Prologue
Several years ago…
Sipping a beer, Jesse scanned the party from his spot along one wall. He didn’t see anyone he knew from the raucous crowd, but then his first semester of college had only begun a few weeks before. He lifted the beer to his lips and took a tiny sip, just enough so he felt like he fit in.
Fit into what, he wasn’t sure. The kegger was something out of a movie—the type of party he didn’t think really happened in real life. Beer flowed like water. Liquor was readily available. There were bare-breasted sorority girls riding on the shoulders of huge frat boys in the middle of the common area. They were playing some tweaked version of beer pong, it appeared. Some were dancing to the DJ’s rave music, others were making out on the couches. Outside in the pool, there was skinny dipping and more dancing around the edge.
Everyone seemed to be having a blast. Everyone, except him.
“Hey, I brought you another.”
Jesse eyed the two red plastic cups in Hayden’s hands. His roommate glanced down at the near full cup still in Jesse’s hand.
“I’m good,” Jesse said before taking another miniscule sip.
Hayden shrugged, took a gulp from one of the cups, and then leaned on the wall beside Jesse.
“Good party,” Hayden said.
“Yeah,” Jesse fibbed.
They stood there awkwardly for a few more minutes. Jesse was attempting to look as cool as possible… when he noticed someone staring.
Then he realized she wasn’t staring at him… but at Hayden.
The girl started moving through the crowd and stopped before them both, a broad smile on her face. “What are you two doing holding up the wall over here?”
It was apparent she wasn’t a freshman. Her sorority sweater pretty much gave it away, but the womanly curves helped. Jesse couldn’t drag his stare away from that tight sweater, no matter how much of a gentleman he was trying to be.
“Someone has to hold it up,” Hayden drawled before smiling at her.
She grinned back, a twinkle in her eyes. “So strong,” she said before rubbing a hand along his bicep.
He flexed for her, and she cooed.
Jesse looked between them, rolling his eyes over the sappiness of the conversation and also jealous of that something that Hayden seemed to have. They’d only been roommates for a couple of weeks, but this wasn’t the first time a woman had approached him, openly flirting. No girl had ever come on to him. Ever. Not that he was bad looking or anything. He’d dated all around and had a ton of friends. But here, he just hadn’t found his footing yet.
Hayden didn’t have that same problem.
“Wanna dance?” she asked Hayden.
Hayden glanced at Jesse and back to her. “You gotta friend? Jesse here could use a dance, too.”
The girl looked at Jesse and tilted her head. “I didn’t see you standing there, cutie.” And so began Jesse’s realization he had a superpower—he was invisible when Hayden was beside him.
“I really don’t need to dance,” Jesse murmured. He didn’t need a pity partner.
“I might have a friend for you,” the girl said.
Jesse began to shake his head but then saw the look Hayden gave him.
He sighed. “Okay.”
Hayden chugged one of the beers in his hand and slid the two cups together. “Well okay then.”
“Mandy,” she said, batting her eyelashes at Hayden.
“Friends call me Hay.” Hayden turned to Jesse. “This is my roommate, Jesse.”
“Nice to meet you both. Come with me, gentlemen,” Mandy said. She took Hayden’s free hand and drew him through the crowd.
Jesse took a slightly larger sip and followed the pair, fearful of what was coming. They moved through the house some, to a few rooms Jesse hadn’t yet ventured into, and they stopped before a group of giggling co-eds. Mandy poked one girl on the shoulder and she spun around.
Thanks to the volume of the music, Jesse didn’t hear the painful things Mandy was likely telling the girl. This guy is pathetic and needs a pity dance so I can score with the cuter one.
Whatever Mandy did say, the new girl shook her head and gave Jesse a slight smile. She was pretty enough, though not exactly his type. But it was a dance. Just a dance. She moved closer to Jesse and offered a hand. “Olivia.”
“Jesse,” he said, shaking it.
“Wanna dance?”
Jesse nodded and let her pull him back to where there was a makeshift dance floor. Olivia was as tall as he was, maybe even a hair taller. He was still waiting on that last growth spurt that would hopefully hit him sooner versus later. Jesse glanced at her before looking to the side, the eye-to-eye contact feeling a bit awkward.
Off in the distance, he saw Mandy dancing with Hayden. They were still staring at one another, smiling like idiots.
A slow song began a few seconds later. Olivia moved in closer, and he moved his hand out of the way, nearly splashing beer from his cup on her.
“Sorry,” he said against her ear.
“It’s okay,” Olivia said. “Just relax.”
Jesse took a deep inhale… and laid his cup on a nearby shelf… before wrapping his arms around her and moving to the music. Olivia smelled pretty good. Her body felt nice and warm against him. Yet, for some reason, his stare kept going to Hayden and Mandy. They were so close, it barely looked like two people anymore. Hayden was rubbing Mandy’s back with one hand, in slow sweeping gestures.
He tried the same, sliding a hand along Olivia’s back. The first circle was pretty good, but by the second, he hit some piece of metal on the edge of her bra and it pinched his finger. Pulling away and wincing, he then stepped on her toe.
Fuck.
“Sorry, sorry…”
She eyed him, but they continued dancing.
Jesse focused on his partner, trying to make sure he didn’t mess up again. But somewhere along the way, his gaze drifted back up to Hayden and Mandy. They were kissing as they danced.
More like eating each other’s face kind of kissing.
Again he faltered and ended up stepping on Olivia’s foot a second time.
Olivia leaned back slightly and gave him a look. “Why don’t we try something else?”
Something else? “Like?”
“Ever done a keg stand?”
“Ahh… no…”
Olivia’s face brightened. “Lemme show you…”
An hour later, and Olivia had shown him how three times. He was frankly amazed by the amount of alcohol she seemed able to drink.
“Come on,” she called to Jesse. “Try one!”
He lifted his hand. “Not that coordinated.”
Before she moved away from the keg, she poured two more beers for them both. Jesse was still sipping the new beer he’d been handed an hour before. Olivia drained both the ones she had before turning to look at him.
“You know… you’re kinda cute.”
Jesse looked at Olivia. After all she’d drunk, she wasn’t swaying, her words were crisp and clear… she barely looked phased at all.
“Thanks?” He lifted his cup to his lips for another sip.
“Cute, but kind of worthless. You can’t dance… you don’t drink… what about fucking? You any good at that?”
Jesse spat a little beer. Luckily the cup was still at his mouth, or it likely would’ve covered Olivia’s face. Once he lowered the cup, he stared at her.
“Well? Please don’t tell me Mandy hooked me up with a virgin.”
Jesse didn’t have a ton of experience, but he wasn’t a virgin either. “No. No virgin.”
“Good,” Olivia whispered. “Why don’t we go up to my room? Let’s see what you’re packing.”
Jesse looked at her, stunned at her casual attitude. “Are you sure?”
Olivia lifted a brow. “Why would I not be sure?”
“You’ve… had a lot to drink tonight.”
“Pfffft,” she said. “You coming or not?”
He really wasn’t into her… but if he said no… “Oh… Okay.”
“Oh… okay,” she mocked before grabbing his hand and leading him away.
They made it through the crowd and to the stairs. Trying to move through the folks standing on the stairs wasn’t easy, but they finally reached the top. After another clearer set of stairs, they reached the third floor. A few rooms were open, with smaller parties going on inside. Another couple of doors were open with the occupants screwing for everyone to see.
Jesse swallowed back his case of nerves. He really didn’t want to be on display for the whole school to see. When they stopped before a door, Olivia turned to smile at him. “My room.”
This was a sorority house? He’d assumed it was a frat.
Olivia opened the door and drew him inside the semi-darkened room.
“Livi!”
Jesse turned and saw a half-naked woman on her knees. It took his eyes a moment to acclimate to the low light. A nightlight of some kind was on, giving the room a surreal glow. It eventually hit him that it was Mandy in her bra and panties, on her knees. Between Hayden’s thighs.
He gasped inwardly as he realized Mandy was blowing Hayden. Jesse’s stare roamed over Hayden’s nakedness. His chest was bare, his jeans open and pushed down his hips some, exposing nearly everything.
Hayden’s cock was hard and jutting out… and slick from Mandy’s mouth. Jesse lifted his stare and met Hayden’s shocked gaze.
But it wasn’t only shock. There was some lust in them, too.
As if Hayden wasn’t too upset in being caught.
“It’s my room, too,” Olivia said, shutting the door. “We can play in here, too.”
Jesse opened his mouth to argue they should leave when Olivia pushed him down on the bed across from Mandy and Hayden, knocking any denial from his lips. She knelt on the floor like Mandy and began undoing his jeans.
“Wait, maybe we should go somewhere else,” Jesse said, trying to still her fingers.
His stare drifted to Hayden’s cock again, and he forced it back down to Olivia.
“There is nowhere else,” she said. Pulling her hand from his, she reached into his briefs and caressed his cock.
An unbidden moan came from his lips.
It was all Olivia seemed to need. She pulled his cock through the vee of his pants and began to caress him. Jesse closed his eyes, hating that it felt so good. He reopened them and saw Mandy had gone back to work on Hayden’s cock. He couldn’t see everything, just an outline against that glow of light.
There was no doubt to what they were doing.
The sounds of Hayden’s moans only added to the excitement he felt.
Jesse grew harder under Mandy’s touch… and he had to wonder if it was the feel of her hand or the visual of Mandy’s lips wrapped around Hayden’s shaft. He leaned his head back against the wall, watching the action across the room.
It was too dark for Hayden to be able to tell where Jesse was looking… yet there was a little part of him felt as if Hayden was watching him, too. If Jesse could feel that, could Hayden sense his stare?
He didn’t care.
When he felt Olivia’s lips wrap around the head of his cock, he closed his eyes for a split second. It felt good. Really good. And it felt even better when he opened his eyes and continued playing the voyeur.
Mandy’s head moved faster and Hayden’s moans grew louder.
Jesse felt his body responding to the sounds.
Olivia pulled off his cock and looked up at him. “I think I’m… I’m…”
And she jumped up and fled from the room.
“Oh shit, not again,” Mandy said and raced from the room, slamming the door behind her.
“Lovely,” Hayden said from the other bed.
There they sat—alone—with two hard-ons.
“Should we go check on them?” Jesse asked.
“If I see someone puke, I’m going to puke,” Hayden said.
Silence fell between them… and then Jesse heard a sound that drew his attention. Hayden was jacking off in front of him.
Jesse looked down and saw Hayden’s hand moving briskly over his shaft. Heat filled him at the sight of his roommate pleasuring himself. “What are you doing?”
“What? I’m supposed to ignore this hard-on?” Hayden asked. “Might as well finish the job.”
Jesse stared for a moment, still watching Hayden’s hand moving over stiff flesh. After a few minutes, he reached for his own cock and moved his hand up and down the length. They sat across from each other, watching the other jerk off. He could feel Hayden’s stare on him, and it only excited him more.
It didn’t take long for him to reach the point of max velocity. His body tensed, his back arching as he shot off his load. It almost hurt, it felt so good, and he kept stroking, milking every drop.
Hayden came a few short seconds later, a growl coming up his chest as he erupted into his hand.
Once it was over, they sat in silence, staring at one another in the dark.
Jesse wasn’t sure what he should’ve been feeling in that moment. There was a tiny glimmer of shame deep down… but it had felt too good to feel too bad.
“I suppose the puking might be over now,” Hayden said, sitting up a little straighter. “We should make sure they’re okay.” He rose from the bed and walked closer to the door.
“Yeah,” Jesse said, rising from the bed.
A light flipped on and Jesse spun, scared they’d been caught.
It was just Hayden.
Jesse went to push his softening cock into his pants and realized his hand was covered in cum. Hayden tossed a towel his way.
“Whose is this?”
“One of the girls,” Hayden said. “I guess. Better than leaving a mess somewhere else.”
Jesse wiped off his hand and then his cock before tossing the towel onto a pile of dirty clothes in one corner. He zipped himself up and turned to look at Hayden, who was doing the same.
What happens now?
Will this get awkward?
Jesse searched his roommate’s profile, looking for hints about how they handled what they’d just done. He’d never jerked off while another dude watched, so he wasn’t completely sure what they were supposed to do.
Forget it and move on?
Hayden didn’t look at Jesse as he walked to the door. “Let go,” Hayden said over his shoulder.
They checked in on the girls, who said they were okay, but didn’t open the door. Jesse could hear Olivia still throwing up and felt his own stomach lurch.
“I’ll call you,” Mandy said through the door to Hayden.
“I didn’t give you my number,” Hayden responded. “Or get yours.”
Nothing was said back. The only thing that came was another round of puking.
“I guess we go,” Hayden said, looking half sick himself.
They walked downstairs, and Hayden made a beeline for the front door. Jesse was all too glad to get out of there. After a few minutes, they were midway to their dorm and out in a quiet quad.
“I can’t believe she blew me off,” Hayden said abruptly.
“At least the girl you were with didn’t start puking in the middle of a blowjob.”
Hayden laughed. “True.”
Jesse had a lot of thoughts running through his mind and feared he might blurt any one of them. Staying quiet seemed a better choice.
“You realize that had nothing to do with you, right?” Hayden said. “Don’t take it that she didn’t like you or anything. She just drank too much.”
“She didn’t know me well enough to like me one way or another,” Jesse said.
“You know what I mean,” Hayden said. “I can tell you’re one of those guys who overthinks things. Don’t.”
Hayden tilted his head and pinned Jesse with a look.
That look seemed to insinuate something.
Is he talking about what just happened between us?
I wasn’t overthinking things… was I?
Jesse looked away, confused.
He spent the rest of the trip home feeling just as confused. They reached their dorm and raced up the stairs to their rooms. They had a quad flat—one of the few freshmen to score one. They, along with two other freshmen, shared one living space and bathroom, and they had their own tiny bedrooms. Each of the four bedrooms were just large enough for a desk bed. It was like a bunk, but it had a desk and dresser where the bottom bunk would’ve gone.
It was small, but ultimately all they needed. And their quad mates seemed okay. When they got back into their space, Clay and Adam were playing a video game, sitting on the couch. There was a third guy between them.
“You two are back early,” Clay said. “Lame party?”
“It was okay,” Hayden said. “A bit wild.”
“A bit?” Jesse asked.
Clay grinned. “Damn, maybe I should’ve gone.”
“And miss all the nerding out over this game?” Adam asked. He turned to Jesse. “By the way, this is Benji. He’s tutoring me in Pre-Calc.”
“Classes just started and you’ve already got a tutor?” Hayden asked as he walked over to the fridge.
“I’m not losing my scholarship,” Adam said over one shoulder. “I suck at math, so might as well start it off right.”
“You suck at this game, too,” Clay said, his thumbs flying over the buttons.
“Not hardly,” Adam said, firing away.
“Nice to meet you, Benji,” Jesse said.
Benji lifted a hand and waved.
“Wanna play the winner?” Clay asked Jesse.
Jesse shook his head. “Nah… I think I’m going to veg out in my room.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Hayden watching him from the kitchenette.
He lifted his stare and met Hayden’s gaze.
And then Hayden turned and headed for his own bedroom. “Night, guys.”
Jesse sighed and headed to his.
As the months passed, they all became the best of friends—the four quad mates and Benji. Jesse and Hayden became particularly close over the years.
Although, they never again talked about that night.
Jesse continued being the invisible man for Hayden.
Hayden always made sure Jesse was never left out of the fun.
They always had each other’s backs.
Always.
Because that’s what best friends do.