Torn Apart (Torn and Bound Duet 1)

“There’s more…”

“Okay,” she says, her voice holding no judgment.

“Last week I ran into Drew after our date. I was at the cemetery visiting my brother and he was visiting his dad. We talked and he asked to call a truce of sorts. Said it was for the team, so I wouldn’t give him shit in front of the guys. In return, I threw out an olive branch and invited him to the rink. We were playing some one on one. It got kind of heated since we’re both competitive as fuck.” I smile at the memory of the way we were beating on each other. I missed the hell out of those days.

“Anyway,” I continue. “I don’t know how it happened, but one second we’re slamming each other against the boards and the next Drew is kissing me.”

Mia’s eyes go wide, like something you would see in a cartoon, and I find myself chuckling. She’s so fucking adorable.

“So, what happened?” she asks, now nibbling on her bottom lip in suspense.

“I ran.” I shrug. “He shouldn’t have done that shit,” I hiss. “We were finally getting back to a good place. Sure, shit wasn’t perfect. But I could feel us getting there. Now it’s like we’re back at square one.” Well, except for the fact he did me this solid by calling in a favor to charter me a plane to come see Mia.

“So, the whole reason why your friendship ended was because you kissed him?”

“Yeah.”

“Great.” Her lips pull down into a frown. “So, pretty much what you’re saying is Ashton and I are screwed. We kissed… twice… and now he’s pushing me away like Drew did to you.”

Is she serious right now? I just told her I sucked face with a guy three times and her only concern is her friendship with her best friend?

She tries to climb off my lap, but I hold on to her hips, refusing to let her go. “You’re not going to ask me if I’m gay?” I ask incredulously.

“Umm… no, I wasn’t,” she says, looking at me like I’ve got three heads.

“I kissed a guy. Three times.”

“I know.” She laughs. “But you’ve also kissed me, and a lot of other girls, if the rumors are true.” She shrugs. “But since you clearly want me to ask, I can… Are you gay?”

I chuckle at how well she’s taking all this. “I don’t know.”

She giggles and the sound shoots straight to my dick. “Well, if you are, you better let your dick know that. Because he’s been poking me…”

I shake my head and breathe in a sigh of relief. I was so worried about telling her and she handled it fucking perfect. “I don’t think I am.”

“Well, have you ever liked any other guys? Found anyone besides Drew attractive?”

My thoughts go back to the other day at the pool, Ashton in his speedo… His taut chest and muscular back…

“Uh-oh,” she taunts with a laugh. “Your face is all red and… Oh my God. Your dick just got super hard. Who were you just thinking of?”

Nope, no fucking way. It was one thing to admit what happened between me and Drew. There’s no way I’m telling the girl I’m seeing I checked out her gay best friend.

“Brayden, tell me,” she pushes. “I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

Needing to distract her, I grip her by the curves of her hips and roll us over. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore,” I say honestly. “I came here for you, to cheer you up, and instead it somehow became all about me.” I press my lips to hers and my dick stirs. I may not know what the fuck I am, but I know for a fact Mia turns me on.

She could easily push me to answer, but instead she wraps her arms around my neck and murmurs against my mouth, “Thank you for coming. I didn’t realize how much I needed you here until I saw you standing in my doorway.”

Her fingers thread through the strands of my hair and she pulls me close, deepening the kiss. My heart hammers against my chest. She may’ve needed me, but in a lot of ways, I think I needed her just as much. We kiss like this for several minutes, getting lost in each other, until there’s a knock on her door.

“Mia, it’s time to get up,” a whiny, female voices says from the other side.

“Oh shit!” she whisper-yells, pushing me off her. “I’ll be down in a few minutes,” she calls out. Then to me, she says, “Who let you in?”

“Some old guy… Umm… Regi…” I can’t remember the guy’s name. I was too nervous to get up here to see Mia, worried she’d freak out that I showed up as a surprise. We’ve only been seeing each other for a minute. I wasn’t sure if flying across the country and showing up at one’s childhood home would be considered too much too soon.