Chapter 22: Sparks Under Skin

Cody POV

I sit by Jake’s hospital bed, his whisper stuck in my head. “Cody, he’s trouble”. My hand’s still in Ryan’s, warm and tight. Jake’s eyes close again, breathing slow. My chest twists, scared for him, confused about us. Ryan’s heartbeat thumps under my ear, steady and close. His arm stays around me, heavy and safe. My tears dry, sticky on my face. I look up at him, his eyes soft on mine. “Coffee tomorrow?” he asks, voice low. My stomach flips, nervous but warm. I nod slow. “Yeah,” I say, soft. My throat’s sore, but my heart’s loud. Trust flickers, small and new.

Next morning, I’m shaky getting ready. My apartment’s quiet, sunlight sneaking through cracked blinds. I pull on jeans, snug and dark, and a gray shirt, soft on my skin. My hands tremble, fixing my hair. Blond strands fall in my eyes. I think of Ryan’s fingers in it, tugging playful. My chest tightens, warm and dumb. I grab my phone, his texts from 3 a.m. still there. “Miss your cock.” My face heats up. I shove it in my pocket, heading out. My sneakers scuff the floor, loud in the silence.

The coffee shop’s small, busy. Smells like beans and sugar, warm in the air. I spot Ryan at a table, corner by the window. He’s in a black hoodie, hair messy. My heart jumps, fast and happy. I walk over, legs wobbly. “Hey,” I say, sliding in across from him. My voice shakes a little. He grins, small and real. “Hey, dancer,” he says, low. My cheeks burn, hot and quick. I bite my lip, looking down. His foot nudges mine under the table, soft and sneaky. My stomach flutters, light and dumb. I nudge back, shy.

We order coffee, black and hot. My hands wrap the mug, warming my cold fingers. Steam curls up, brushing my face. He sips his, eyes on me over the rim. “How’s Jake?” he asks, quiet. My chest tightens, heavy for a second. “Stable,” I say, soft. “Still out, but better.” My throat’s dry, sore from crying yesterday. He nods, foot pressing mine harder. “Good,” he says. His voice steadies me, like in the hospital. My toes curl in my shoes, warm from him.

We talk slow, testing it. My knee bounces under the table, nervous. He tells me about a dumb dog he saw, barking at nothing. I laugh, soft and real. My chest loosens, easy with him. His foot slides up, brushing my ankle. My face gets hotter. I sip my coffee, hiding a grin. “You’re dumb,” I say, teasing. He smirks, leaning closer. “You like it,” he says, low. My heart skips, loud and fast. I do. Too much. My fingers tap the mug, shaky and warm.

Coffee’s gone fast. My mug’s empty, his too. “My place?” he asks, eyes bright. My stomach flips hard, excited and scared. I nod quick. “Yeah,” I say, voice small. We leave, air cool outside. My shirt sticks to me, sweaty under my arms. His shoulder bumps mine walking, warm and solid. My heart’s pounding, wild and happy. His mansion’s close, big and white. We step in, quiet wrapping us up. My shoes squeak on the floor, loud in the stillness.

He kicks his off, grinning big. “Catch me,” he says, running at me. My eyes go wide, laughing fast. He grabs my waist, tackling me to the couch. I squirm, pushing back. We wrestle playful, rolling over cushions. My shirt rides up, cool air on my stomach. His hands pin my wrists, strong and warm. My breath’s fast, hot in my chest. I feel him, hard through his jeans, pressing my thigh. I’m hard too, obvious and tight. My face burns, red and dumb. He flips me, pinning me down. His hips grind slow, teasing me. I gasp loud, head tipping back.

I twist free, jumping on him. My legs straddle his waist, hands on his chest. His hoodie’s soft, warm under my fingers. I push him flat, grinning big. “Got you,” I say, breathless. His hands grab my hips, squeezing firm. My jeans rub rough, hard-on aching. His eyes lock on mine, dark and wild. My heart slams, loud and fast. His breath’s hot, brushing my face. I lean closer, nose on his. He groans soft, hips lifting. We’re close, too close. My chest tightens, warm and shaky.

We stop short, breathing hard. I roll off, landing beside him. My legs shake bad, weak from him. He laughs nervous, shaky too. “Missed this,” he says, hand brushing my thigh. His fingers linger, warm through my jeans. My stomach flutters, light and good. “Me too,” I say, soft. My voice cracks a little. I bite my lip, blushing hard. My hand rests on his, pressing it there. Trust grows, slow and real. My chest feels full, happy and dumb. His thumb rubs my leg, gentle and slow.

We lie there, couch creaking under us. My head’s on his shoulder, nose in his neck. He smells like coffee and him, sharp and good. My heart slows, steady with his. His hand slides up, resting on my stomach. My shirt’s up, skin warm under his palm. I shiver soft, liking it. “You’re warm,” he says, low. My face heats up more. “You too,” I say, quiet. My fingers trace his arm, feeling muscle. We’re teasing, rebuilding slow. My chest hums, light and new. I missed him. Bad.

He shifts, turning to me. His eyes are soft, locked on mine. My breath catches, shaky and warm. “Been rough,” he says, voice low. My throat tightens, thinking of our breakup, the club. I nod slow. “Yeah,” I say, soft. My hand squeezes his, hard and sure. His foot nudges mine again, playful. I laugh, small and real. My chest loosens, easy with him. His fingers brush my hair, tugging light. My heart skips, loud and happy. We’re close, spark flickering back.

Time slips by, sun dipping low. My legs stretch out, tangled with his. My jeans feel tight, still hard a little. His are too, bulge clear. We don’t push it. Just stay close. My head rests on his chest now, ear to his heartbeat. It’s fast, then slow, matching mine. His hand rubs my back, warm and slow. “You’re good,” he says, quiet. My chest warms up, full and raw. “You too,” I say, soft. My voice shakes less now. His arm pulls me tighter, safe and real. My eyes get heavy, cozy with him.

Then his phone buzzes. Loud. Sharp. On the table by the couch. My eyes snap open, heart jumping fast. He groans, reaching slow. My stomach twists, nervous and quick. He grabs it, screen glowing bright. My breath stops. Greg’s name flashes, big and clear. His manager. My chest tightens hard, scared and cold.