Hey Kit,

I can’t explain how grateful I am that you decided to talk to me again. I promise I won’t mess things up this time around by being creepy or disrespecting your relationship in anyway. As you probably know, there’s a clip of Bentley’s interview on the Sami Perez show going viral on social media. He seemed like a total badass until she asked about you, then the guy melted like a piece of chocolate in the desert sun. I’ve gotta say – you’ve gotten a lot better at picking them, Kit.

So I was hanging out after class with my girlfriend after her evening class. Well… ‘Felicia,’ my ex from high school. We’ve reconnected. I’m sure you remember her. We went to this diner near my dorm building and she was talking to me about… something. I still couldn’t tell you what. When she realized I wasn’t listening, I got a glass of water thrown in my face and she yelled at me for being ‘emotionally unavailable and incapable of caring about another person.’ I know I can be an asshole and inconsiderate at times, but I don’t really agree with everything she said. The main reason that I was so distracted was because I was trying to find a way to bring up the possibility that I’m into both guys and girls.

I’ve considered skipping town after my game this weekend, maybe driving for a couple hours to this bar in Bluestone. It’s a gay bar, of course. I just want to know… you know? You’ve probably always known, and felt secure in your sexuality. I don’t know what to think or how to feel. Do you think this would be a good idea? I just know that it’s killing me to keep hurting people that I care about the way I have been. I’m also not sure if I’m ready to tell people what I’ve been feeling, or to be judged by them. 

Well, thanks again, Kit. Hope to hear from you soon, but I totally understand if you’re busy making Bentley gush over you. :-P

Until next time,

Paulie

Kit read the message slowly and considered everything that Paulie was going through. Being in a relationship while having those feelings had to suck. He didn’t understand why Paulie wanted to have a girlfriend when he was so confused about who he was, but then again, he did. A guy like him wanted to convince people that he was straight. It was all about appearances with him.

Matthew walked over to him from the front of the shop. He took off his ball cap and shook his head at his son as Kit suspiciously slid his phone away. “You volunteered to come help me out today, Kit. Instead, I find you in here sexting your boyfriend.”

“Oh my god,” Kit groaned. He stood to his feet and looked at his father. “Dad, I’m not sexting. Bentley’s too busy handling the drama that he got himself into right now. I was just checking a message from an old friend.”

His father had on a pineapple Team Benny shirt. It was orange – a color that Kit rarely saw on his dad. If it wasn’t black or a dark grey or a navy blue, it likely wasn’t going on Matthew’s body, but because Mikey wanted to get matching shirts with him, Matthew obliged. Kit thought they wore the merch well.

“What did he expect when he went on national television and bad-mouthed an esteemed member of the BMX community? That guy has been an extreme sports judge since Bentley’s father was riding.”

Kit nodded. “I don’t think he cares about that. And you have to admit that the man’s scores were a bit unfair…”

Matthew nodded. “There’s still a right and a wrong way to do everything.”

Kit agreed with that. Bentley was more of the type to do things his way, regardless of the moral validity.

“How about you help me out with an oil change and tell that friend you’ll get back to them?” Matthew asked him.

Kit stood to his feet and followed behind his father.

??

Bentley scanned through the News app on his iPhone, looking for updates on ESPN. So far, he’d gotten the reaction he wanted from the BMX community. People were talking about him – they either wanted him in the XCM competition because they wanted to see if he could really hang with the big guys, or they wanted him to be shut up for good. Unfortunately for Bentley, he hadn’t gotten the response he wanted from the actual chairman of the XCM competition yet, but everyone else was paying attention. Most importantly – Simon Dubois.

Simon had done an interview with Ride BMX about X-Jam in Toronto, and about Bentley’s comments on the talk show. He said that no one cared whether or not Bentley is straight or gay, he’d gotten the second-place finish he deserved. Bentley read through the article, making note of how Simon said he’d be more than open to competing against Bentley again at XCM and proving to the world that he doesn’t deserve his last name. Bentley prayed that they’d invite him to participate again despite what Davidson wanted. God, he was ready to destroy the competition and take his rightful spot at the top.

“Can you put your phone down and let the woman give you your manicure?” Ariel asked.

Bentley looked up from his phone and found an impatient, elderly Korean woman looking back at him. He gave a forced smile before pocketing his phone. “Sorry.”

“Your toes look good,” his mother said. She walked over to the pedicure station and sat in one of the massage chairs.

Bentley couldn’t believe he let his mother and sister talk him into this, but he was definitely spending his Sunday afternoon in a nail salon getting prettied up. The pedicure was fucking ticklish, and now this angry woman was clipping at his nails like she wanted blood.

“Thanks, Mommy,” he answered.

He wanted Kit here, but Kit promised to help out with his father today. That was fine. OSU would be arriving this upcoming weekend, and they made plans to hang out together with Tawny and the guys. Bentley was looking forward to that.

He watched the woman as she began to pluck at his cuticles, and turned his attention to Ariel beside him. “When are you going to tell me about this boyfriend of yours? Is he the one that you joined volleyball for?”

Ariel picked a bright purple nail polish, much to her brother’s delight. “Who? Oh… him. No. He was just a pawn in my plan to make the guy I actually wanted jealous. Worked like a charm.”

Bentley rolled his eyes. His sister was too much at times. “Well, who’s this guy?”

“He’s taking me to the OSU vs. UCLA game this weekend. You can meet him there.” Ariel didn’t offer anything more. Instead, she changed the topic completely. “How’re things with lover boy?”

Bentley smiled. “You know.”

“Everyone knows,” Ariel teased. “You went total Tom-Cruise-on-Oprah when you were on that nosy lady’s TV show.”

“It wasn’t that bad,” Bentley said. He felt his phone vibrate repeatedly, and he knew it was a phone call, but couldn’t reach for it with the woman’s grip on his hands. “… I want to be romantic when we take things to the next step. I don’t know how to go about that.”

Ariel smirked. “Ugh. Boys are clueless.”

Bentley didn’t argue there. He knew the basics; roses, candlelight, picnics, all of that. He just didn’t know how to execute that, and whether or not his boyfriend would find it cheesy. “Thanks for your help.”

“Oh, do you want my help?” Ariel grinned. She glanced over at their mother before focusing in on Bentley. “You two should go away! Maybe somewhere upstate, or to Vegas to elope.”

“Shut up.”

She laughed. “Get a nice hotel room. Show him your sensitive side.”

Bentley chuckled softly, and he could feel himself blushing. “Hm. That could work.”

“You can put some miles on that expensive car you just purchased…”

“I don’t know.” Bentley asked for a purple polish too even though the woman had no intention of painting his nails. The one he chose was more of a royal purple. “If I have to drive for hours, we can’t enjoy each other that much. I’d be tired. He’d be bored. What if we do a helicopter ride somewhere?”

Ariel’s jaw dropped. “You do have a romantic side, Benny. That’s a great idea.”

It would be challenging because Bentley knew his boyfriend wasn’t a fan of heights, but he’d be there to keep him safe. Besides, neither of them had ever done anything like this. He could score some serious points.

As the woman began to paint his nails, Bentley thought about whether or not he was really ready for this. He knew he wanted to go further, but was he ready? Were they ready to take the next step, or should they slow down a bit and get to know one another more?

He licked his lips, imagining himself staring Kit in the eyes as he pushed in. He imagined the way Kit’s lips would part, and the sounds he would make. Would he ask him to slow down, or would he want it harder? Bentley had to cross his legs, ignoring the look his nail artist gave him.

“Bentley,” Clarissa said, hanging up the phone.

He turned to face her with inquisitive eyes. “Yes?”

“That was your uncle.” She exhaled, ending the phone call. “He says that the chair of the XCM competition has just extended an invite to you. You’re going to Vegas…”

Bentley smiled. Game on.

??

Paulie,

I don’t mean to bring up the obvious, but you’re 18-years-old. Going to a gay bar in an unfamiliar town hours away probably isn’t the best idea. You don’t know the types of guys who frequent that place. What if someone spikes your drink? What if someone gets physical though you don’t want it? Going there alone might not be a good idea.

Then that brings up the question of who will go with you, right? Because maybe if you went, you could enjoy yourself. I just don’t think going solo would end well. Don’t you have anyone there that you could talk to? A friend who you trust? A gay student that you hopefully won’t start messing around with in secret… just a friend. If not, I’m not sure what to say.

About your girlfriend, maybe you should break things off with her until you’ve got your shit figured out. This is something you already know, though. Right?

Talk soon,

Kit

He hit send, and switched tabs to his Twitter account. About thirty-minutes ago, he’d posted about wanting pepperoni pizza with extra, extra cheese. Most of the replies were from people he didn’t even know – being Bentley’s boyfriend earned him tons of new followers who apparently wanted his attention. Most of them were guys, and that was something that Bentley wasn’t too fond of. Then there was Noah who tweeted back, “if you get anything, I expect at least four slices waiting for me when I get back.” Kit ignored him. Noah was on a date with his secret girlfriend, and he could eat while they were out. Kit replied to a couple people and liked some tweets before realizing he had a Facebook response from Paulie.

Paulie Madison: As usual, you’re right about everything. I plan to sit her down and let her know I need some space at least until I figure things out. She’ll tell me to go fuck myself, but… that’s just what it is. But, you know I don’t have a friend like that. The closest thing I have to it is you, and you live across the country.

Before Kit could reply, he heard two heavy knocks on the door. It was after nine on a Tuesday – if this wasn’t the RA he didn’t know who it could be or what they could possibly want. With a groan, he got out of bed and slid into his slippers before making his way down the hall.

“Who is it?” he asked.

A very familiar voice answered back, “Open the door and find out.”

Kit paused; his hand hovering over the doorknob. He smiled to himself before opening it. Bentley had a big smile on his face, an extra-large pizza pie in one hand, and a huge slushy from 7-eleven in the other.

“I heard you were hungry…”

Kit bit his lip into a smile. “You’ve got to stop popping up here when I look like a foot.”

Bentley rolled his eyes. “You look so fucking sexy, Kit. So this pizza is half pepperoni with extra, extra cheese, and half Hawaiian. It’s okay if you want some Hawaiian. I’ll share.”

“Over my dead body.” Kit stepped aside and gestured in. “After you. I want to look at your ass when you walk by.”

Bentley smiled. He stepped in, kissed his boyfriend on the cheek, and then walked into the dorm room. Kit watched him go, admiring the fit of his red jogger pants as he walked by.

??

Kit put on a random Adam Sandler DVD and they proceeded to enjoy their meal. He talked about midterms and how he was so excited for them to be done. Bentley was excited for him to be done with them. He hated feeling like he was being a distraction when Kit needed to study, but of course, Kit promised him that it wasn’t a big deal. Bentley talked about the Red Bull photoshoot he had coming up, and an interview he had with DC Shoes for a new sponsorship. Kit wouldn’t shut up about how cute he thought Bentley’s nails were, and Bentley eventually interrupted his gushing to ask him what he was going to be wearing at the UCLA fashion show.

Kit sucked something off his finger; the action causing Bentley to stare like a horny teenager watching a dirty film. “I have officially finished both outfits. You’ll be able to see them when you show up at rehearsal on Friday. I’ll be able to make any alterations there if necessary.”

Bentley smiled. “I can’t wait.”

“I love that you’re just as excited for this as I am.” Kit grabbed a couple napkins and wiped his face. He then crawled across the floor and climbed on top of Bentley’s lap. “They let us know that one of the participants will get to go to New York for Fashion Week. I’d honestly lose my shit if I won that opportunity.”

Bentley pushed the box aside and smiled up at Kit; his hands running up his thighs. “If anyone deserves to be there, it’s you, Kitten.”

Kit laughed softly before kissing Bentley’s lips. “Mm hm. You’re supposed to say things like that.”

There was a lingering thought in the back of his mind reminding him that he put a couple condoms in his wallet, but Bentley ignored that. Their first time wasn’t going to be on the floor of Kit’s dorm room next to an open pizza box with half-eaten crust inside. They were going to do this right.

But then Kit slid forward in his lap and playfully sucked on his earlobe. Bentley couldn’t help but exhale.

“I, uh…” Bentley’s voice gave up on him as Kit’s hand ran down his chest. He looked around the dimly lit room and pushed the box away, then Kit’s cell phone which had just lit up from a message. A second later, his striped-shirt was being lifted over his head and Kit’s mouth was on his. Bentley moaned; one hand laced in Kit’s hair as the other fell to his ass. When their tongues began to touch, Bentley fell back against the carpet, smiling as Kit tumbled down on top of him.

“Hey,” Kit whispered. He kissed Bentley’s chin and teased his nipple with the pad of his thumb. “What were you saying?”

“When?” Bentley asked.

Kit looked up at him. “You were about to say something…” He began to move his fingertips down Bentley’s abdomen, circling along his happy trail. “Then you got… distracted.”

Bentley licked his lips. He heard Kit’s phone vibrate yet again. “I wanted to say that… we should get away this weekend. Just you and me.”

Kit smiled at him. “Oh?”

Bentley nodded. He let his head rest against the floor as Kit began to stroke him through his sweat pants. “Yeah… I think we need some time alone.”

“Did you forget we already have plans this weekend?” Kit asked. His mouth was on Bentley’s abs, and his fingers were slowly undoing his drawstring. “I want to hear more about this, but maybe we should reschedule.”

“Oh, yeah…” Bentley forgot all about that. Right now, all he could think about was getting Kit alone. “We can reschedule to… oh fuck,” he moaned.

Kit had started kissing the length of his cock over Bentley’s boxers. After Bentley moaned, he smiled to himself and began kissing back up to his chest. “Maybe we can go to this mystery destination before the weekend…”

Bentley could hear his heart pounding… he could feel the blood speeding through his veins. The way Kit felt straddled on top of him, mixed with the way he was smiling down at him, it was all too much. Bentley thrust up just a little and watched Kit’s reaction as he smiled, slowly grinding his ass.

“Earth to Benny…” Kit said nonchalantly. Like he wasn’t casually grinding on top of him.

Bentley’s hands made their way to Kit’s waist. He took a deep breath and forced a smile himself. “Yeah… your last midterm is when? Tomorrow?”

“Thursday morning.” Kit leaned down and began caressing Bentley’s tongue with his own. “I’m all yours after that.”

Bentley knew Kit knew just what this did to him. Kit was playing with him for fun, but that didn’t stop the fact that his cock went harder than a brick wall. “Okay. Then –” Kit’s phone went off yet again. Bentley smiled and turned to reach for it. “Maybe someone is really trying to reach you?”

Kit seemed more interested in putting a hickey on Bentley’s neck than he was in looking at his phone. He waved him off with one hand and the other worked its way into Bentley’s boxers, stroking his length forward and dragging his hand back down. “Actually,” he began. “You can make sure that Noah hasn’t said anything about coming back soon.”

Bentley’s toes curled; his eyes focused on the ceiling. He could feel Kit’s teeth teasing across his clavicle just as he started to stroke him faster. He was about to push Kit’s head lower until he got the point, but the phone vibrated again causing him to look at the screen.

[Noah] Just dropped Ariel at home. Still want pizza bro?

[Noah] Someone sent me the study guide for the English midterm if you want it.

[Eva] Hey sweetie! Impromptu fashion meeting this weekend. I think it’s about the show…!

Paulie Madison: Well, I am coming to LA this weekend. Maybe we should just hit up a club together?

Paulie Madison: There are tons of gay bars out there, no?

What the fuck?

Bentley tried to sit up, ignoring the fact that Kit was on top of him. Kit stopped what he was doing – his hand going stiff in Bentley’s pants as he was almost tossed off of him.

“Bentley, what the –?”

“What is this?” Bentley backed away, instead shoving the phone in Kit’s face. “Why is your old fuck-buddy contacting you? What the fuck is this?”

Kit’s face turned from one of confusion to pain. He accepted the phone and read the messages as Bentley stood to his feet, pulling his clothes back on. “We were only talking, Bentley. This is not what it looks –”

“He’s trying to make plans with you for this weekend, Kit. How is it not what it seems?”

“I wasn’t going to go anywhere with Paulie and you know that –”

“Why the fuck are you even talking to him?” Bentley’s voice got higher than he wanted it to, but he couldn’t control it at this point. He was angry. How could Kit tell him all of these negative things about Paulie – say that this is a guy who humiliated him mere months ago to the entire school and cared only about himself, and then turn around and have conversations with him about his visit? And the fact that he didn’t want to include Bentley in the loop?

Kit seemed dejected, but he slowly began to stand to his feet. “He reached out to me recently because he’s been struggling with his sexuality. I’ve been giving him advice but that’s as far as it goes –”

“Then why is he making plans to see you this weekend?” Bentley questioned. He gestured to the phone. “Am I supposed to be fucking stupid?”

“Can you let me finish one sentence, Bentley?” Kit’s voice was shaky. He dropped the phone on his bed and began to approach Bentley, reaching out for his hand. Bentley pulled his hand back, and though Kit rolled his eyes, he spoke calmly. “Do you trust me at all? What are we doing if you don’t even fucking trust me?”

“Wow. Yeah, because this is my fault.” Bentley couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “If this was innocent, you would’ve told me you were talking to him.”

Kit scoffed, the redness in his face growing darker. “Now that I know your reaction, I’m happy I didn’t say anything.”

Bentley stared at him for a moment before shaking his head. “Really?”

“You’re making this a much bigger deal than it needs to be. What do you want? Do I have to show you my conversation with him to make you calm down? Is that what our relationship is going to be?”

Bentley shook his head before turning away. “Do whatever the hell you want, Kit.”

Kit tried to grab him as he turned to leave, but Bentley shook himself free. He reached the door and swung it open, storming down the hall without closing it behind him. Kit stepped out into the hall to call after him, shouting for him to come back and ‘be an adult about this,’ but Bentley stormed past the girl waiting for the elevator and took the stairs instead.

“Now that I know your reaction, I’m happy I didn’t say anything.” Was he for real? Bentley wanted to punch a fucking wall. If Kit was going to justify talking to a guy that he claimed did him so dirty, if he was going to make him feel like a bad guy for being left in the dark, then maybe they needed some space. Bentley knew for a fact that if he was going to talk to an ex of his behind Kit’s back, and make plans with her, that it wouldn’t bode well with Kit. This was absolute bullshit.

He climbed in his car and reached for his ringing cell phone, pressing ignore once he saw Kit’s name and picture on the screen. Tonight, Bentley just wasn’t in the mood.