Good Guys Don't Date Bad Boys – Ch. 10
By Laura S. Fox
Copyright © 2021 Laura S. Fox
All Rights Reserved
Gay Erotica
Intended for Mature Audiences Only
This story will contain graphic depictions
of sexual intercourse, strong language and it is not meant for readers who are
less than 18 years of age.
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Chapter Ten
- Making The Headlines
"I'm afraid
that's what you get for drinking so much." Jonathan wasn't much into chastizing
Ray, not after making so many mistakes of his own at that party, but his
roommate's constant whining about how his head was killing him was getting a
little on his nerves. He had never been one to overdrink and had no idea how to
deal with a hangover, not firsthand anyway, so he didn't know how to make Ray
feel any better.
They sat on
the grass, chilling, while watching the other students pass by. In all honesty,
Jonathan's nervous state was more related to how he didn't want to see Maddox,
not Ray's current predicament. Therefore, he had convinced his roomie to sit as
far away from the more populated locales as possible, close to an old oak.
"Dex was so
impressed with me," Ray said proudly only to groan the next moment and press
his fingers against his temples.
"Well, I
don't want to sound like your mom, Ray, but you shouldn't let yourself become a
victim to peer pressure and do stupid things. Dex is like thrice your size. Of
course, he can drink anyone under the table. It's all a matter of who has the
biggest liver. And how come you're still hungover on Monday?" He pushed Ray's
hands away and began to apply his own brand of massage. His roommate groaned,
but more in pained pleasure this time.
"Okay, mom,
but where were you and what did you do at the party? You practically
disappeared."
"I was
around," Jonathan said brusquely.
"Were you
around with Connor? The guy kept asking about you."
Jonathan did
feel guilty about Connor, leaving him like that, but Maddox had the uncanny
ability of making him forget anyone else existed on the face of the planet.
"No, not
with Connor," he blurted out without thinking.
"Really?"
Ray's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "Who with?" he asked.
"Doesn't
matter," Jonathan said quickly.
"Seriously?
Where is the roommate code so that I can rub your nose in it? You need to tell
me everything."
"No, I
don't."
"Hmm, that
means that I'll have to figure it out. Was it one of the guys on the lacrosse
team?"
"Ray, I
doubt any of those guys is gay."
"Right,
right, hmm, hmm. Who else disappeared at the same time as you?"
Jonathan
needed to stop Ray before he figured out the truth. "Look, Ray, it's not
important because nothing will ever come of it."
"Really,
why?"
"Because,"
Jonathan struggled to find the right words, "he's a bad boy, and, well, it
wouldn't work out. I wouldn't be able to date him, have a relationship out in
the open, and all that. You know, the things any good guy would want."
"Ugh, keep
it up like this and people will start thinking that you're actually dating me,"
Ray said with a roll of the eyes.
Jonathan
ruffled his hair. "And how would that be bad, huh? Didn't you want to play the
`who's gay' game with the girls on campus?"
Ray pouted.
"With all due respect, JJ, I think I could do better if I were gay."
They both
burst into laughter at the same time. Jonathan grabbed Ray and began to wrestle
him. "Take that back or it's only ramen for you all week."
"I'm not
negotiating with terrorists," Ray declared while pretending to fight back. "I'm
just giving up."
Jonathan
finally let go of his roomie and straightened up. They both turned as they
heard a short swish coming from behind the tree.
"What was
that?" Ray asked.
Jonathan
shrugged and got to his feet. He walked around the tree but saw nothing. "The
wind, probably."
Ray leaned
toward him and threw him a conspiratorial look. "Sometimes, I have the weirdest
sensation that someone is watching us."
"Come on,
Ray. Everyone's watching us since we're playing the fools." Jonathan gestured
at the students walking by who sometimes cast a glance in their direction.
Nothing that appeared to be out of the ordinary, as far as he could tell.
"Don't tell me drinking too much made you paranoid, too."
Ray
shrugged. "I don't know. I've never had a proper hangover before."
"I doubt
proper hangovers exist. Aren't you a little too proud of getting drunk with Dex
Solomon? If he gets all the fun and I get to treat your hangovers, I'm going to
have a word with that guy."
"Ha! Feel
free to try. I bet you're no match for him."
"What are
you even thinking, Ray? That I'll challenge him to a fight? I'm just going to
tell him politely to stop plying you with alcohol at any given chance, not go
against him."
"And he'll
hug you so snugly that you won't be able to breathe anymore."
Jonathan
shook his head. "All right, I won't then since he sounds so scary. Now how
about heading over to class?" he said hurriedly.
When it came
to Maddox Kingsley, he had a special sense developed, he had noticed. The guy
was just walking through the quad with his friends, and by his body language,
he had already seen him. That meant that he needed to make a run for it, and
fast.
***
"Is that
your boyfriend over there?" Kane asked and pointed shamelessly at Jonathan who
was just standing and offering his roommate a hand to help him up.
"Shut up,
dumbass, he's not my boyfriend," Maddox mumbled. Since the party, he had
expected at least a text or something, but his phone had been annoyingly silent.
And he had behaved like a perfect gentleman, allowing Jonathan to get away when
he'd been practically at his mercy.
"So make him
your boyfriend if that's what you want," Kane insisted.
"Who said
that?" Maddox snapped.
"Do you want
just to hook up?" Rusty butted in.
"I thought
it was more serious than that," Dex intervened.
"Ugh, guys,
just stop bugging me," Maddox groaned. "I don't know what I want, `cause this guy just slips through
my fingers every time, and I don't have time to figure it out."
"Did he
manage to get out of my famous hitch?" Rusty asked. "How?"
"What is the
lunatic talking about?" Kane asked in turn.
"He tied
Jonathan to a tree for me."
"I had no
idea this evolved into a threesome," Dex said.
"Guys, guys,
just shut the hell up. For some reason, Jonathan doesn't want to be seen with
me. Is my reputation that bad?"
"Yes," Dex
said promptly.
Maddox
punched him in the arm. "Thanks for nothing, bud."
Rusty was
busy on his phone. "Ha," he said triumphantly, "you gotta see this, Maddox."
"What?"
"Sunny Hill
Xpress just published something on him."
"What?" Dex
and Kane asked at the same time. "Just read it already."
Rusty
cleared his throat with self-importance. "Resident
gay heartthrob Jonathan Hamilton has high standards when it comes to pairing
up. And who could blame him? He's got the looks, excellent preppy fashion
sense, presumbly an impeccable pedigree, and did you hear about his perfect
GPA? Our reporters just got a glimpse of a conversation with his roommate that
shed more light on why our most recent and hottest transfer of the year is
still single. A word to the wise, gay boys of Sunny Hill. Good guys don't date
bad boys."
"O.M.G.,"
Kane said slowly, emphasizing each capital letter of the acronym.
Dex laughed,
and Rusty scratched his head. "Who's a bad boy? Maddox?"
Kane was
laughing his ass off. "You must have made quite an impression on the guy. What
did you do to him? Now I'm seriously curious."
Maddox
pouted. "No way I'm telling you guys anything else from now on. And I didn't do
anything to him. He's actually the guy who threw a punch at me. Why don't they
write about that?"
"Maybe
because that stuff is private," Dex warned him. "And don't bother with the
stupid shit in Xpress. If you really want the guy, just go for him. If he has
the wrong impression of you, just make sure to set him straight."
"Huh, Maddox
doesn't want to set Jonathan straight," Rusty intervened. "He likes him because
he's gay."
"Rusty," Dex
exhaled and pinched the bridge of his nose hard, "remind me why I love you."
"Because I'm
fun and have a sunny disposition," Rusty replied promptly.
Kane
laughed. "Aren't you way too fond of that description Sunny Hill Xpress gave
you freshman year?"
"He is,"
Maddox and Dex said at the same time.
Maybe
setting Jonathan straight wasn't high on his list, but he truly needed to make
the guy see that he meant business and that he wasn't going to fold and admit
defeat. Not when they kissed each other like that and it was enough being in
the same room alone and sparks flew everywhere.
Jonathan had
no idea who he was messing with.
***
"Another
party? Really?" Jonathan wasn't sure that he was up for being forced to meet
Maddox again in close quarters, especially after doing an awesome job of keeping
away from him all week. To his relief and disappointment, Maddox had been
suspiciously unaware of his presence, or so he let him think. When it came to
this guy, Jonathan wasn't sure anymore of anything. It was enough that his
feelings and thoughts were all jumbled up, and it should have been impossible
to be disappointed by not having Maddox throw him pointed glances when they
were anywhere close to each other.
"Yes. We
don't go out enough," Ray argued.
"What are
you even saying? We're getting out every day to go to class."
"Don't argue
with me," Ray warned him. "And I'm tired of hearing you sigh all the time,
thinking of your bad boy who isn't Connor. Are you sure he's that bad?"
"Bad for me,
at least," Jonathan replied.
"Tell me,"
Ray got in his face and watched him intently, "did you kiss?"
Jonathan
blushed and looked away.
"Ah, ah,
ah," Ray expressed his excitement through non-words. "And how was it? You're
blushing. It must have been ah-mazing. Gosh, this is like a fairytale."
"It's no
fairytale, as I assure you there are no fairies or monsters involved."
Ray
snickered. "Don't tell me it's like Red Riding Hood and the big bad wolf. Get
it? Bad wolf, bad boy."
"Can I rip
that roommate code apart? I need to have the legal framework to strangle you,"
Jonathan warned, too aware of the warmth in his cheeks. "You'll find me in a
red hoodie when I'm dead."
"Then just
come to the party with me. Forget about your bad boy by meeting others."
"One is
enough, I assure you."
"You know
what I mean. Let's just have fun," Ray insisted.
"Well, if
you insist. But you're going to be saddled with me all night. No going drinking
with Dex and his gang, or other things. You deserve to be in my boring company
throughout the party, and then I bet you won't insist on us going together the
next time."
"Like I'd be
scared," Ray countered. "I'm sure I can help you loosen up. By the end of the
night, you'll be the soul of the party."
That was a
bit hard to imagine, Jonathan thought. But he wasn't one to rain on Ray's
parade. Plus, maybe, just maybe, he wanted to see Maddox again. That was the
part of him that was always a glutton for punishment, but he couldn't resist it.
***
Maddox
couldn't recall the last time he had needed a strategy to have someone fall for
his charms. Going against Jonathan Hamilton felt a bit like a game of chess and,
as of right now, his opponent had made his move.
And by that,
he meant that Jonathan had found it funny to use his roommate as a buffer between
them. Although the party had been raging on for hours, he hadn't managed to
catch Jonathan alone, and his attempts had been countered in various sly ways.
And always, always, Ray the roommate was there, and Maddox couldn't just walk
over and drag Jonathan away, as much as he desired to do exactly that. Dex had
proven equally unsuccessful in getting Ray to join him in a drinking game.
Why on earth
were those two joined at the hip? Ray was, all of a sudden, very unlikeable to
Maddox. He had no right to monopolize Jonathan's attention like that. Just who
did he think he was? His boyfriend or something?
Maddox froze
as the thought hit him. He hadn't heard any rumors or anything, but now that he
thought about it, Ray was always there, and what if Jonathan was into the nerdy
type? Fuck. Now he needed to get glasses and striped polo shirts. No, no, no,
his clothes weren't the issue.
Ray,
inconspicuous Ray, with his awkward lanky body and sheepish smile, must have
gotten under Jonathan's skin somehow. According to Dex, the guy was straight,
but Maddox was the living proof that Jonathan could turn straight guys on their
heads if he wished with just a flutter of those pretty eyelashes of his. And
Ray, well, the guy lived with Jonathan. Probably, more than once, he must have
bumped into Jonathan stepping out of the shower, in nothing but his birthday
suit. A single look, a meaningful one, would have been enough—
Maddox
groaned and leaned against the wall while he examined the object of his
unrestrained affection laughing and talking to his roommate like there was no
else in the universe. He needed to stop thinking of Jonathan seducing Ray by
accident if he were to keep his head clear and in the game.
"So, he's
there," Rusty pointed out and joined him in hugging the wall. "And you're here.
How is this supposed to work? Do you have sex from a distance, like tantric and
shit?"
Maddox
turned his head lazily to give Rusty a death glare, but he was met by an
all-knowing grin. "You're having fun, aren't you?"
Rusty
shrugged. "It's funny to see you like this. But it's not the same ever since I
have no competition on calling dibs on all the pretty girls on campus."
"I thought
you'd be happy," Maddox said.
"Yeah.
Nothing's the same without my bro, though. Hey, do you think you'll get over
this dude soon?"
Rusty's
question caught him off guard. "Dunno. Don't think so. I mean, look at him.
He's almost not real."
His buddy
followed his example and stared at Jonathan for a while. "Yeah," he said
softly.
What the
hell was getting into Rusty these days? He partied the hardest ever since
Maddox had known him, hooking up like crazy, and making a lot of girls happy in
the process. Rusty had real skill in finding chicks who loved to have fun just
as much as him, so there were no severe cases of broken hearts there. But, if
he thought about it, which he hadn't done lately because he'd been too absorbed
with his crush on Jonathan, something was a bit off about Rusty's shenanigans.
"Hey, what's
with you?" he asked.
Rusty puffed
his cheeks and exhaled. "With me? My buddy is crushing on a dude, and he's
letting him slip through his fingers like he's some kind of noob."
Somehow,
Maddox doubted that was the real reason, but not even Kane could brag about
being able to tell all the time what was going though Rusty's head, especially
since said head was usually filled to the brim with the kinkiest stuff a human
being could think of.
"Well, bud,
the truth is I'm a noob when it comes to getting boys," he explained.
Rusty
snorted. "Bullshit. You're just treating him like he's made of glass. He's not.
He's a 180-pound hunk who can take it like a champ."
Maddox
didn't stop to think about how Rusty could tell Jonathan's weight just by
looking at him. He was more intrigued about the rest of his friend's statement.
"Take what like a champ?"
Rusty glared
like Maddox was hard-headed and couldn't understand basic things about life in
general. Then he raised his hands and was just about to simulate an act that
needed no extra explanations. Maddox caught him just in time. "So," he started
to distract Rusty from his usual craziness, "what am I supposed to do, oh, wise
one?"
"Grab him
and kiss him right there." Rusty pointed at where Jonathan was standing. "He'll
get the point, guaranteed."
"And I'll
get a punch in the face and at least some minor surgery," Maddox replied.
Rusty patted
him on the shoulder. "Grow some balls, my dude. Or just remember where you put
them `cause they surely ain't
between your legs right now."
Maddox shook
his head. Well, he needed to talk to Jonathan, but to avoid embarassing him in
front of his roommate who probably had no idea about his friend's illicit
adventures with Maddox, first, the obstacle had to be removed.
Le wild light bulb popped right away. He
needed to check something anyway. But first, he had to find the right person
for the job.
***
If he did as
little as turn his head a fraction of an inch, he would meet Maddox's famous
glare. Not that he knew that glare to be famous, but he knew it well, and it
meant that something was happening right under the surface. Maddox was pissed
at him, and the thought was making him uncomfortable. Not enough to make him give
up on his cowardice and allow Ray to leave his side and have fun, but still.
It was a
battle he couldn't win. There was nothing simpler than that truth. If Maddox
came to him and kissed him right there, in front of everyone, his knees would
buckle under him, and he would become the first emergency case in history of
literally falling victim to a helpless crush.
"I need the
bathroom," Ray said. "Do you want to come..."
"No,"
Jonathan said shortly. He wasn't that bad a case as to follow his roommate
everywhere.
"Stay here,
okay? And if any bad boys bother you, just let them know that I have a mean
right hook."
Jonathan
chuckled and then met Ray's knowing look. So, his roommate had guessed the
truth anyway. Of course, he was a smart guy, and Jonathan could lie to himself
all he wanted, but lying to Ray was a different thing altogether.
"Just go.
I'll be fine," he said and pushed Ray playfully away.
He stared into
his cup for lack of anything better to do while waiting for his roommate's
return. The last thing he needed to do was to raise his eyes and meet Maddox's
glare.
Well, it
appeared that his strategy of avoidance meant nothing. He closed his eyes as he
sensed someone stopping by his side.
"You know, I
had no idea," Maddox started.
There was no
follow up, so Jonathan was forced to look at him, as that was the polite thing
to do. "Of what, exactly? And hello to you, too."
Maddox
scoffed. Oh, he was definitely pissed. "Hello? You've done a great job of
avoiding me all night."
"Avoiding
you? I just stood here all night," Jonathan said defensively. "And we're not
close or anything, right?"
He regretted
every single word as it left his mouth, but it was what he had to do. No
fooling around with Maddox Kingsley. He had promised himself, dammit.
"No, I
suppose we're not," Maddox agreed.
Jonathan
couldn't look at him. He rested his gaze somewhere else and shifted nervously.
"Do we have a problem?"
Maddox
leaned dangerously close. Jonathan could feel his hot breath on his lips, that
close they were. "Yeah, we do. If I had a fucking magic wand that could make
all the people around us disappear this second, the next we'd be kissing like
crazy, and I'd make you swallow your words about not being close or anything."
It wasn't
fair. The problem was him. He was the one who kept falling for the wrong guys.
What was he even thinking?
"So, yeah, I
had no idea that you were such a huge coward," Maddox added.
All right,
so that hit so close to home that Jonathan recoiled slightly and stared into
Maddox's eyes that were filled with a mix of longing, hurt, and something else
that wasn't easy to describe or define. "I don't know what you mean," he said
softly.
"You do,"
Maddox contradicted him. "Heed my words, Hamilton. One of these days, you're
going to come knocking on my door."
"What for?
Some sugar?" Jonathan made a lame attempt at a joke. His throat was dry, and
the way he talked was unnatural and forced.
Maddox
smirked. He pushed away the rebellious strands of hair falling in his eyes.
"Yeah, that. Just so you know, when that happens, I'm going to give you all the
sugar you need and then some." His eyes dropped to Jonathan's lips as he
talked.
"Maddox,"
Jonathan breathed out, "wouldn't it better if you saved all that for someone
who's more deserving?"
"Deserving?
It's like you're talking about charity. I don't do charity. When it comes to
what I want to give you, trust me, there's no one more deserving. Yeah, you
deserve to be tied to a bed and force fed it until you stop denying wanting
it."
Jonathan
could feel his skin getting hot. He was used to a carefree Maddox who seemed to
be all about fooling around and joking, not this intense person whose words
were dipped in dark honey and then allowed to drip over his already frayed
nerves.
He gulped.
The sound of his throat doing that was loud in his ears, but he was only
imagining things.
Maddox
pushed himself away from the wall. "I'll leave you with this. I sincerely hope this
gives you as many sleepless nights as you've given me since you came to Sunny
Hill."
Sleepless
nights? If Maddox meant it as a curse thrown over his shoulder, he couldn't be
more far off. Jonathan was losing just as much sleep over him, if not more.
Before he had a chance to sneak another word in, however, Maddox was already
gone.
And Ray was
rushing toward him with his eyes gleaming and his face flushed. "JJ, hate me,
but you need to release me from my oath. A girl, a real girl, alive, with two
arms, two legs, and..."
"I
understand what a real girl is," Jonathan stopped his friend's tirade. "What
about her?"
"She talked
to me," Ray blurted out. "And," he leaned in and whispered, "she kissed me."
Jonathan's
eyes grew wide. Just like that? He could start giving Ray the speech, but maybe
this girl just wanted to have fun, and his roommate would surely argue that
such occasions didn't appear too often, so he kept his mouth shut. He grabbed
Ray by the shoulders and pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry about me, Ray. Go
have fun."
"You sure? I
feel a little guilty..."
"Completely
sure. Just go. We'll talk later. Just so you know, I don't need all the
details, okay?"
Ray kissed
him on the cheek. "You're the best roommate ever, JJ. I'll cook next week for
this."
"No, don't
you dare," Jonathan warned playfully. "Just hurry up and don't let her find
another boy to kiss, okay?"
"Right. Off
I go," Ray said and squeezed Jonathan again in his arms before letting go.
Jonathan
watched him go with a small smile which faded fast when he saw a girl who
looked nothing short of a Playboy bunny wrapping her arm around Ray's and
giving him a loving look. Something was wrong with that picture.
He couldn't
go after Ray and stop him from doing something that he would regret later.
There were things that people had to be allowed to do, even if they were
mistakes. And, just as with Ray's hangovers, he would do his best to offer his
support.
On the other
order of business, he needed to get out of there before Maddox found him again.
He had his own sleepless nights to worry about.
***
"And you
cannot believe it, JJ, but she likes reading the same books as me," Ray
continued his recount of the many qualities Hanna, the girl from the previous
night, had under her belt.
Jonathan
couldn't quite put the picture of this Hanna Ray was talking about together
with the Playboy bunny he had noticed at the party getting all over his
roommate. It was like they were two different people. "Hanna is the girl in that
tiny pink dress, right?"
Ray rolled
his eyes. "Yes, how many times do I have to tell you? It's like you don't
believe me." With that, he added a suspicious glare.
"I do, it's
just, um, never mind."
"No, say
it," Ray challenged him.
"All right."
Jonathan breathed deeply. "It's just that girls like her don't usually... Just
forget it."
To his
surprise, Ray jumped to his feet. "You can say it, JJ. Girls like her don't
hang out with guys like me, right? They deserve better, right?" He stormed out
of the room.
Jonathan
hurried after him and was met by a door slammed in his face. "Ray, come on, you
know that's not what I mean." He leaned against the doorjamb. "It's just that
such girls are usually vapid and search only for guys who are as superficial as
them."
"Easy for
you to say. You make all the sexy bad boys on campus fall in love with you,"
Ray protested from behind the closed door.
"Wow,
really, Ray? You know that's not true. Come on, I love you. And it's you who
deserve better, not her."
"You don't
know her. I'm mad at you. You rained on my parade," came the miffed words.
"You know
what? You're right. I don't know her. Did you get her number? Are you going to
see her again?"
Silence
followed, and the door finally opened. Ray sniffled. "No."
Jonathan
stood there, nonplussed. "What do you mean, no? Didn't you two have fun last
night?"
Ray looked
down. "I did. I don't know about her. Maybe she got bored."
Jonathan
sighed. "Did you forget to ask for her number or did she refuse to give it to
you?"
Ray shifted from
one foot to another. "She said that it was fun and liberating to talk to
someone without being judged. And I forgot to ask for her number."
"She must be
a student here. You'll meet her again. Now, how about I make your favorite and
you remember everything you can that could help you find her again?"
"Mac and
cheese?" Ray's face lit up.
"That's what
I meant, obviously." Jonathan smiled.
A loud knock
took them both by surprise. Jonathan went to get the door, and found himself
face to face with a girl dressed in a sailor cut shirt and tight jeans. She was
pretty and wore no makeup, and Jonathan thought she was vaguely familiar. Her
nose was a bit red and she looked like she'd been crying.
"I'm Hanna,"
she said in a throaty pleasant voice. "Is Ray in?"
Jonathan
stepped aside. "Hello, Hanna. Please, come in. Ray, Hanna is here," he called
for his roommate.
Ray
materialized by his side in an instant. Hanna threw his arms around him and
began crying. "I'm sorry, I really like you, but I need to tell you the truth,
Ray."
Jonathan
felt like a notorious third wheel. "I think you two need some privacy. I'll be
in my room if you need me." He began walking away when Hanna started talking
again. She seemed to be as extra as Ray, so surely they had something in
common.
"Maddox told
me I should talk to you and see if you were interested in girls, and I--"
Jonathan
turned on his heel at the speed of light. "Maddox did what?"
Hanna stared
at him, confused. She pressed a tissue against her nose. "Maddox told me to
talk to Ray to see if he were gay, but I like Ray for real," she said simply.
Now he knew
what he had thought was wrong with that picture when he had seen Hanna all over
Ray. He ground his teeth and jumped into his shoes.
"Where are
you going?" Ray asked.
Jonathan
cracked his knuckles. "I'm going to teach a bad boy some bloody manners."
TBC
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