Curiosity Killed Shaney(15)

Shaney nodded again, shifting where he stood. Despite promising himself that he’d remain tight-lipped, all it took was one question from Todd about his day, and Shaney had blabbed. There had been no stopping that speeding train once it departed the station.

Todd narrowed his eyes. “And all of this happened after you got to the camp?”

Shaney nodded again. Cursed camp.

“Are you sure? Because, face it, Shaney, you’re awesome at being wrong.”

Shaney huffed and crossed his arms over his chest.

“Okay. Maybe awesome at misinterpreting,” Todd conceded reluctantly.

Shaney chewed on his bottom lip, unable to disagree. His past ‘misinterpretations’ were legendary. Shaney grimaced and plunked down onto the coffee table to sulk. He pulled at the threads of his faded jeans. Of course, he’d imagined it all. Nothing that awesome could ever happen to his lame ass.

“You’re right. No big deal.” Shaney shrugged with feigned indifference as his heart dropped into his stomach.

“Yeah, right,” Todd drawled. “Just the opposite is written all over your face.”

“No, really. It was a stupid thought.”

“Yeah, it was. That man is straight no matter how he looked at you.” Todd shook his head.

Shaney sighed heavily and deflated more. So what if Hudson had touched him and looked at him as if he’d mattered? Shaney had been foolish for hoping the gesture had meant anything.

Todd interrupted his private pity party. “You need to get laid. Knock those stars out of your eyes. Heck, I need to get laid, too.”

Shaney frowned. “What happened to Mike?”

Todd rolled his eyes. “Mike was an ass. Caught him sucking face on his couch last weekend with...I don’t even know who.”

“I’ll make you a deal. You quit chasing the fuckheads, and I’ll quit chasing the straight guys.”

Todd snorted. “Problem is, I don’t have to work with the fuckheads, but you get to work up close and personal with the straight guy.”

Shaney was mentally assaulted by an image of Hudson slamming him up against the wall, grinding his hard body into Shaney, and biting and sucking at Shaney’s lips. With a shudder, Shaney jumped up and went to the window, putting his back to Todd. His pulse raced. He rubbed at the sweat on the back of his neck. Why was the room suddenly so freakin’ hot?

“No matter what you thought happened, that large, flannel- and plaid-covered man is straight. My gaydar never fails me. It’s dead on here.”

Shaney sighed with resignation, looking down at the busy street below them. “Maybe we’ve slipped into an alternate universe where…you know,” Shaney said weakly, clutching onto the barest of threads.

Todd snorted. “Give up on the straight man, Shaney.”

Todd was right. Continuing this fairy tale would get Shaney a punch in the mouth and a shattered heart (too late on that one). He needed to get Hudson out of his head. He needed to focus on something else. He needed a distraction. Shaney was the master of distraction and what fed distraction better than a mystery? A camp mystery! Shaney rubbed his hands together with giddy excitement. What had Hudson found? What about the freaky crap Shaney had felt and heard? Would he be attacked again if he returned to the scene? The possibility of that scared him down to his toes, but the fear couldn’t compete with his curiosity.

Shaney turned back to Todd, pulling his mouth into a wicked grin. Todd shook his head because he understood what that grin meant in Shaney’s world.

“Oh, fuck no.”

Shaney laughed maniacally. “Oh, fuck yes. I need a distraction and a ride. Let’s go.”





Chapter Seven

Todd bitched all the way to his Chevy sedan parked outside of their apartment when Shaney finally told him to shut up and listen. By the time Shaney had finished explaining the other weird ass shit that had occurred at the cabin, Todd’s face glowed with the unparalleled magic of a kid on Christmas morning.

“You heard actual chanting in your head?” Todd asked in a rush of excitement, pulling out of the parking lot. “Was it like a low rumbling or more like a bunch of people? Chanting can be done by an individual, but the more collective the chant, the more the power can dominate the person it’s directed towards.” Todd rubbed at his chin, seemingly deep in thought.

Shaney could only manage to stare dumbly at Todd. “Huh?”

“Stay with me here, Shaney. The chanting. What was it like?”

Shaney raised his hand. “Wait a minute. You believe me?” His tone was incredulous. “When I told you I thought Hudson was coming on to me, you shot that down as if I’d claimed to be abducted by aliens. But you have no problem with some unseen force that ‘told’ me—in no uncertain terms—to drag my ass?”