Bitter Treats (BxB Romance, In Progress)

16: Bitter Kisses

The loud music and constant chatter of the party overwhelmed Tyler. Looking for an escape, he slunk out the backdoors to the patio, where he hopefully could get some peace and quiet. His roommates Dylan and Chase, who were also his teammates on the Westerland U soccer team, had nagged him to come along, just this once. Most of the time, he preferred to stay behind in their room, where three narrow beds were fit into a tight space, to finally enjoy some solitude in their absence. When finally alone, he could binge Queer Eye on Netflix and dream of being as out and free as those guys, or, which admittedly happened much more frequently, indulge in some gay porn.

College had made everything worse. His hormones seemed to run amok on a daily basis, but there was no release for them since he was also caught in an environment where all signs of anything but macho behavior were looked down upon. Girls and sexual conquests were all the guys in the locker room seemed to talk about and words for men attracted to other men were used as slurs on a daily basis.

Tyler missed Hernan. Because while he had not been out with his best friend yet he'd never felt like he had to be anyone other than himself around him.

Here, he couldn't be himself.

Then, there was the Sebastian Lopes situation, which had increased the volatile pressure level inside Tyler even more. Arriving from Brazil to play for the team, with perfectly tousled shoulder-length curls and a golden tan, Sebastian made Tyler's pulse rise every time he looked his way, which he tried to avoid doing for that very reason. He couldn't show any signs of weakness. If Dylan and Chase ever found out about his leanings, he knew the consequences could be dire.

There had apparently been rumors last year about a player being gay, without any proof, and he'd been abruptly awoken one night to get his head shaved. After that, he'd been ostracized by the whole time until he finally caved and dropped out. The coaches had done nothing to prevent any of this.

Sipping on his Fanta, Tyler took a seat on a sunbed, which overlooked a smooth pool that glistened in turquoise. They had a game the next day and he wasn't going to show up for it with a hangover, even if he was unlikely to play. Dylan and Chase had no such qualms and had been delighted that Tyler, who had been gifted his cousin's old car before leaving for college, could be their ride for the night. That may be the main reason the duo, who weren't brother but could be mistaken as such with their similar unkempt mops of dirty blonde hair and punchable faces, had insisted their third roommate should tag along.

So now, he had to wait for them to be done partying until he could leave, which probably wouldn't be soon, considering that several kegs of beer had just been opened.

Tyler had figured college would be different; freer, considering he would no longer be under his aunt and uncle's roof and depending on them. But being on his own was so much more restrictive, having to fulfill the requirements of college and also fit into the mold of the good-looking jock.

Not even soccer was going well. As a freshman, he wasn't close to the starting line-up and mostly had to carry water bottles and run for stray balls at practice. Luckily, or unluckily perhaps since his current situation wasn't conducive to his mental health, his scholarship would carry over four years, regardless of whether he actually played or not.

Maybe it would get better. Maybe it would get worse.

Frustrated by his lack of options, Tyler threw the empty soda bottle into the pool, watching the surface ripple and droplets cascade over the tiles above. It was momentarily satisfying but as the water once again became still, the dark thoughts returned.

"Not enjoying the party?" the question came from behind Tyler, spoken by a familiar voice with South American flair.

"I-" Tyler turned to face Sebastian, being momentarily rendered mute by how the reflection from the water made his amber eyes dance. "I just needed to get away a bit."