Tranquil Falls

Stay with Me

I was pinned on the bed, his hands wrapped around my neck as he moved above me. Taylor pressed his lips against mine, cutting off my breathing more than he already was. He dropped his head to my shoulder, his entire body tensing before he stopped and collapsed on top of me. He breathed heavily against my neck, his grip relaxing.

"That was amazing," he breathed, rolling off me.

"Yeah," I said softly. I swallowed hard as I stared up at the ceiling. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him looking at me.

"Hey," he said, reaching over and stroking my hair. "Are you still pissed that Coach went off on you tonight at practice?" I shook my head, putting one arm behind my head and shifting from his touch. "Then what because that was fucking amazing?"

"My parents are going to be home soon. You should go."

He sat up and looked down at me. "You're in a mood tonight." He ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "Just tell me what's up? Is Finley better than I am? Is that what this is?" Yes. No. Anything was better than that had been.

"I'm just tired," I told him before I reached down on the floor for my boxers. He gripped my shoulder and jerked me back. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Let go, Taylor."

"That fucker is trying to take what we have, Gatlin," Taylor said in a low, cold voice. "He's going to take advantage of you and you're not even going to realize it."

"Just get out, Taylor," I hissed, shoving him.

He didn't budge. "He doesn't know you like I do, Gatlin. We've been best friends since we were born. We trust each other. We know each other's secrets." He reached over and latched his hand onto the back of my head, pressing our foreheads together. "They can't take anything from us, Gatlin, because we're a team and as a team, we're unstoppable."

"Taylor, stop," I said softly. He had a wicked look in his eyes, a look that I had never seen before. His grip tightened. "Of course he's not going to come between us. I'm with you, okay? We've got a bond that he wouldn't be able to understand."

Taylor nodded slowly, the look on his face fading. "Your mine and I'm yours."

"Of course."

He closed his eyes and sighed, his hand relaxing on the back of my head. "I don't know what I would do if I ever lost you."

"You're not going to lose me," I said as I reached up and cupped his face in mine. I pressed my lips softly against his and then pulled him against my chest.

He wrapped his arms tightly around me, his fingers clinging to the back of my shirt. Quiet sobs racked through him as he clung to me. I stroked his hair lightly, staring out the window as a group of kids rode down the street on their bikes, laughing and taunting each other. An old man was mowing his yard. A mom pushed a stroller on the sidewalk. None of them were aware of the two boys trying to keep it together.

Taylor pulled back, wiping his face on the back of his hand. "I didn't give you a chance to finish."

I shook my head, looking back at him. "It's fine. We don't really have time."

He looked down at his hands and nodded. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize."

He sniffled and closed his eyes. "I...Sometimes I just get so caught up in what I'm doing that I don't think about what other people may think or feel." He leaned forward and put his head on my shoulder. "It didn't really start until after my parents died."