He glanced over at Jude, then back down at his phone. "Wanna know something embarrassing?"Jude nodded.He paused the song. "Remember when Malachi went over to Jude's dorm the first time Jude invited him over?""Yeah.""That day, Malachi realized he liked Jude that much," Malachi confessed with a shy smile.Jude's heart jumped to his throat at Malachi's confession. Was that it?Malachi told Phoenix about it afterward and introduced Phoenix to this song. Malachi told him that's how Jude made him feel. It's called 'Can't Fight This Feeling.' You know it?""No.Malachi pressed play again, and the song restarted. Malachi started singing, and Jude smiled. Jude had never heard Malachi sing seriously before. Malachi had a really good voice. That same shy smile on his face made him look really handsome.Jude listened to the words Malachi sang, smiling at them in context. As the song continued, Jude's smile faded piece by piece, and Jude's heart clenched. It wasn't just about the guy falling i
He leaned forward to kiss Jude, and Jude crossed his other arm over Malachi's waist, bending at the knees and pushing upwards."Do that nasty thing you do," Malachi murmured against Jude's mouth.Jude grinned broadly. "What?""Spit on me.""Jude can't from here.""Then spit on your hand. Come on, come on. I like watching you." Malachi moved back to allow Jude to do what he told him to do, his hips rotating and his eyes at Jude's mouth. Malachi groaned when Jude put his hand back over him. "Fuck. I like that. You're like a porn star."Jude smiled again. Malachi was moving quickly over Jude."What's come over you?" Jude had trouble keeping pace with Malachi's rhythm, sucking in the sensation of his strokes.A spark of amusement flickered in Malachi's eyes. "You," he said and laughed."Idiot." Jude's breathing stopped as Malachi placed his hand on Jude's shoulder and used it to pull himself up and come crashing back down again. "Fuck, Malachi, Jude won't hold out like this.""Good." Mala
Malachi Flynn clarified, "You shop for groceries, you prepare and clean. Never has the house looked neater. I can do without the cleaning lady—who, I'm certain, already resigned—and save on that cost. It's a win-win. And this is my home. I pay no rent. I don't want you falling behind on your homework because you're struggling to cover for things that are already covered.". Let me take care of you, the way you take care of me." Malachi Flynn's voice was gentle."I suppose I still have some time to think about it," Jude Queens replied."Yeah, you do," Malachi Flynn replied, kissing Jude Queens' cheek. Malachi Flynn's lips lay on Jude Queens' skin."Could we furnish?" Jude Queens asked, and the lines around Malachi Flynn's eyes crinkled with love.We can buy furniture right now if you want. We don't need to wait until next term to do it."Jude Queens smiled and leaned his chin on Malachi Flynn's shoulder. "It's just a little depressing here at times. I'm sure you'd feel better if it were
Klaus sighed, reclining back against the couch, and Yon chewed his lip."Or how about this, Jud…we don't say Malachi today. Just you," Yon suggested."Okay. What do I say?""We want you to live with us," Klaus said.Jude leaned forward a little. "But you have a roommate," he reminded."He was going to live with his girlfriend next semester, and we asked him. He's fine with it now," Klaus explained."I can't live with you. The school provides dorms, and I can't afford rent. You know it," Jude reminded Klaus.Klaus glanced at Yon, something unspoken passing between them."We can split your half of it among us. It's not much more for us to handle," Yon promised Jude."I can't let you do that," Jude continued."We are asking you to please let us do it, Jud," Yon said firmly."You know that we're worried about you, and we know you're not going to ditch him. So, this is the next best thing," Klaus chimed in.Jude scowled. "Of course I am not going to break up with him. Why would you even br
"Jude didn't have it in him. Jude didn't want to constantly be having this same argument. Jude didn't want to be this way. They were over, okay? Please let Jude be over. Move on from them, Malachi Flynn."His eyes were etched with agony. "I won't."Jude took his hands away from him and crossed them on his lap. "Jude was sorry."He gave Jude a curt nod and scowled downward.Jude got up and left. Jude thought it couldn't hurt anymore like this.Jude thought it couldn't shatter anymore.Jude was so fucking wrong.Malachi Flynn told Jude everything that day. They went at it until one o'clock in the afternoon as he discussed his life. His dad, a hedge fund manager, was two times as old as his mom. He was once married, and Malachi Flynn also had two older brothers with whom he no longer spoke. His dad was diagnosed with stage three Hodgkin's lymphoma two months before Malachi Flynn finished high school. He bequeathed all his property to Malachi Flynn. It led to a rift in the family. His bro
"One! Last Friday, that one. Jude didn't do it even if he wanted to. Jude did it to drive Malachi Flynn out of his fucking mind! It didn't work, and now Malachi Flynn was here bullying Jude about it? After who the hell knows how many people Malachi Flynn had screwed…probably the day after Malachi left Jude, if not sooner."Malachi Flynn did not look angry anymore. "Jud." He tried to step closer."You think Jude is confused? You turned Jude into this, Malachi Flynn. This is your doing. You turned Jude into loving you, turned Jude into needing to breathe because of you, turned Jude into being safe and loved and needed, and then abandoned Jude. They had plans. You always talked about the future, about them.". You pulled the rug out from under Jude. You threw Jude aside like he was nothing to you and didn't even get a word in edgewise—not when you left, but for two fucking years. You couldn't pick up the phone to call Jude and let him know what he did wrong to have made you leave him. Jud