Out in the Open by A. J. Truman

Author:A. J. Truman [Truman, A. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Gay & Lesbian, Literature & Fiction, Fiction, Gay, Romance, Contemporary, Gay Romance, New Adult & College, Genre Fiction, Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ Romance, New Adult
Published: 2014-09-14T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER eighteen

Ethan didn’t hook up with Greg for the rest of the week and he felt grateful to have two eight-page papers due on Friday. Usually, Ethan was not a procrastinator, but his mind had been elsewhere lately. He tried sitting down to write paper number one on Tuesday night, but he didn’t see a blank screen. He kept seeing Greg’s eyes, looking at him, then looking away. No kiss. No nothing. Just super-secret public sex.

Forcing himself to get those papers finished was a blessing in disguise. It gave his head a break.

He woke up early on Saturday, rustled awake by the stomping of sneakers down the hall. Patches of lime green strolled past him. Kids were dressed in Browerton garb head to toe. “Go Whitetails!” was painted onto a girl’s cheek.

Game day.

His dormmates rumbled through the halls in high spirits. The only reason college students got up before eight in the morning was for class or drinking. Mostly for drinking. He could smell the sour stench of beer wafting from someone’s room.

“GO WHITETAILS!” a dormmate shouted at Ethan, almost as an indictment against him missing the game.

He watched them go by. They were pumped, filled to the brim with energy. Cliques mashing with cliques, being normal, all-American, fun-loving college students. They felt a world away from Ethan.

“Hey!” Lorna had on a green football jersey and green Mardi Gras beads and a green streak was clipped into her wavy hair. “I was just coming to get you,” she said. “For the game.”

Ethan’s face scrunched into a ball of confusion. “I don’t have a ticket.”

“Neither do I. They’re seriously overpriced. But my sorority is having a tailgate in the parking lot. Did you want to come?”

He had a vision of a drunken mosh pit. When you mixed rowdy football fans and copious amounts of alcohol, it equaled a place Ethan excelled at avoiding.

“Isn’t that just for your sorority? I mean, do they allow boys?”

“This isn’t the 1950s. We’re allowed to socialize with boys. Some girls are bringing their boyfriends, and a lot more are bringing their gay guy friends. Maybe we can find you a cutie.” Lorna strummed her fingers together like she was devising a devious plot. “A cutie to take your mind off your hottie.”

Ethan blushed. No one had ever taken interest in his dating life, not like there was much to take interest in. Still, it felt good to be asked. Even if he was hung up on one guy in particular.

She bounced in the doorway, and her excitement began to rub off on Ethan. His smile was elastic, and he got on his tiptoes for no discernible reason.

“You’re going now? I just got up.”

“You’re a guy. It’ll take you five minutes to get ready.” Lorna leaned against the doorway, taking a breather. “So are you in?”

Ethan thought about Jessica and his friends. They loved to sleep in and grab brunch off-campus, where they could avoid the football ruckus. Jessica probably had a new activity mapped out that would top the sculpture garden.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.