Friday, late evening

Noah and Santino had the biggest fun, jumping from the rocks into the water, again and again. It did feel liberating to just let go and have fun. No worry over other people’s opinions, no judgement, nothing.

Plus, Noah drank plenty of alcohol, and he was no longer shy. In fact, now that nobody was around, Santino started teasing him in ways that made his stomach twist worse than it already did. He felt warm, giddy, and happy.

And he knew Julia was right. If he hadn’t already fallen for Santino, he was doing it now.

After about half an hour, they were chilling in the shallow water, gazing up at the stars in silence, when Noah no longer had been able to contain his curiosity.

“So, why did you break up with Karen tonight? Like Layne said, it probably wasn’t the perfect timing.”

“Oh, don’t worry about that. We’ll be all good on Monday.”

“Really?” Noah frowned, turning his head to see Santino sunken lower, enabling him to blow bubbles in the water. “Why? I mean, no offence, but she’s probably the least likeable person in school.”

“Yeah, I know.”

The reply was simple, and since Santino wasn’t trying to defend her and convince Noah that Karen was great, it felt cold and distant too.

“So, why are you with her?”

“Let’s call it a business transaction,” he mumbled, shrugging while he broke eye contact. “Karen knows everything about everyone. I don’t want certain people to know certain things. She wanted more popularity. Done deal, right?”

“Except you’re not with someone you really like. Does she even like you?”

“Yeah, annoyingly enough, she does. But she’s not keeping me from going after people if I really like them. As long as they’re not in our school. She knows about it. It’s part of the deal.”

“Damn, seriously?”

Santino chuckled and nodded, pushing off to swim back into the deeper parts of the lake. “It’s all business, okay? She’ll ruin me by spilling my secret if she ever finds out I told you, so I guess I trust you more than anyone so far. Don’t ruin it.”

“I won’t, I promise. But that still doesn’t clarify why you sort of broke up with her in public? Is that some sort of trick to help her with her popularity as well?”

“No, that’s me, enabling myself to go after someone I’ve had my eye on all week already.”

“Wow, all week long. How’d you survive that?” Noah laughed, swimming circles around Santino while he shook his head in disbelief. “So, you are a player? Someone else every week?”

“No, this person hasn’t been living here that long…” Santino drawled, following him with his eyes as he swam. “Met him last week.”

Noah stopped dead in his tracks and went head under because Santino’s words shocked him so much, he forgot he was swimming, and stopping all movements wouldn’t keep him afloat.

“Me?” Noah chocked out, along with some of the water he swallowed. He turned to face Santino, who had already swum closer. “Who’s to say I’m into guys?”

“Colin, probably,” Santino whispered as he stopped in front of him. “Sorry, you didn’t lock your screen in time, and I kind of picked up a few words between you and Jules.”

“Oh.” Damn it.

“So, I’m eye candy?”

Noah chocked once more, and felt his face heat up as Santino stared at him amused. This was not happening. No way Santino read the flirty texts from Colin. No way he overheard him say that he was just eye candy. This was way too embarrassing.

It was way too surreal.

Especially when Santino placed a hand on his cheek, brought his face closer, and stared at him with hooded eyes. “I just… I want to kiss you, so badly.”

Noah knew he would probably regret everything the very next morning, once he was completely sober and capable of logical thinking. But in that moment, with Santino that close to him, his hand on his cheek and his pretty eyes staring at his lips, thinking wasn’t done with his brains.

Which is why he leaned in to meet Santino halfway, kissing him with caution. He had never kissed a guy aside from Colin, and just hooking up without a relationship was new terrain for him. Which was why it wasn’t higher science to allow Santino to take control, deepen the kiss and follow his lead when his hands started exploring his body.

His mind was exploding with a thousand different thoughts, but none of them were telling him to stop himself from kissing Santino. Somewhere deep down inside he knew this was a one-time thing to Santino. That he was in fact a player who had just openly admitted that his fake girlfriend allowed him to sleep with other people as long as nobody in school was going to find out.

Santino saw other people.

He was just one of many.

But for some reason, Noah didn’t care. He just wanted to be kissed by Santino. He wanted the other boy to hold him, to explore his body with hands, and—once they reached land—with his lips.

Noah knew it would’ve been better to stop Santino, tell him to drop him off at home, and go home himself. But instead, Santino helped him sneak into the house, into his bedroom and towards his bed, where he once again reminded Noah of how dull and boring Colin had been, even in bed.

Santino was sweet, but still kept repeating how irresistible Noah was to him, and Noah let it all wash over him because it simply made him feel on top of the world to hear him whisper all those things to him.

Santino rocked his world—and his bed—and Noah was thankful for having the one bedroom that was situated on the other side of the apartment, far enough for his parents not to hear anything. Because he had trouble not to make too much noise.

He also kind of expected Santino to just get dressed and leave as soon as the deed was done, but he stayed, pulled Noah in his arms, and fell asleep right by his side.