Page 32 of Zero Confusion

He hadn’t realized he’d stopped until Tyler touched his arm, his eyes boring into Zach’s soul.

“Look, it’s none of my business, and I already made an ass of myself, but I can guarantee you, absolutely fucking guarantee, that Miles was upset watching you with someone else. I don’t know if you have an agreement or whatever, but I’m telling you—he hated it.”

The unwavering confidence in his voice made Zach doubt himself. Did Miles join him on the dance floor because he felt left out, like Zach had assumed, or was there more to it?

Had Miles been jealous?

“Okay,” he agreed, hoping to make Tyler feel better. “It won’t happen again.”

Chances were they’d never go back to the club, so it wasn’t a lie.

Tyler smiled. “For what it’s worth, I think you make a really cute couple.”

“Oh, yes, the cutest.” Joel appeared out of nowhere. “They’re so adorable together.”

Zach scowled and walked the rest of the way in silence while Joel gushed about Kade’s plans to take him out to Thrum again next weekend for their third date. As much as Joel pretended he was only in it for the free admission to one of the best gay clubs in the city, Zach could tell it wasn’t the whole truth.

Apparently, he wasn’t the only one who couldn’t pull off a convincing lie.

A few hours later, after a lively debate about the merits of event sponsorships—and a sadly necessary ride home from Joel, during which he’d forced Zach to sing along to every song on the radio—Zach was finally sprawled on his couch.

“I’m never moving again,” he declared loudly, earning a chuckle from Miles. “I’m staying right here for the next forty-eight hours.”

He stayed true to his promise, quickly devouring the grilled cheese Miles set in front of him before settling in to scroll through news and social media. He hadn’t forgotten the promise of a shoulder rub, but bringing it up on his own seemed awkward, so when Miles joined him after doing the dishes, pulling Zach’s feet onto his lap and staring at his phone, Zach decided not to push it.

A few minutes later, when Zach stretched out to sneak a peek at the screen, Miles gave him a shy smile and angled it away. Too tired and sore to deal with secrets, Zach let it go and popped in an earbud, ready to let the algorithm present him with some entertaining videos to pass the time.

The next time he looked up, dim lighting cast long shadows across the room, swallowing the edges of his furniture. The glow emanating from Miles’s phone carved his face out of the darkness, the rest of him nothing but a blurry silhouette.

“I didn’t realize how late it was. I’ll turn on the light.” Zach tapped on the app for the floor lamp, grateful he’d sprung for the smart lightbulb. It came in handy whenever he didn’t feel like moving—which was most of the time.

“Don’t.” Miles’s voice was raspy and strained. He was only a few feet away, his palm resting on Zach’s ankle, but the air between them stretched like an ocean.

There was a pause, and then Miles’s rich timbre vibrated in the darkness. “Do you still want a massage?”

“Yes, please!” Zach scampered to turn around and offer his back to Miles. “Is this good? Should I move?”

“It’ll be easier if you’re lying down.” His tone dipped even lower, running across Zach’s skin like rough sandpaper. “Do you want to get ready for bed and meet me there?”

Zach shot up with newfound energy and beelined to the shower, bouncing with anticipation. The hot water might have been enough to ease the ache on its own, but he’d never turn down the pleasure of Miles’s strong hands on his body.

After finishing his nightly routine, he realized he’d rushed off without grabbing any clothes. Wrapping a towel around his hips, he left the bathroom—only to step into a fairy tale. Tall candles lined the kitchen counter, coffee table, and nightstand, their flames casting languid, swaying shadows across the walls. The warm glow wrapped the room in a soft, flickering light.

“Miles, this is amazing,” Zach whispered, glancing around with awe.

“Come here,” Miles beckoned from the edge of the bed.

“Let me put on some clothes first.”

“You can do that later. Come, let me make you feel good.”

The way Miles said it, dark and smooth, made the words sound obscene. Zach hoped his body would behave as he stretched out on top of the comforter, bracing himself for Miles’s touch. They’d given each other countless back rubs over the years, but never a real massage. Certainly not one that involved candles and the most romantic atmosphere Zach had ever experienced.

This summer was full of firsts.

He breathed in and out slowly as Miles straddled him and walked forward on his knees until his warm, lotion-slick hands landed on Zach’s back and started traveling up and down his torso. Strong fingers dug into tight muscles, working out the knots and melting away the earlier stiffness. Zach hummed in relief as tension fled his body, growing more at ease with every pass.

If this were a massage parlor, he would have been relaxed enough to doze off. Instead, he was acutely aware of Miles’s weight across his thighs and the reverence of his touch. His imagination wandered until he could almost feel the pull of desire emanating from Miles.