The Pyre Starter

Chapter 1-1

Chapter 1

Packing for an overnight stay was easy. Dakota barely had any belongings, and what little he did own was just the bare necessities. Toothbrush. Toothpaste. Shampoo. Deodorant. Soap. Extra pair of jeans, underwear, socks, and a shirt. No real need to bring a razor, he could make do with a little stubble the next morning. Wallet, phone, and keys went on his person. That should do it.

He straightened his back and let out a loud sigh, staring at the small black bag that held everything he needed.

His roommate—Aiden—strutted in wearing nothing but a large blue towel. Soaking wet, the buff and cheerful jock was, as always, a sight to be seen. A corn-fed Texan with impossibly blue eyes and curly blond hair. His natural athleticism and tendency to work out showed easily in the muscles of his chest and stomach, and two delicious lines plunged deep below the towel.

Dakota tried not to stare, even as his mind filled up with dirty thoughts. Aiden was as heterosexual as they came, but he’d been incredibly accepting of his gay roommate, to the point of hugging him when he found out. Apparently, one of his younger brothers held the same interests, so he was “used to it.” And Aiden never once seemed to be bothered that Dakota might like what he saw whenever he got undressed. It didn’t faze him in the slightest, and it was possible the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind.

Granted, he didn’t know how much Dakota liked being around him. Nor did he have any idea that the frustration over it contributed to a mid-week bridge visit.

But Dakota didn’t think Aiden deserved to be ogled every time he went for a shower. So, he kept his eyes on the bag, pretending to rifle through it to double check that everything was there.

“Goin’ home for the weekend?” Aiden inquired, pulling some fresh clothes from a dresser. With Dakota gone, he’d have the room to himself—and his girlfriend.

“No, uh,” he answered nervously. “Road trip. By motorcycle, up north.”

Aiden wiggled his way into some basketball shorts and searched for a clean shirt. “Oh, yeah? That sounds sweet. Who with?”

Keeping his head down, Dakota peered over at him from beneath messy black locks. “Just someone from the group.”

“Aww! Like a date? That’s awesome, dude. I’m happy for you.” After a long pause, as Dakota tried to think of something rational to say to indicate it wasn’t like that, Aiden’s face suddenly changed. “Wait, you’re not—it’s not Terrell Redline, is it? The guy with the bad leg?”

He couldn’t help but get a little defensive. “Yeah, why?”

Aiden threw up his hands, but he didn’t backtrack or apologize. “It’s none of my business, but—he’s got kind of a reputation, is all. I mean if you like him, nobody should stop you, but, umm, I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“What makes you think that’ll happen?” He overly valued Aiden’s opinion, for obvious reasons.

“It’s probably nothing, but like I said, the guy has a reputation. People get involved, big time, and then he tells them to get lost. Dudes, chicks, doesn’t matter. I dunno what the deal is, but it seems like anyone who gets close to that guy ends up worse off than when they started, you know?” He fidgeted in place, clearly uncomfortable. “But talk is cheap. I guess all I’m saying is be careful, man.”

Dakota shrugged. He already knew Terrell was crazy, and getting romantically involved with the guy was far from his mind. He never even looked at him that way, too busy barking up another tree. “Thanks, but—it’s not actually a date.”

“Dude, it’s okay if it is. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“No, I—” He sighed. “I don’t know what it is yet. Right now, it’s just a road trip. Something to do. To get out of here for a while.”

Clearly deciding to drop it, Aiden replied, “That’s cool. Have fun. Seriously.”

Dakota gave a fake smile. “I’ll try.”