Scum (Wrong Side of the Tracks 1)

So maybe it wasn’t something he’d ever done for a guy he slept with, but the boy clearly liked it. Something to remember, if Shane was to be successful at going through with his plan.

Once in Shane’s jacket, Ros stroked Shane’s chest with a little smile. “So… Do you wanna be my boyfriend? I can’t be out, but we’d know. And it’s not because I’d want to hide you, just cause of my dad.”

It was the perfect solution for Shane. He’d get to have his cake and eat it, but he couldn’t chase off the warm breeze blowing through his cold chest at the suggestion that if it wasn’t for Ros’s financial situation, he’d be open to make his relationship with Shane public.

The elven prince holding the hand of an ex-convict. It made no sense, yet pride still swelled in Shane’s chest. “Yeah… yeah, why not? Let’s do it.”

Ros grinned at him and gave him another kiss before straddling the bike. Shane couldn’t wait for those arms around him again.

Chapter 6 – Ros

Ros pressed his thumbs into clay, molding the shape of Harlene’s eyebrows. She was mixed race and had beautiful features with a large nose and a whole scattering of dark freckles. As friends, they often posed for each other for practice, and Harlene would paint his portrait while he sculpted, which meant they ended up spending hours in each other’s company.

After two years at the university, the studio felt like a second home with its tall ceilings, and massive windows letting in a flood of light, regardless of the weather. The air here always smelled of paint thinner, oil, and clay—an addictive aroma that so often mingled with that of coffee. Where the frat buzzed with noise and testosterone, this place was where material objects could transform into something out of Ros’s fantasy, making reality into whatever he wished it to be.

“Ros, are you listening to me?” Harlene asked, shifting by her easel. Her hair, cropped short around the skull, had been dyed a dirty green, which went well with her cool complexion.

“Huh? Yes… I mean, no, okay, I drifted off. You were saying?” He smiled apologetically.

His new habit of daydreaming had become a bit of an issue, but the sudden change in his life was like a pink fog clouding his thoughts. The past two weeks had been such a whirlwind of sex, romance and all things Shane, that sometimes he’d ponder their secret meetings or the dates yet to come, without noticing his surroundings. Just the other day, he’d walked into a tree, and a group of children picnicking with their moms nearby laughed at him so hard the parents felt the need to apologize.

“You’ve been awfully absent-minded,” Harlene said, raising one eyebrow.

Of course she would have noticed the change in him. The question was, what was he to do about it?

He could bluff and lie that he’d been in yet another of the countless arguments with Dad, or that he worried about his future in the art world, but he saw her as his closest friend, and while he’d never explicitly told her he liked guys, the fact that she herself swung both ways suggested that out of all his friends, she might be the most understanding. And if she found out, then maybe he wouldn’t have to deal with this new thing in his life on his own anymore.

Ros hummed and picked up a small chisel to put the freckles on his sculpture. “But it’s a secret, okay?”

Harlene smirked. “My lips will be sealed.”

“You know how I said I can’t date in college.”

“Juicy. Go on.”

“So I kinda met this guy…” Ros’s heart skipped a beat, and his throat clenched, as if it were about to stop him from saying anything more. He trusted Harlene, but the need to hide that part of himself was ingrained so deeply he’d have to remove a chunk of flesh to get rid of it. His hands shook, so he ended up putting the chisel away and wiping his hands on a dirty piece of cloth.

Her smile widened, reaching the brown eyes in a flood of glee. “Oh my god, do I know him?” she asked in the same way he’d have expected if he’d mentioned a girl. As if she’d either expected him to like guys or didn’t see any difference between the two.

He found it hard to meet her gaze and breathed deeply in hopes of slowing his frantic heartbeat. “No, he’s a bit older, but we met at a party and things kinda spiraled out of control. I didn’t wanna act on this side of me, because you know how my dad is, but it’s too late now.”

Harlene put away her brush and dragged her stool closer, grabbing his clay-encrusted hand. “You shouldn’t put your life on the backburner because of your dad.”