RUSH

Ch. 10: Viperclaw Rising

-Mason-

"Am I hot enough?" I asked Eric, wincing at how ridiculous the question sounded coming out of my mouth. "I mean... you'd consider me a catch, right?"

He didn't reply.

"Right?"

Eric grumbled noncommittally.

"Come on! I'm being serious."

He grimaced in response, albeit not without shrugging his shoulders in some weak semblance of agreement.

"Tell me I'm hot, Eric."

He tiredly muttered curses under his breath, launching one of his pillows at me before using the other to cover his face. There was the faint sound of a muffled scream before he placed it back under his head. I'd been asking for some form of validation for the last half an hour or so, to no avail. It wasn't as if I necessarily liked having to ask him for his opinion, yet the question was burning in the back of my mind ever since I encountered Bennett's co-worker.

I'd never been one to doubt my own appearance, yet there was something to be said about Jonah's appearance brought it all into perspective. With a co-worker like that coddling Bennett—calling him Benny in that grossly saccharine tone—it was no wonder he wasn't even remotely interested in me.

Hell, they were probably together right now, lovingly licking each other's wounds while I rotted away beside a jerk who wouldn't even feed my ego once to humor me.

"Eric," I called out while throwing his pillow back at him, scoffing in disbelief when it didn't even reach his bed.

"You are, Mason. I swear you're the hottest bitch I've ever met," Eric mumbled unenthusiastically before snatching his other pillow from where it'd landed on the floor. "Can I go back to sleep now? I'm starting to think I preferred it when you were keeping this from me."

"Why isn't he interested, then?" I challenged while getting up, crossing my arms in sheer indignation. "I keep chasing after him like some naïve little schoolgirl with a crush. But do you think he's noticed? No!"

"Have you tried telling him how you feel? Have you asked him if he's even into guys?" Eric complained. "Also, no need to demean little girls just because you can't get laid."

"I can get laid," I scoffed.

"Then go get laid!"

I narrowed my eyes, considerably glancing at the door before rolling my eyes. A few months ago... hell, a few weeks ago, I probably would've, if only to take the edge off. But now...

Eric snorted. "You know it's not cheating if he doesn't even know you exist, right?"

"He knows I exist, fuck you!"

"At least I'm not the loser who can't get the time of day from a freshman," he mocked. God, he got mean when he was tired. "And don't try to bullshit me by pretending he's older because the gym's website says he goes to our uni—"

"Bitch!"

"You're the bitch!"

"Screw you, Eric Dick."