Round and Round by Andrew Grey Page A

so….”
    “You’re a big man, and you were doing all the work,” Kevin said with a grin and then sucked at the base of Angus’s neck. “Never apologize for being who you are. I learned that a long time ago.” Kevin lay back on the pillow. “I wouldn’t stay with someone who expected me to be who I wasn’t.”
    “Is that what happened to you?”
    “It has, I guess,” Kevin said. “Some people are never happy with who anyone is, and they always want to try to turn them into what they want.” Kevin sighed. “Sometimes I feel left out since all my friends have partners. So I let myself feel desperate and went out with a few guys I should have told to take a hike. They weren’t abusive, but they were a little dumb and only interested in sex.”
    “I guess that was me,” Angus said.
    “Why?” Kevin asked. Angus shrugged, and Kevin looked deep into his eyes and saw a well of pain that nearly made him gasp. “Not everyone will leave.” He hoped he wasn’t jumping to the wrong conclusion.
    Angus shook his head. “Everyone leaves,” he said in response, and Kevin gaped. “In one way or the other, people leave you, and you need to get used to it.” The vehemence in Angus’s voice had Kevin doing a double take.
    “That’s not true. I know plenty of couples who will be together for a long time.” He knew that was true in his heart. Bull and Zach were, like, the perfect couple. Sure, he supposed they fought about things, but they also loved each other more than air. The same was true for Jeremy and Spook, and Tristan and Harry. Though if he were truthful, Kevin was a little jealous of Tristan, because at one time he’d crushed on Harry. But in retrospect, Harry and Tristan were great together, so he couldn’t be really upset.
    Angus rolled away and lay on his back on the mattress. Where Kevin had felt so close to him a few minutes earlier, it seemed a gulf had suddenly opened up, and he wasn’t sure what to do to bridge it. He found Angus really hot and all, but he didn’t know him that well and wasn’t sure what to say.
    “Some people are lucky in that way, but I’m not,” Angus said.
    “How do you know?” Kevin decided he wasn’t going to let this go. So he climbed on top of Angus with a grin and wriggled his hips against his. “Have you met everyone? Or taken some sort of poll?” He giggled softly when Angus huffed. “I got it. You’re psychic and know everything before it’s going to happen. If that’s true, then I want to know the Powerball numbers so I can buy a ticket.”
    “You’re being silly.”
    “So are you,” Kevin retorted. “I don’t know who left you, but not everyone does that.”
    “How can you say that? Your mom left you.”
    Angus’s words stung, and for a second he pulled into himself. Kevin glared at him and then smacked him on the shoulder. “Don’t be an ass. It’s not cute or funny. If you wanted to be a real dick, you succeeded. But you didn’t hurt me, if that’s what you were trying to do. I’m an adult now, and I can choose how I want to feel and what I’m going to react to.” Kevin moved closer, glaring at Angus. “Maybe it’s time I go home. I thought you were a good guy, but I can see now that you’re just an ass. I certainly don’t need any more assholes in my life. There have been more than enough.” Kevin rolled off Angus and got off the bed, searching around on the floor for his clothes.
    “I…,” Angus started.
    “You what? Have some explanation of childhood trauma to explain why you were a jerk?” Kevin shook his head. “Just save it.”
    “I shouldn’t have said that.”
    Kevin found his underwear and pulled them on. “No, you shouldn’t. I trusted you with something difficult that happened to me, and you threw it back in my face.” He turned and stepped back to where Angus sat naked on the side of the bed. He picked up his pants and fished in his pocket, coming up with a quarter. He handed it to Angus. “Use this to