Page 7 of High Achiever
“Home,” Ryder said succinctly. “We can stop at the pharmacy on the way, get some meds.”
“Ugh.” Ash batted that soothing hand away in irritation. “Don’t wanna.”
“Too bad. Once we get home, you’ll bitch at me for leaving. You get clingy when you’re sick.”
“I never get clingy.”
It was a lie. Or, if not a lie, a secret. A side of Ash only Ryder got to see. Growing up one of too many siblings hadn’t left Ash much room for clinging. There was always something for his parents to be doing, someone that needed taking care of. Even Noah had been parenting everyone, leaving only snippets of time for him to play the big brother. It was one of the advantages of attending the same university now, that Ash got to see him so often and spend time with him without the whole gaggle getting in the way.
Before that, it had been only Ryder. Always Ryder. Ever since they’d been kids and Ash had locked onto the sullen, undersized, clearly malnourished twerp the other assholes kept bullying. Little had Ash known just how well Ryder would fill out down the line.
And Ryder was right. Ash didn’t want him leaving now.
“We can get them delivered,” Ash argued. “The meds.”
He sounded whiny, which was annoying. He was never whiny. Pissy, yes. But not whiny.
Ryder clocked it too. Obviously. He knew Ash better than anyone. He clucked his tongue. “You do feel like shit, huh?” Ash gave him a pitiful look, and Ryder nodded. “Straight home. We’ll get delivery.”
It was a splurge for no reason other than Ash’s uncharacteristic neediness, but Ash was pleased with Ryder’s acquiescence. It was like another cool palm on his forehead, that willingness to do whatever Ash needed.
Ryderalwaysgave him what he needed. He was Ash’s best friend. His pseudo-brother. Except, then again, sometimes theyjerked each other off or whatever, so maybebrotherwasn’t a good word to use in this context.
Heh. Speaking of undeclared and indefinable.
Something swirled in Ash’s belly, a weird heat that had first appeared on seeing Spencer in all his practically nude glory. Ash frowned down at his dick, which was threatening to thicken.
We’re ill, he reminded it.Settle down.
It was all so weird. Ash had a low sex drive on the best of days. The fever must have infected his dick.
“Yeah,” Ash murmured, letting his head loll back against the headrest. “Straight home.”
Straight to bed too. Maybe things would make more sense when Ash was horizontal.
Things didnotmake moresense when Ash was horizontal.
After enduring the indignity of an entire year of dormitory living, he and Ryder had rented a one-bedroom in a decent apartment complex close to campus for their sophomore year. Ash’s parents were willing to pay for his housing as long as it wasn’t too above and beyond what he’d be paying on campus, and Ryder’s part-time gig as a mechanic covered the rest.
Their bedroom was spacious, easily fitting two full-size beds, but they usually switched off sleeping together in one or the other, unless Ash was feeling prickly, and then Ryder gave him space.
Right now, Ash needed anythingbutspace. He needed that cool palm back on his forehead. Or maybe his dick.
Yeah, definitely his dick.
Ash squirmed in the bed. He’d stripped down to his boxers, and he still felt too hot. But he wanted the sheet covering him anyway. Fucking confusing.
Ryder had gone into the kitchen to get Ash juice for his meds, and Ash was all … irritated about it. He was supposed to be winding down to sleep whatever this was off, but he wasn’t actually tired. He was hot and fuzzy and very awake. A little restless, even. And when Ash was feeling restless, Ryder’s stoic presence was soothing.
So why wasn’t he here? Soothing Ash?
Ash frowned, flipping over for the thousandth time.
By the time Ash’s erstwhile roommate made it back with the glass of juice, Ash had managed to tangle his boxer-clad self so deeply in his sheets he’d probably have to spend the whole semester in them. No way anyone was getting him out before then.
Ryder approached the bed, cocking his head as he stared down at Ash, all square-jawed and dark-eyed. “Hm.”
Ash huffed, settling back down into his mess of sheets and trying to look … alluring. “Hey, Ryder?”
