𝐌𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 (𝟏𝟖+)

24. PROTECT - ✭DENVER✭

- ONE WEEK EARLIER -

I shove my hands in my pocket as the three of us walk down the hallway. It's quiet as we make our way to the elevator and I know it's because my friends just heard me fucking another guy balls fucking deep. In general, I never feel awkward. I'm overtly blunt, I usually don't give a single fuck what anyone thinks about me but, in this moment, I don't think I've ever felt so awkward in my life.

I can't help but think back to Luke's face. It was so passive that face, like what we'd just done meant nothing to him. I'd gotten that same exact face from Mal a handful of times. As much as Luke wants to say Mal and I are exactly alike, he had the same emotional detachment she did.

I understood Mal's reason behind it now but Luke's, not so much. Every person Malyssa ever had feelings for had either used her or had been used against her. She was guarded because she'd learned she had to be. So, I get her reason for emotional detachment and not wanting to feel vulnerable. Every single time she had been, it had hurt her.

To be absolutely honest, I was never really an overly emotional guy either. The only time I let my emotion out was when I was boxing or fighting. That's when I let all the demons out. Well, I used to let them out in the bedroom before I'd met Malyssa too. That was a moot point now.

She had her demons and we'd learned to love ours together. We'd learned to love our deep darkness, our deviancy with one another. Every time I was with her, all those little conversations she'd pretended meant nothing, slowly mended us. She might have not realized it then but I could tell she did now.

"I would've never guessed you were into guys too." Rhys said the words, pulling me out of my thought process. "You just don't seem like the type to... you know..." I close my eyes tightly shut because I am nowhere near in the mood to have this particular conversation. "Have you always been into dudes? Like, how many guys have you-"

"Really Rhys?" I hear Seth's voice interrupt and admonish him. "How about you fucking not."

"What? I'm just saying Denver is like a beast in the cage when he fights. I would never imagine him liking to take it up the-" I throttle him automatically up against the wall of the elevator cutting his words off.

"Listen," I glare into his eyes angrily and growl my next words, "I don't fucking take it up the ass, alright? I'm a fucking top and even if I did like it up the ass it would be none of your god damn business." I squeeze his neck tighter, making his eyes bulge a bit. "And if you ever try to fuck Malyssa ever again I swear to fucking Christ himself I will fuck you up so bad. I will fucking-"

"Jesus, Denver!" Seth tries to tear me away from him. He's pulling at the arm that is choking Rhys but I don't let up. Rhys is right. When I want to be, I'm a fucking beast. "Denver stop, you're choking him. You know how Rhys is. He doesn't think before he talks sometimes. I mean, for fuck's sake, neither do you."I let go of his neck and take a step back, noticing the elevator has stopped. Seth had stopped it.

"Christ!" Rhys grasps at his neck as he gasps for air.

"I don't want to talk about my sexual orientation or preferences again." I run my hand through my hair and blow out a breath of agitation. I don't remember the last time I lost it like that. "Liking men as well as women doesn't make me any less of a man, as you can see."

"Damn Denver. Since when did you get so fucking sensitive?" That makes me grit my jaw again because it's honestly a valid question. I usually never let anything get under my skin especially anything sexual. "I wasn't trying to get you all pissed off."

"Rhys, you need to learn when to shut the fuck up sometimes," Seth interjects.

"I just don't get it." You'd think Rhys would've shut his mouth by now but he continues with, "You were fucking Luke, right?" I glare at him but nod anyway. "Then what's the problem with me trying to hook up with Malyssa?"