Read Online Stories Beneath Our Skin by Veronica Sloane - Free Book Online
Authors: Veronica Sloane
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asked. He was flushed all over, despite the open windows cooling the car down. He wasn't sure what to make of Ace's sideways admission, if that was what it even was. Maybe Ace had assumed Liam already knew.
" Nuh uh. No freebies, kiddo. You ain't talking then neither am I." Ace waved a hand. "Tell me about college."
" If you're gay, why did you go into the army?" He asked instead of answering. "I mean, I could see maybe now, but back then?"
" Maybe you woke up one morning at twelve years old and knew who you were, but it takes us lesser men time to figure this shit out. Anyway, I probably would have done it anyway. Figured it wouldn't matter if it was just weekends. Could fuck who I wanted on the weekdays, right?" Ace snorted. "I was moron. I think we can be clear on that."
" I was fifteen." Liam rubbed a thumb over the steering wheel. "Not twelve."
" Still. Years younger than me. Guess you had a pretty boyfriend too, right? Some matching set couple of the year. Funny how a decade can change things. They probably would've made a kid like you prom king."
" Not even close." He laughed bitterly. "But thanks for thinking that was possible. I wasn't actually out at high school, and even if I was... no one was looking. Only one guy took an interest, and he wasn't prom date material."
" No? Who'd you take to prom then?"
" I didn't go."
" Why not?"
" You go to yours?"
" Yeah. Sort of." Ace snorted. "Got there, got in, and walked right back out. Wasn't my scene at the time. Wound up smoking out back with some other ditchers, then getting McDonald's. Good thing I didn't have a date. What'd you do instead?"
" Nothing fun. Watched movies."
" And this boyfriend of yours?"
" Gone by then." Liam tightened his hands on the steering wheel. "Which was fine. I left for college a month or two after that."
" Left turn here." Ace pointed down the road. "I'm the last one on the left. Gone how?"
" Does it matter?" He pulled up to a low apartment building, children's toys littering the small yard. Ace got out, wavering and putting his hand against the car door. "I'll walk you to your door."
" My fucking hero." But Ace didn't protest when Liam ducked down to get an arm around him. "I'm usually better at holding my booze then this."
" You're like five feet tall, and you downed an entire bottle of Jack. I don't think you have to worry about your masculinity taking a hit."
" I'm five-four, asshole. Five-five in boots. Can't help if I'm surrounded by giants." Ace made for one white door, digging his pocket and producing a set of keys. It took a few tries to get it into the lock, and Liam let loose a yawn waiting.
" Great. You're gonna fall asleep at the wheel like that." Ace shoved at him, sloppily. "Get in here. I've got a couch you can sleep on."
" I can drive home," Liam protested, stumbling over a pair of boots in the dark. "It's not that far."
" You have to drive me back to the shop in the morning anyway. Left my car there." Ace hit the light, then groaned. "Too bright. Shit."
The apartment was tiny, the couch taking up the bulk of the living room. It was cluttered, but not messy. No weird smells lingered anywhere , unlike some of Liam's friends' places.
" I can just come back."
" Yeah, yeah. You always look five seconds away from falling asleep at the best of times. Now you look like a damn zombie. Just take the couch. It's comfortable, I swear. Sleep on it all the time." Ace stumbled toward a door that Liam guessed was the bathroom. "If you leave, I'll deck you next time I see you. Even if I have to stand on a stool to do it."
Tentatively, Liam sat down on the couch. It was soft, giving. He toed off his shoes and stretched out. He could fake sleep for a bit and leave once Ace had passed out. Closing his eyes against the light, he listened to the hum of the fridge and the clatter of water running in the bathroom. Upstairs someone walked over creaking floorboards.
" You would be even prettier asleep," someone said from far
" Nuh uh. No freebies, kiddo. You ain't talking then neither am I." Ace waved a hand. "Tell me about college."
" If you're gay, why did you go into the army?" He asked instead of answering. "I mean, I could see maybe now, but back then?"
" Maybe you woke up one morning at twelve years old and knew who you were, but it takes us lesser men time to figure this shit out. Anyway, I probably would have done it anyway. Figured it wouldn't matter if it was just weekends. Could fuck who I wanted on the weekdays, right?" Ace snorted. "I was moron. I think we can be clear on that."
" I was fifteen." Liam rubbed a thumb over the steering wheel. "Not twelve."
" Still. Years younger than me. Guess you had a pretty boyfriend too, right? Some matching set couple of the year. Funny how a decade can change things. They probably would've made a kid like you prom king."
" Not even close." He laughed bitterly. "But thanks for thinking that was possible. I wasn't actually out at high school, and even if I was... no one was looking. Only one guy took an interest, and he wasn't prom date material."
" No? Who'd you take to prom then?"
" I didn't go."
" Why not?"
" You go to yours?"
" Yeah. Sort of." Ace snorted. "Got there, got in, and walked right back out. Wasn't my scene at the time. Wound up smoking out back with some other ditchers, then getting McDonald's. Good thing I didn't have a date. What'd you do instead?"
" Nothing fun. Watched movies."
" And this boyfriend of yours?"
" Gone by then." Liam tightened his hands on the steering wheel. "Which was fine. I left for college a month or two after that."
" Left turn here." Ace pointed down the road. "I'm the last one on the left. Gone how?"
" Does it matter?" He pulled up to a low apartment building, children's toys littering the small yard. Ace got out, wavering and putting his hand against the car door. "I'll walk you to your door."
" My fucking hero." But Ace didn't protest when Liam ducked down to get an arm around him. "I'm usually better at holding my booze then this."
" You're like five feet tall, and you downed an entire bottle of Jack. I don't think you have to worry about your masculinity taking a hit."
" I'm five-four, asshole. Five-five in boots. Can't help if I'm surrounded by giants." Ace made for one white door, digging his pocket and producing a set of keys. It took a few tries to get it into the lock, and Liam let loose a yawn waiting.
" Great. You're gonna fall asleep at the wheel like that." Ace shoved at him, sloppily. "Get in here. I've got a couch you can sleep on."
" I can drive home," Liam protested, stumbling over a pair of boots in the dark. "It's not that far."
" You have to drive me back to the shop in the morning anyway. Left my car there." Ace hit the light, then groaned. "Too bright. Shit."
The apartment was tiny, the couch taking up the bulk of the living room. It was cluttered, but not messy. No weird smells lingered anywhere , unlike some of Liam's friends' places.
" I can just come back."
" Yeah, yeah. You always look five seconds away from falling asleep at the best of times. Now you look like a damn zombie. Just take the couch. It's comfortable, I swear. Sleep on it all the time." Ace stumbled toward a door that Liam guessed was the bathroom. "If you leave, I'll deck you next time I see you. Even if I have to stand on a stool to do it."
Tentatively, Liam sat down on the couch. It was soft, giving. He toed off his shoes and stretched out. He could fake sleep for a bit and leave once Ace had passed out. Closing his eyes against the light, he listened to the hum of the fridge and the clatter of water running in the bathroom. Upstairs someone walked over creaking floorboards.
" You would be even prettier asleep," someone said from far
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