"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
Jude fought the urge to look over his shoulder."I'm not proud of this, you know." Jude chuckled softly again."It's alright." Jude wasn't sure it was. He still felt extremely guilty, and having him there made it a million times worse. "I kind of have something I need to get to, but I promise I'll text you back.""Oh, sure. Sorry for getting in your way."Jude smiled, shaking his head. "It's no problem. You're not barging in."He advanced another step into Jude. "Just listen to me, okay? I just wanted to tell you one thing, and then I'm out of here. I know you don't want to be involved at the moment, and I totally get that. It's just…""What?" Jude inquired."It was great sex, Jud," he said with a laugh.Jude blinked at him, taken aback. That wasn't what he had anticipated. "Really?"He grinned and took a step forward. "Yeah, you're the best I've had in a while, and I just want to let you know that I'm really in the mood for it. If you want another replay of Friday night, you know, sa
"Still. You could just have the conversation out in public," Yon pressed.Jude Queens rolled her eyes. "It's not like it ever stopped us before," she growled.He snorted a little laugh. "Hey, you were safe, right? With Mathew?" He squinted a little."She thought they were beyond him treating her like a kid.""I had to ask. Sorry it didn't work out for you today, Jud. I'm going out. You want to come with me?""Nah, she was all right, thanks."Yon prepared to leave.Jude clenched down on the side of her thumb, with a passing temptation. "Actually, may I use your phone before you go?" she said impulsively."Why?" He stepped forward to dig into his pocket."I have to text Malachi something, but I don't want to do it off mine," she said.He glanced down at his phone, then handed it to her, already opened on the text with Malachi. "Here, I'm going to the bathroom."Jude stared down at it.Jude QueensI'll call you next week about that talkit's Jud.She texted and sat in front of the screen
Jude got what Mathew was trying to say. Jude wasn't letting him move even a centimeter out of position. Jude just wanted to have him this way, to wrap himself in the pretense that this wasn't Mathew. If Mathew got hurt, it all came crashing down, and all Jude was left with was the suffocating shame of taking advantage of him like this.Jude let Mathew's hip go and spit on his hand and rubbed it against him. Mathew moaned loudly. At least Mathew could reciprocate the favor to Jude.Jude came back at nine. Yon was in the kitchen, leaning into the fridge to grab a beer, and grinned when he spotted Jude. Jude scowled and crossed over to lean on the kitchen counter."Where have you been?" Klaus had just returned from the gym an hour before.Jude huffed. "Having sex with Mathew," he replied.Yon had lost something in the sink with a clunk. He turned around, eyes wide. "Shit.""Is this not okay? Is it weird to discuss this with you? Talking about sex?""No, it's okay. You surprised me. I did
"Right," Jude said."He's hotter than he expected," Mathew said, tilting his head as he inspected him.A flash of residual jealousy burned through Jude. He grunted neutrally."Somebody informed him that he was bisexual. Is he?""Last he knew, yeah.""Mathew stumbled over some gossip about him once, that he had a boyfriend. Totally hot, too—" He stopped.Jude's mouth was clamped shut.Mathew glanced at him, realization dawning. "He’s your ex, isn’t he?" He was already looking pretty embarrassed."Yup, that’s the one," Jude admitted.Mathew tittered nervously. "Shit, I’m sorry.""Don’t worry about it.""Mathew couldn't believe Jude's ex was Malachi Flynn. What was that like? To date him?"It was such a loaded question. Jude could spend years trying to explain. "Traumatizing," he said instead.Mathew laughed again. "I'm sorry. Let me buy you a beer. As friends. You could use a break," he said.Jude took a breath, then nodded. "Yeah. Just one, I'm going to the gym afterwards," he told Mat
It was so difficult knowing what was appropriate, whether or not to believe Jude's friends or him. Jude had no idea what to do. Jude's intuition was nonexistent when it came to Malachi. It was as if, behind the dual masks of Malachi, existed a small little third one—the real Malachi. The one Jude knew, the one that sat across from Jude today. Not the happy mask he wore or his brooding alter ego, but this worried, scared boy who breathed his breath, hoping Jude would reach out and take his hand and be with him.The Malachi Jude he had found in his room, the one who had taken the shower that first day, and the one who had talked to Jude about missing his dad, they were the same person Jude was looking at right now. If Jude could get all the rest of the clutter out of the way, maybe this could work. When they were good, they were like on top of the world. Jude had never been happier in his life. Jude wished more than anything that he could get this to work.So Jude took his hand.It was