Adam's POV

The second my car pulled into the driveway of my empty house, I was able to relax. Finally, no more people were near me.

The only benefit to my divorce with Aidan was no longer having to participate in human interaction. I hated human interaction. The mere presence of others tended to put me in a bad mood.

Unfortunately, I was only able to drink beer and watch Rick and Morty for an hour before there was a knock at my door. And even more unfortunately, I already knew exactly who it was.

"Hi, John," I answered the door, rolling my eyes when he pushed right past me. "What's up?"

I'd found John drinking at a bar a few months ago, gushing to the bartender about a man named Aidan. And because I was still a little obsessed with my ex, I just had to check and make sure that wasn't who he was talking about.

Well, it had been. Apparently John was in love with him, or something else annoying like that. He fell into my life right when I'd heard a rumor about Aidan dating someone new, and I had been jealous beyond belief.

I'd fed some lies to him about how we could both benefit from seducing him; I would get Aidan back, Jim could be the side piece that satisfied his tendencies towards domination.

Obviously Aidan wouldn't have any of that. I knew he was going to drop John like a ton of bricks, and I only felt a little bad about that. Mostly I was irritated that the plan didn't work.

"I'm fuckin' pissed," John drawled, grabbing the beer from my hand and chugging it down. He plopped onto my couch and kicked his feet back like he owned the place. "I haven't had a good nut since that little queer ruined my best hook up yet. You down to fill in?"

Ugh.

"No," I snapped. "And the little queer's name is Finn. And I have to see his stupid pretty face nearly every day of my life. So I don't wanna hear your complaining anymore, 'kay?"

John rolled his eyes and leaned backwards. "What the fuck ever. Aidan cheated on you, didn't he?"

I gritted my teeth and pretended like I didn't regret telling John everything. "Yeah he did, because I cheated on him. He revenge cheated. Why do you ask?"

John waved a lazy hand in the air. "Once a cheater, always a cheater. Maybe I'll go try to seduce him."

I hated John. He was a stupid little crackhead that couldn't think straight unless a man was paddling his ass or something. He disturbed me.

...Plus, he clearly didn't know Aidan's in-love face. Getting him to cheat was impossible.

"Knock yourself out," I said, shrugging. "I'll be over here, spending time actually being in touch with reality."

John cackled. "I'm persistent, not crazy."

I begged to differ.

John gave me an impish grin and slid to his knees. I opened my mouth to say some sort of protest — something intelligent, at least — and nothing happened. Instead, I groaned.

It was an irritated groan, but John clearly took it to mean something else. "Knew it," he teased, a sick grin on his lips. "C'mon, you're always so serious. Let me calm you down a little."

I put my hand on his head to push him away and ended up pulling him closer. "Fuck." I had no willpower.

"That's it," John cooed. "I'll do it to you extra nice if you promise to choke me a little."

"You're fucked up," I snapped. "I don't like any of that sick bullshit."

John shrugged. "Weird, but whatever. Unbutton your pants, vanilla."

He definitely had no talent in the blow-job department— either that or he was choking himself intentionally. I tried to close my eyes and imagine Aidan, but it was impossible to pretend. Aidan was actually good at this.

I sent John away without returning the favor and dialed Jerry the second he was out the door.

"What?" he snapped on the first ring. "Why are you contacting me again, antichrist?"

"Would you please stop calling me that?" I sighed. "It's getting annoying."

"Whatever. I thought we'd come to a happy agreement: you don't tell anybody, I don't tell anybody, and it never happens again."

My post-orgasm brain was all-too-willing to throw sexy memories in my face. As much as skinny blonde kids weren't my type, I had to admit that it was rare for me to pull someone with such a nice body. And the way his ass had moved when I—

"Answer me, stupid!" Jerry growled. "Or did your last brain cell finally give up?"

"Yes, yes, we came to an agreement," I said, finally getting my mouth to move. "Except for the fact that you told that psychopath."

"...Oh, is this about Robert?" he asked, almost sounding apologetic. "Look, I'm sorry that he found out. I'm not really that sorry that he threw you into a wall, because that was just funny. But to be fair, he only found out because you were texting me obsessively."

"Because I didn't want anybody to know!"

"Well, whatever!" Jerry scoffed. "Nobody has to know. Besides Robert. From—"

"You're telling me that he's not going to tell Aidan? I know they're friends."

"Dude, so what if he does?! He already hates you!" He yelled so loud that I had to move the phone away from my ear. "I'm sorry that Robert found out, because obviously he didn't handle it that well. But if Aidan—"

"So why's that?" I snapped, irritated by the own annoyance that I felt. "Are you with him or something?"

It was sometimes hard to understand why I felt certain ways. Was I jealous that Jerry wanted someone who wasn't me? Probably not, but maybe. Was I angry that Jerry potentially used me to cheat on someone? Considering that was a sensitive topic for me, most likely. Maybe I was just in a bad mood thanks to John.

"...No. And that is not your business."

And then I was left with nobody else on the line.

There was literally no other way. If Aidan was going to find out, it would be on my terms.

I scrolled to Aidan's name in my contact list, stomach twisting at the stupid heart I'd put next to his name. I'd never changed it, partly because I never looked at his contact anyway, but also because I would feel weird about taking it off.

"Hello? Who's this?" Shit, and there was his voice. Deep, manly, and condescending. A little judgmental, even though he didn't even know who this was.

"Don't hang up—"

"Holy shit, is this Adam? Tell me it isn't Adam. If this isn't Adam, sorry, but your voices are uncanny. If this is Adam, you can go right to—"

"I have something to confess!" I yelled over his cussing. "You're going to want to hear it. Please, hear me out."

"What, are you finally admitting yourself into a metal institution?" he snapped. "Oh, and you're on speaker. In front of my boyfriend and my dogs."

Well. This is going to be awkward.

"Hi Adam?" another voice said. A sweeter, higher-pitched voice. The voice of a lucky bastard.

"Hi," I gritted out. "This is going to be extremely awkward, but if I don't tell you, it'll suck for me. You're going to find out from someone else and think I was trying to mess with your life again or something."

"...Okay."

"I fucked that Jerry kid," I burst out.

Silence.

Still silence.

And even more silence.

"Hello...?" I asked.

"...Congratulations." And then he hung up.

Well, shit.