Total pages in book: 61
Estimated words: 58003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 58003 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 290(@200wpm)___ 232(@250wpm)___ 193(@300wpm)
Shawn’s shitty mood persisted all day Saturday despite his best efforts to pull himself out of it.
He went to the gym in the afternoon, then for a run afterwards. But even the treat of blue skies and autumn sunshine couldn’t dispel the cloud of gloom in his head.
By the evening, he was back in sweatpants and sitting on the sofa in front of crappy TV, eating his feelings in the form of cold macaroni cheese out of a can and washing it down with cheap lager.
Jez breezed in. “Did I leave my phone in here? Oh yeah, there it is.” He picked it up from the coffee table. When he straightened up, he rolled his eyes when he saw the state of Shawn. “Keeping it classy there, Shawny? Could you not even be bothered to put it in a bowl and heat it up?”
“Dev was using the microwave and I couldn’t be arsed to wait. It tastes like shite whether it’s hot or cold anyway. So….” He shrugged and poked the stuff with his fork.
“Yuck. Well, I’ll leave you to it. I need to get ready to go out and party. Are you sure you don’t wanna come to Troopers with us?” He sounded serious.
Shawn studied him, trying to decide on his motives. Was he taking the piss? “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“There’ll be friends and allies there too. It won’t all be LGBT people, you know.”
Shawn couldn’t say that he claimed one of those letters for himself now. “I know,” he said instead. “But I’m not really in the mood.”
“Yeah. You’ve seemed a bit down this week. Anything you want to talk about?”
It was tempting. Jez was a good bloke, and Shawn trusted him. He took a breath, thinking about spilling his guts.
But then Dev came in with a plate of food, and Shawn had missed his chance.
“Nah, I’m good. But thanks.” He gave Jez a quick smile. Maybe another time.
“Hey Dev, do you and Ewan fancy coming out tonight? We’re going clubbing,” Jez said.
“Oh yeah, Jude already asked us. But no thanks. Clubbing’s not really my thing—way too loud and crowded.” Dev winced at the mere mention of it. “Ewan and I are going to the cinema instead.”
“No worries. Have a good night, then.” Jez put his phone in his pocket and left.
Well, Shawn wouldn’t have too much competition for the remote control tonight if everyone was out apart from him and Ben, who was bound to spend most of the evening in his room as usual. He sighed and scooped up another forkful of the bland, creamy, cheesy mush.
At least he had plenty of beer.
Shawn was still sitting on the sofa when Mac and Jude came in dressed for clubbing. After finishing his macaroni cheese, Shawn had polished off a bag of Doritos too. He had three empty cans of lager lined up in front of him and was partway down the fourth. The alcohol was dulling his senses but had done nothing to lift his spirits.
“The X Factor?” Mac raised his eyebrows. “Isn’t there anything better on? Or do you fancy one of the contestants?”
Shawn shrugged. Sunk in his misery, he wasn’t really paying much attention to the TV anyway. “Some of them are pretty easy on the eye.”
Speaking of easy on the eye, Jude looked way too fucking hot for Shawn’s liking. He was wearing tight black jeans, which showed off the curve of his arse and the length of his legs, and a red T-shirt with the words “SAVE A VIRGIN. DO ME INSTEAD” on the front in big white letters. Shawn was relieved to see he had a jacket slung over one arm. It probably wouldn’t be the best idea for him to be walking around the city centre at night with that slogan showing.
Jude was talking on his phone. “Yeah, cool. Okay, mate. We’ll find you there. See you in about half an hour.” He ended the call. “Sid’s in The Anchor with a few people. Is Jez nearly ready to go?”
“I think so.” Mac flopped down on the sofa next to Shawn. “He was still pissing around with his hair a few minutes ago, but he won’t be much longer.”
Jude sat on the other sofa and ran a hand through his messy curls. Shawn’s fingers itched to do the same. The shadow of stubble on his jaw was appealing too. Shawn wanted to touch that to remind himself how it felt—preferably with his lips.
Jude’s phone chimed with a text and he looked at the screen with a smirk before typing something back.
Fucking Sid. Shawn wondered what they were saying to each other. The idea that Jude might hook up with Sid tonight burned like acid in his guts. He tried to stay focused on the TV and ignore the others, wishing they’d fuck off and leave him in peace, so he picked up the remote and flicked channels.