Rock Bay 2 - Letting Go by M. J. O’Shea Read Free Book Online

Jesus, he was young, even though Drew’s body didn’t seem to notice—hung up and turned to the counter to place his order. Drew couldn’t help staring. He realized he probably looked kinda stalkerish, but there was just something about the guy in the faded scrubs that called to Drew.
    Drew’s phone went off with an ill-timed text. Shit. Tally. The noise was enough to make the guy he’d been staring at turn to look back. He smiled hesitantly. The smile slammed Drew, a sock to the gut. Drew was speechless. He smiled back but couldn’t talk. Damn, he wanted to talk. Say hello, get a name, drag the poor, unsuspecting guy over and kiss him until he could barely breathe. Nothing.
When he was leaving, sandwiches in hand,
    the pretty guy in the scrubs looked Drew’s way once again. He dipped his head just a touch. “Hi,” he said quietly.
“Hi,” Drew squeaked out in return. He thought of a million other things he wanted to say at that moment, but of course he was silent.
Jesus.
Chapter Four
     
    I
NEED to see him again. Drew couldn't get his mind off that sweet, hesitant smile. Problem was, he didn’t know where to see him other than probably at the hospital. And pathetic as he might be, Drew wasn’t going to the hospital to stalk some unsuspecting med student. Who was probably straight. Or not into guys way older than him. Drew would give him twenty-two tops. And every twenty-two-year-old wants some guy in his thirties.
    He was getting ready for his daily walk to work. The walk that Brock always mocked him for. “Why you gotta be such a fag, MacAuliffe? Can’t you drive like the rest of us who have dicks?” Drew rolled his eyes just thinking about it. He really did hate Brock 90 percent of the time. Okay, maybe 95. The rest he spent being afraid of what Brock was capable of… which was ruining him.
    It was a rainy day, but Drew didn’t let that get to him. He simply grabbed an umbrella and headed out the door. He was on his way down Old Main Street toward his office when he had a wave of “screw Brock” and decided to get coffee in Lex’s shop no matter who was working. He was surprised how much he really, really liked Lex. Even more, how much he liked Lex and Tally together. If Brock didn’t have his business by the nuts, those two and Lex’s friend Amy would be the kind of people he’d choose to hang out with.
    Drew pushed the door open, and was surprised when Tally, but not Lex, was behind the counter. Tally gave him a friendly but also surprised greeting, which was understandable. Drew usually would’ve been scared to be seen in Lex’s shop for fear that Brock would hear. Yeah, pathetic. But he had to confess to Tally that that wouldn’t be the case anymore. Because he’d told Brock where Tally worked.
“Aw, shit. Thanks. You know I was trying to avoid him,” was Tally’s response.
    Yeah, I wish I could too.
Drew apologized and got to the worst part— Brock wanted Tally to come hang out with the guys
    the next weekend. He was hoping that maybe Tally, whom Brock had always looked up to as some sort of demigod, could maybe just possibly ease the way for him. Like, if it was okay that Tally liked guys, maybe it would be okay if he did too. He told Tally all of this, along with the part about how he’d maybe kinda sorta met the guy he thought he might want to get to know.
    Tally liked the idea of Drew meeting someone, but he wasn’t enthused at the prospect of hanging out with Brock. He was even less enthused when Brock himself came busting into the shop with his usual bull-like delicacy.
    “What’s up, fucker? D-dog told me I’d be able to find you here! I’ve been waiting for you to call me.”
    Jesus fucking Christ, Brock. Drew was embarrassed to be in the same room as him. Nothing new.
    Drew tuned out the rest of the conversation, as hard as it was with Brock’s louder than everything else in the entire universe voice, only protesting when Brock started giving him shit about walking