
chance. Because no matter what, after everything we’d just been
through, the only person I wanted to see tonight was Aiden. The only
one I needed was him.
I threw my clothes back on in record time, desperate to escape before
Miguel decided to ask anything else. My skin still burned with the
weight of his questions, his smirk, his promise not to talk. God, if he slipped up even once, if anyone found out… I’d be done. All of it-
football, school, my whole life. Over.
In hindsight, I realize now how many things back then were a threat
to everything I was or wanted to be. I was living on the edge, walking
the tightrope more than stepping on firm ground.
I shoved my bag over my shoulder and started across campus, head
down, already plotting how fast I could get to Sir’s house. My chest
eased at the thought–safe, grounded, in his arms where none of this
noise could touch me.
“Noah.”
3/6
Chapter 107
My feet stopped dead. His voice.
I turned, and there he was. Still in his training gear, arms folded
across his chest, looking every bit the coach. But his eyes softened
when they met mine.
“Good work today,” he said, calm and measured. “You pushed hard.”
My throat tightened, heat crawling up my neck. A compliment,
simple, but it hooked into me deeper than it should.
“Yeah,” I muttered. “I tried.”
He studied me for a moment, like he could read everything I wasn’t
saying. Then: “I heard the guys are getting together tonight. Planning
homecoming.”
I snorted. “Don’t worry. I’m not going. They’ll be fine without me.”
I shifted my bag, already angling toward the parking lot. “I’ll head to
the house, wait for you there-”
“No.” His voice stopped me cold. Firm, but not unkind. “Maybe you should go. Blend in. Participate in the planning like everyone else. If you skip it, people will start asking questions.”
4/6
Chapter 107
Disappointment slammed into me so fast it almost showed on my
face. What the hell is with everyone insisting I blend in? Keon, Miguel,
now him. Couldn’t they just let me breathe? Couldn’t he see I only
wanted him?
He must’ve caught the flicker of my reaction, because his tone
softened. “Now that the school year’s starting, there will be more eyes
on us. More people paying attention. We need to be extra careful–for
both our sakes.”
Ha. If he only knew all the crap going around already–that I was into
something shady, that I took off every night to God knows where, that
I didn’t like girls… and now, to top it all, that Miguel knew what I was
into but just didn’t know who with. He would’ve freaked the fuck out.
Hell, I should’ve been freaking the fuck out…
I nodded, forcing myself to swallow the lump in my throat. “Yeah.
Extra careful.”
But inside, my chest twisted. It sounded like distance. Like he was
pushing me away. And yet… ‘extra careful‘ still meant together. It
wasn’t ‘we need to stop.‘ It wasn’t the end.
So I clung to that.
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Chapter 107
I waved, casual as I could fake it. “Alright. I’ll see what I can do.”
Then I turned and headed toward the bar where the guys were
meeting, every step heavier than the last. After all, maybe this was a
good idea. Maybe I needed to get out of my head and his head for
once.
I was just stepping through the door when Keon’s voice cut through
the noise.
“Noah! Look who’s here!”
I looked up–straight into Cindy’s smile.
Fuck. I’m so busted.
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Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
