Resist Me

Chapter 9

Lincoln

As people chattered endlessly, I stared at the TV. It had been playing reruns of Friends for a while, which wasn’t something I’d choose. Seriously, without the laugh track, the show kinda sucked. It gave me a distraction, though.

I liked most of these people well enough and a lot of them were on the football team, so I knew them. This just wasn’t how I’d spend a typical Saturday evening. I wondered if I was coming across as a dick. Everyone expected someone like me, with a reputation like mine, to be outgoing and social, which was a part I could play flawlessly, but I didn’t have to anymore, and that was freeing in its own way.

It was enough that I was here. I wanted to show my support. Seeing Kai and Sen together was cool too. They had an obvious connection that wouldn’t fail to make you wish for a relationship like theirs- even someone like me who preferred the company of myself most of the time.

I didn’t know anything about Sen, but he seemed timid, almost nervous. It made me wonder how long he’d been open about his sexuality. I kept my private life under wraps, but I didn’t have any shame about it. If I had someone that I loved, the way Kai so obviously adored Sen, I’d happily claim him as mine in public, but at the same time, I’d want to keep him to myself, refusing to share him with anyone.

“Hey, you’re Lincoln, right?”

I looked at the guy who sunk onto the couch beside me. He had dark olive skin and hair that was tied in a bun behind his head. I could tell that it was curly and it made me want to see what it looked like when it was down.

“Linc,” I replied with a smile before I brought the beer to my lips.

“The god of Harmon University,” he said dramatically.

I forced a laugh. “Yup. Former god now.”

“Oh, yeah. West’s ego is about to grow like the Grinch’s heart.”

“Only if he lets it. What’s your name?”

“I’m an asshole, obviously. Brooks.” He held out his hand and I took it. His thumb stroked over my skin before he pulled back.

Hm. Interesting.

“What are you studying?” I asked.

Brooks let out a long raspberry. “Law.”

“Damn. I’ll have to make sure to keep my nose clean around you.”

“On the contrary, we should be living it up before I’m obligated to give a shit.”

“To living it up, then.”

I clinked my bottle against his and continued to study him as I drained it. He was attractive and seemed like an interesting person. We might hit it off if I went for it, but I didn’t feel drawn to him. I’d been on too many bad dates lately to feel inclined to jump on an opportunity just because he was handsome and approached me.

Was he even my type? I didn’t know. While I’d dated in the past, I’d never found that spark that people talked about. Many times, I’d decided that it didn’t exist, then I came across people like Kai and Sen. It was weird to use their relationship as evidence for an idea that was probably imaginary, but some things could just be felt. It was the same way around my parents and I used to wonder if they were just lucky or there was more to it.

Even if it wasn’t as obvious and powerful as a spark, I wanted to feel… something. And I wanted to know that I wouldn’t end up bu rned when it all went to shit. Too many people fed on you like vampires of the heart. I was tired of being drained by them with nothing to show for it.

Brooks motioned for me to come close with a strange glint in his eye. Hesitantly, I leaned to the side.

“Do you think they’ll be offended if I tell them their place is a shit hole?” he whispered.

I snorted a laugh. “If they don’t already know that, they’re all delusional.”

“They’ll just call me a trust fund kid if I say it.”

“Trust fund, huh? Yeah, you have that vibe.”

He scoffed. “Alright, Linc. What about you? What makes you who you are?”

Tapping my finger on the glass bottle, I considered the question. “I’m just out here trying to survive like everybody else.”

“Sounds like there’s more to it.”

“There is.”

He studied me for another moment before he chuckled. “You’re different than I thought you’d be. Not in a bad way. Honestly, everyone I’ve become friends with here has surprised me in one way or another.”

“How so?”

“Kai looks like the broody bad boy in every romance novel, but he’s more of a golden retriever. Humble despite excelling at everything in his life. Sen, well, he’s kind of obvious, but he’s super sweet. The definition of a tortured soul.”

“And West?” I ventured, bringing the bottle to my lips. When I remembered that it was empty, I held it in my lap.

“He’s crazy,” Brooks laughed. I grunted my agreement. “But there’s a lot more depth to him than I originally thought. He’s surprisingly transparent if someone cares to know him, but I think a lot of people don’t try because they make quick assumptions about him. I think the guy faces the devil in the mirror every day, but he walks outside and spreads joy. I respect the hell out of it.”

I heard West’s laugh from the kitchen and turned toward it. He was talking to a few of the football players, waving his hands in the air excitedly. He exuded a childish sort of energy that turned me off, but they seemed captivated. I wondered what he was saying .

He leaned back against the fridge with a lingering smile as he listened to Caleb. His eyes met mine and I was about to turn away, but I held his gaze. That familiar cocky expression was in place. As I stared at him, though, I thought I saw something else underneath. It was probably because of Brooks’ words. I was looking for whatever he claimed dwelled inside of West. If it was there, I wouldn’t discover it, nor did I have any desire to.

Tearing my gaze away, I returned my attention to Brooks. He was already looking at me in a way that made me uncomfortable.

“What?”

“I’m trying to figure you out,” he said with a shrug.

“Probably a bad idea. I’m an ancient tomb. Open me up and you’ll release a bunch of bad shit. Curses and all that.”

He burst into laughter, shaking his head. “See? I knew that you were more than the stuck-up evil spawn that West claimed you were.”

“Stuck-up evil spawn,” I repeated. “Sounds like he’s projecting.”

My neck prickled, making my shoulders rise. Turning around, I found West there, holding out a beer. I took it with a grateful nod.

“I have an idea,” he said as he leaned his elbows on the back of the couch. He was looking at Brooks, who seemed to know it was going to be something he didn’t like. “Karaoke.”

Brooks laughed. “Are you serious? How would we even do that?”

“Well, I had to make one irresponsible purchase with that money my dad sent me. I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t.”

“You bought a karaoke machine?”

“Damn right, I did. And I need you to get the people excited.”

“I don’t see how I’d do that.”

“You start. If I do it, they’ll just pass it off as my usual erratic behavior. You’re likable.”

“So are you.”

West’s jaw ticked, but he just shrugged. After a moment, Brooks swore and got to his feet. He followed West’s directions and groaned before he started setting it up in front of the TV.

West swung himself over the back of the couch and landed in the seat beside me, making my beer slosh over a little. I frowned at the spot on my jeans. He was so fixated on the impending shit show that he didn’t notice .

When he stretched his arms over the back of the couch, I considered moving somewhere else. Or leaving altogether. He smelled strongly of citrus and musk, which reminded me that he’d just taken a shower before I got here. He’d answered the door in just a towel, displaying his broad chest and a body that shouldn’t look so chiseled considering how much he ate. He was always stuffing his face- in the locker room, during half-time, before games, after games, and on the way to class. It was the most insane thing I’d ever seen.

Even though I’d been surprised when he opened the door, my eyes had immediately fallen to his side. A huge, mottled bruise decorated his skin in dark shades of black and purple. I knew he’d gone down hard and was in pain during the game, but seeing the aftermath was shocking. I probably should’ve hit Drake a couple more times.

The bruise had to hurt like a bitch, but he didn’t show it. That infuriating smile was still pasted on his face while he watched Brooks as if he didn’t have a care in the world. Must be nice. Not that I had any particular issues in my life right now, but I also didn’t have a reason to smile like that.

“Hello,” Brooks said into the microphone, drawing out the end of the word. Everyone turned toward him and his lips thinned. “I’m gonna kill you, West.”

“You’ve got this!” West shouted. I recoiled from the sound. He looked at me and quirked a brow, but I refocused on Brooks.

“Yeah, yeah. Since I’m here, I’m gonna dedicate my performance to my friend who’s trying really hard not to be noticed.”

I followed the direction he pointed in and found a guy with blonde hair who looked like he wanted to crawl inside his beer bottle and disappear. I recognized him from practices, but I didn’t know his name. He wasn’t on the team; he just sat in the stands often and did homework while he smoked.

Brooks winked at him, then took a dramatically large breath and started the song. It took me a moment to recognize it as Meet Me At Our Spot. I wasn’t a fan, but Brooks actually sang pretty damn well. Maybe that was why West chose him to start this ridiculous activity.

Most of the people around us were watching him while they carried on talking. I spotted Kai and Sen by the back door. Kai had his arms around him from behind and it looked like he was either talking or singing in his ear. Sen laughed softly, then twisted at the neck to kiss him. Even that simple gesture seemed full of passion as if they couldn’t help but get lost in it.

That was what I’d seen from my parents when I was growing up. It was why I refused to settle. When I went on a date and I wasn’t feeling a connection, I cut it off. I just didn’t want to waste my time on something if I wasn’t feeling it. Maybe I came off as a dick, but some things were more important than date etiquette.

The song ended and West cheered loudly. Everything he did was loud.

“Who do you nominate for the next round?” he asked.

Brooks tapped his chin as he surveyed the room. I had a horrible feeling when he met my eyes. I gave him a look, pleading with him not to do what I knew he was thinking. He bit his lip and pointed at me.

“Linc. He’s officially a simple, measly college student like the rest of us, so he has to lower himself to our standards.”

“Shit,” I muttered. “Can I opt out?”

“No. You shy?”

“Not shy. I just have a sliver of dignity in the abyss of my soul.”

To my surprise, West laughed beside me. His hand came down on my shoulder. “Come on. Do you think you’re better than all of us?”

I almost said yes but thought better of it. Turning fully to face him, I rolled my lips.

“Fine,” I replied. “Let’s see if you’re capable of sharing the spotlight, puppy.”

His eyes narrowed. “I’m not opposed to using one of my new kitchen knives to cut off your dick.”

My nose wrinkled. “I’d never let you anywhere near it. What do you say?”

He studied me for longer than was comfortable. I couldn’t tell if he was going to agree or not and I considered rescinding the challenge.

“Come on,” Kai taunted. “You’ve been nipping at each other’s heels all season. You owe us all some entertainment.”

A handful of the football players voiced their agreement. West broke into a grin, probably spurred on by the attention. Jumping to his feet, he held out a hand. I ignored it, getting up and taking the microphone from Brooks. West grabbed another one and cleared his throat.

“I get to pick the song,” he said.

“Fine.”

Too Sweet by Hozier began playing and I couldn’t help but smile. I hated to admit it, but the song was catchy. And little did he know, I could hit every note thanks to my parents’ tutelage.

When I winked at West, his brows went up. I didn’t even look at the screen because I knew the song embarrassingly well. To be fair, it was all over TikTok, but I also had it in my playlist.

I hit the line, ‘I think I’ll take my whiskey neat,’ and Sen’s mouth dropped open. He looked at Kai who appeared impressed and amused. When the first chorus ended, I motioned for West to take over. His tongue pushed against the inside of his cheek, then he shook his head and went for it.

It wasn’t great, but the guy was fearless, I’d give him that. And he loved the attention. He went all the way in, using his arms and doing a dumb dance that made me laugh. When he got close to me, I reared back, but after a moment, I decided to just go with it. We both belted out the last chorus together, a chaotic masterpiece of a dying raccoon coupled with my on-point performance.

His fingers came around the nape of my neck as we sang the last line. When it was over, he turned to our little crowd, still gripping me. His thumb stroked across my skin as he released me and I glanced sidelong at him before I set the mic down and returned to my seat.

“I am shook,” Brooks said. “You gave me chills.”

“Shut up,” I laughed. “It’s just karaoke.”

“No, karaoke is a bunch of inebriated people screeching into a microphone. That was a whole performance.”

I brought the beer to my lips, then shrugged. “I don’t do things halfway.”

“It shows. You’re cool, Linc. We should hang out sometime.”

Raising a brow, I stretched my arm over the back of the couch. “You wanna hang out.”

“That’s what I said. And before you get any ideas, I’m locked in a little will-they-won’t-they thing, so I’m not trying to explore your body.” He surveyed me for a moment, then shook his head. “You’re hot as fuck, but like I said, nothing like that.”

I saw his gaze move briefly to something on the other side of the room. Since I didn’t want to be obvious, I forced myself not to look.

“Alright, Brooks. I’m officially intrigued.”

“Don’t ask,” he muttered.

I really wanted to, but he clearly wasn’t going to divulge any information. Maybe I could crack him eventually or figure out who he’d looked at a minute ago. Drama in my own life was the literal worst, but hearing about others offered me a certain satisfaction.

When West dropped into Brooks’ lap, I scooted backward. He planted a kiss on his forehead and let out a sigh. It was ridiculous, but I also noticed the way he put a hand over his side. There was the barest tick in his jaw to betray that he was in pain. His pride was going to be the death of him.