The Worst Best Luck by Brad Vance

Author:Brad Vance
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Hewlett-Packard
Published: 2014-03-01T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT – I NEED A HUG

“Cody,” was all Peter could say.

“Aren’t you going to give me a hug?”

“What do you want.”

Cody’s smile grew wider. He knew what this tone of voice meant in Peter.

“I just want a hug.” Cody opened his arms, and Peter found himself automatically doing what he’d always done with Cody, giving in again. He could feel a little of himself being sucked away as he did.

Peter flashed back to a night in the “Cody Era.” Outside school, a fellow student had flirted with him, made him feel…attractive, special, interesting. Then Cody had come along, glowered at the guy, drove him away.

“You like that?” Cody snorted. “Man, you’ll sleep with anyone if you think that’s hot.”

“I…” Peter wanted to protest, to say, but he’s nice, he’s kind of cute, and he likes me… But Cody’s words had the desired effect, reminded him what a little rabbit he was, how desperate he was for affection, and the young man had been nice, but he had crooked teeth, didn’t he, and shiny skin, nothing like Cody, so of course he was into me, he couldn’t do any better, could he…

Cody sulked. “You like that better than you like me?”

“No…”

“Give me a hug. I need a hug.” A demand. Cody didn’t give hugs, only took them.

Nothing’s changed there, Peter now thought glumly.

“See, was that so bad?” Cody said after they parted. “So what have you been up to?”

“Working.”

“Cool, me too. I’ve been doing really well, been doing some nightclub promoting, got some other projects going, yeah, doing really well.”

“Do you live in New York now?”

“Yeah…yeah, just moved here.” Peter couldn’t take his eyes off Cody’s face, his amazing A&F model-like beauty, and Cody’s eyes glittered as they always had when he was about to take Peter, use him, have at him…

A small animal cried out inside Peter, no, not again.

“So are you going to invite me up?” Cody asked, lifting an eyebrow.

Peter fumbled for an excuse, saying “No” was just not something he ever thought of saying to Cody until too late. “I have a long day tomorrow…”

“Just let me talk to you for a few minutes, we should catch up, it’s been so long.”

He could barely believe it. Cody acted as if their relationship had been so…normal. All this “hey, how’s it going, long time no see,” as if Cody hadn’t left Peter sobbing on the floor, only Cody’s instinct for self-preservation keeping him from hitting Peter.

This was what Peter remembered most about Cody. How he would just wear you down. How he’d ask for a hundred bucks, and you’d say you didn’t have it, and he’d say I really need it, and you’d say no, and he’d sulk, a black thundercloud that just sucked all the moisture out of you until finally you just gave in, found a way to get the money, no more fight in you…

“Okay,” he said finally. Because otherwise this dance would go on and on, Cody a master at its steps, always parrying anything Peter said until he got his way.

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