by Grace, Aria
His Undoing
A Gay
Erotic Novella
By
Aria Grace
Published by Surrendered Press
Copyright © 2012 by Aria Grace
This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This book is fictitious. All references to ancient, historical events, persons living or dead, locations and places are used in a fictitious manner. Any other names, characters, incidents and places are derived from the author’s own imagination. Similarities to persons living or dead, places, or events are entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing, December 2012
ISBN 978-1481836449
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Bonus Excerpt from More Than Friends:
Chapter 1
Walking into the dorm building that I’d be spending my first year of college in was the most terrifying experience of my life. I’d studied the bio of my new roommate, Brett Garrison, and he was exactly the type of person I didn’t get along with. He came from Los Angeles and was some big shot on his high school football team so I knew that he’d probably think of me as easy bullying material. They all did.
Apparently, he had some injury during the spring that kept him from playing college ball but that didn’t mean his ‘tough jock’ mentality was lost. I was more of an academic type. I didn’t play sports that required coordination beyond using a game controller and I wasn’t muscular. My mom called me lithe. The kids I grew up with called me a fag. I’m not gay but I guess small features and a lack of arm and chest definition were enough to consider me effeminate by most standards.
I wished more than ever that some of my friends had decided to escape the rain and come to school with me in Northern California. But, I was alone. It was the first time in my life that I was going to be away from my family and friends. Even the camps I’d attended as a kid always included at least two or three buddies.
I walked into my new room to find an enormous guy sprawled on the lower bunk, snoring like a freight train. I was relieved to have a few more minutes of peace but I knew I had to meet him eventually. Feeling awkward about being in the room with a sleeping stranger, I dragged in my luggage and let the door close loudly behind me. Having flown in from Portland, I didn’t bring much other than clothes and my laptop.
I fiddled with my computer bag while Brett woke up and groggily greeted me.
“Hey, you must be Mike. Good to meet you.” He hopped up from the bed and reached out to shake. His thick hand looked like it would crush mine so I instinctively winced as he grabbed it. Surprisingly, he didn’t take the opportunity to assert his dominance. He just shook my hand like a normal person. So far, so good.
“And, you must be Brett. Sorry I woke you.” He wiped the sleep out of his eyes and I pictured him working out on a beach with hoards of women gawking. Brett was a typical jock with short blond hair that was shaved on the sides and a little spiky on top. He appeared to enjoy the sun because his blue eyes were the most dominant feature on his tanned face. They seemed friendly enough that I felt some of the tension leave my body.
“No worries, man. I got in late last night and was unpacking for most of the day. Just wanted to take a quick nap before dinner. What time is it?” He walked back to the bed and grabbed his phone to check the time. “You hungry?”
“Uh, no, thanks. I should probably unpack and get settled. I’ll grab something later.” I looked around the room to determine where to start.
There was a desk and dresser on each side of the room. A set of bunk beds sat right in the middle, dividing the large space in half. It reminded me of the way my brothers often pinned a sheet down the middle of their room to designate sides.
The dresser on the left had some pictures on it and the desk was already set up with a laptop and speakers so I walked toward the right. “Is this my side?”
“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind. The room was set up like this so I just left it but if you want to change anything, go ahead. I don’t really care.” The bunk beds seemed a little silly but it did make the room feel larger than it would have with the beds separated so I just shook my head.
“No, this is fine with me. I guess you want the bottom bunk?” I was silently praying he would say yes because being higher and somewhat hidden would probably be the only privacy I’d get all year.
“Yeah, I don’t trust these flimsy boards. And, I tend to come in late so I don’t want to bother you by climbing up after you’ve gone to sleep.” I wanted to tell him that he didn’t have to worry about any late nights from me but I was sure he could tell. Some things don’t need to be pointed out.
I unloaded my computer on the desk and quickly put my clothes into the dresser, waiting for him to leave so I could relax. He sat on his bed tossing a football into the air while watching me unpack. It didn’t take as long as I expected so when I turned around, he stood up and said, “Let’s go.”
“Okay,” I muttered as I followed him into the hallway. I didn’t want to risk running into any of his friends but I didn’t have a reasonable excuse for staying behind...and I was really hungry.
I felt like a child walking next to him. He was at least 6’4” and had to weigh 240. He looked like he was solid muscle so the 140 pounds of my 5’9” frame was definitely intimidated.
I had wavy brown hair that was cut shorter than usual but still covered my eyes and ears when I felt the urge to hide. My blue eyes were the only proof that I was actually a Higgens. My dad had eyes that my brothers and I all inherited. Of course, they were the only kids to get his height and build.
As we walked across campus to the main cafeteria, he asked a ton of questions about where I was from and what I liked to do. He didn’t make fun of me or make me feel inferior, which was a nice surprise. He seemed genuinely interested in hearing about the online comic strip I drew with a few friends back home and confided that he liked to draw too but had never shown anyone his work.
I was surprised by how much we had in common. He didn’t act like any of the jocks I’d known growing up. I quickly realized that even if we weren’t ever best friends, I didn’t have to worry about him kicking my ass for sport on a daily basis. Thank God for small miracles!
Chapter 2
Once school started, we quickly settled into a regular routine. Brett woke up at the crack of dawn and went for a run and then we’d go to the nearest cafe for breakfast before going our separate ways for classes.
He was really smart and studying to be a biologist. We had English Lit together on Mondays and Wednesdays at eleven but that was the only class that overlapped. I’d completed several general ed classes at the community college during my senior year in high school so most of my classes were math and engineering focused.
I met a few guys, Colin and Josh, which were on the same engineering track I was on so we hung out most nights to study and work on an app. The app started out as an extra credit project but we realized it actually had a market value.
&n
bsp; Basically, it would connect people that were looking for partners for gaming tournaments. It was designed to be an add-on to social media sites like Facebook or Twitter. Between the three of us, we were confident we could have something ready for beta testing within a few months.
While I spent every evening in, Brett went out most nights and didn’t come back until after midnight. That gave me a lot of time to study and work on the app.
College life was more fun than I expected and rooming with one of the “cool kids” gave me some clout around the jocks. It was like living with my own personal body guard. I was starting to feel safe and almost like I fit in when the first email arrived.
It was a Wednesday afternoon and I was working on a physics paper when I got it.
Subject: Watch yourself
From: Anonymous
To: Mike Higgens
Stay the fuck away from Brett. He’s not yours. Whatever is going on between you guys...end it or I’ll end you.
It didn’t make any sense. I know why people assume I’m gay and I’ve learned to ignore it over the years. I knew who I was and I liked girls, even though I’d never actually had a girlfriend. But, that was mostly by choice since I couldn’t choose to say two words to a pretty girl without making a complete fool of myself.
What I didn’t understand was what they meant about Brett. There wasn’t anything going on between us so I assumed the email was a stupid prank. Maybe one of his buddies was giving him a hard time for hanging out with me so often? We’d graduated from just breakfasts together to lunch a few times a week and maybe his friends didn’t like that I was associated with one of their own.
The next morning at breakfast, I asked if he had a girlfriend that he hung out with every night. I wondered why he never brought any girls to the room and was going to offer to work out a schedule to give him privacy when he needed it.
“No, no girlfriend. Actually,” he looked around the cafeteria casually and picked at the bottle of orange juice in front of him, “I’m gay.”
I was just taking a drink and ended up choking on my juice, spitting it all over my plate. I wiped my face and waited for him to laugh and tell me he was kidding. He looked nervous for the first time since I’d met him.
“Seriously?” I didn’t know what else to say. He had his choice of every gorgeous girl on campus and he didn’t want any of them. The email was starting to make a little more sense, even if I was obviously not the right person to receive it.
“Yeah, I don’t really tell people until I feel like I can trust them. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner but it never really came up.” I was still speechless but knew he was waiting for me to say something.
“Hey, that’s cool. I’m just surprised. So, are you out with your boyfriend every night?” I tried to sound casual, as if I was perfectly comfortable talking about my gay roommate’s sex life.
“Kinda. Well, usually. But not a boyfriend. Just guys that I meet. Nothing serious.” He was eating again and the nervousness of telling me seemed to be completely forgotten.
“You mean, you’re with different guys every night? Like every night?” I couldn’t believe that was even possible. How many gay guys were there on campus? We were in a liberal school that was just across the bridge from San Francisco but still it was shocking.
“Yeah, it’s no big deal.” He seemed to be a little uncomfortable with my judgment so when he turned the conversation back on me, I let him. “What about you? You got a lady that you’re bringing home while I’m out?”
“No. I wish. I mean, there isn’t anyone in particular that I’m interested in but I’m not really good with girls. I get...flustered.” I could feel my cheeks flush and felt stupid admitting that when he obviously had never experienced inadequacy in his life. He must’ve had a line of people, well, guys, waiting for their turn with him if he was with someone different every night.
“I could hook you up. Come out with me tomorrow and I’ll introduce you to some of the cheerleaders. They’ll love you.” Okay, now being gay was starting to make sense. He clearly had no idea what women liked if he thought the cheerleaders would be interested in me.
“Thanks, but I’ve got to study.” There was no way I was going to a frat party full of drunk jocks. I didn’t have a death or humiliation wish.
“Live a little, man. You aren’t supposed to study 24/7. Just come for a little while. I promise it’ll be fun.” I tried to come up with a plausible excuse to get out of it but I had nothing better to do and it sounded kinda fun. What good was rooming with a babe magnet if I couldn’t get him to help me meet girls?
“Okay, I guess that sounds fun.”
The next night, we met back in the room after dinner to get ready. He helped me pick out something to wear and then went to take a shower while I got dressed. We settled on a solid yellow t-shirt and black jeans. I only wore t-shirts underneath my regular, looser shirts so I felt very self conscious about being so scrawny. When I mentioned it to Brett, he mumbled something and smiled.
“Did you just call me a twinkie?” I asked indignantly. I remembered why I hated yellow and immediately started searching my drawers for a button down to wear over it. Brett laughed and stilled my hands.
“No, sorry. You look good. Don’t change a thing. The chicks will be all over you. You just tell me when you see one you like and I’ll try to distract the rest. I’m an excellent wingman.” He smirked as he gave me one last look and then pushed me out the door.
The party was at a frat house just off campus, only a few blocks away. We walked in silence for a few minutes before I had to set a few ground rules.
“I wasn’t kidding when I said I can’t talk to girls. I really do just stutter and twitch and make a complete jackass out of myself so please don’t make me talk to anyone. Oh, and do the people we’ll see tonight know you’re gay or is it a secret? I don’t want to accidentally say anything if you don’t want me to.”
“You’ll be fine. The girls are all really nice and they’ll be gentle. I think you’re gonna like Maggie. She’s an engineering major too.” He patted my shoulder gently but it still had enough force to make me stumble once before regaining my balance. “And no, it’s not a secret but I don’t advertise to people that I’m gay so I guess I’d ask you not to bring it up, if you can avoid it. I just don’t want any of them to feel weird around me. It’s one of those ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ situations so until someone asks, I’m not gonna tell.”
“Cool.” We approached the house and there were people overflowing into the yard, hanging out of windows and even a few smoking on the roof outside of a dormer. I wanted to vomit.
I was so nervous about being around Brett’s friends that I pretty much followed him like a puppy as we weaved through the throngs of people. Brett stopped at a table with a keg and poured a drink for each of us. I took a big gulp, hoping it would help alleviate the anxiety I was feeling. When he realized that I had chugged half of the cup in one drink, he topped it off and we went out on the back patio. There was a fire pit set up with outdoor furniture surrounding it. Brett pulled me into a group of girls and displayed me for their appraisal.
“Hey Beautiful,” Brett said to a blonde girl that was closest to us. “I’d like you to meet my friend, Mike. He’s a little shy but I told him that you ladies would take care of him. Mike, this is Maggie.”
One thing Brett did know about women was how to judge them. Maggie was beautiful.
“Hi, Mike. It’s nice to meet you. This is my roommate, Amy. And that is Sara. And over there, with her eyes glued to her phone, is Amanda. So how do you know Brett?”
“Um, we’re ro-roommates.” The stuttering had begun. I finished the rest of my beer and Brett handed me his full cup. He winked at me and walked away, leaving me with the girls that were hanging on my every word. They seemed fascinated by me. They wanted to know where I was from and what I liked to do. It was unlike any conversation I’d ever had with girls. We talked for hours and I didn’t stutter
once. I didn’t even realize that the party had died down until Brett came out to tell me he was heading to a bar with some of the guys.
“You about ready to head out, Mike? We’re gonna shoot some pool over at Eddie’s for a while.” He looked at the girls and asked them to join us.
“You guys go ahead. We’re gonna head home,” Maggie said to the both of us.
“Actually, I think I’m gonna head back too.” I feigned a stretch and yawn to prove how tired I was but Brett just gave me a knowing look. I would never win an academy award for my acting skills, that’s for sure.
“Fine, you party poopers. Mike, you okay to get home by yourself?” I could feel my face flush at his question.
“Of course. I’m not a five-year-old. I think I can find my way home.” Each of the girls jumped up to give me a hug and Brett held up his fist to bump as I passed him. I was feeling a little giddy from the beer but I was fine to walk. I pulled out my phone to see if I’d gotten any messages when I saw another anonymous email.
Subject: Don’t believe me?
From: Anonymous
To: Mike Higgens
I warned you but you didn’t listen. I guess we’ll have to prove that we’re serious.
It had come in a few minutes before midnight so I figured it was someone that was bored on a Friday night. I even thought maybe it was Colin or Josh, jealous of the time I spent with Brett.
I didn’t think either of them would actually hurt me so I shoved my phone back into my pocket and quickly forgot about it.
My floor was particularly quiet for a Friday night. Either everyone went to bed early or they were still out partying because I didn’t pass a single person from the time I entered the building to the time I walked into my dark room. I flung the door open and walked straight to my laptop, intent on doing a little work before I passed out for the night.
When I didn’t hear my door slam behind me, I looked up. There were two huge shadows in my doorway. They slipped in and shut the door quietly as I stood in shock. I tried to make my mouth ask who they were but I couldn’t get any words out. The only light in the room was from my login screen and I couldn’t see enough to recognize either of my visitors.
