Making It Fit Read online

  Making It Fit

  Ian O. Lewis

  Copyright © 2020 by Ian O. Lewis

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review. All characters and settings are fictional.

  To all the people of Guadalajara- thanks for making me feel at home.

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Also by Ian O. Lewis

  Prologue

  Victor

  “I’m a failure.”

  My head fell back against the wall behind my bed.

  “Ouch.” I winced, then rubbed it, feeling it start to swell. It wasn’t even a proper bed, just a mattress on the floor. There were three other mattresses in the bedroom that belonged to guys I didn’t really know. It was a miracle I was alone, considering eight people were crammed into this two-bedroom apartment.

  “New York ain’t cheap.” I sighed, then glanced down at the phone lying next to me. “Which is why you have to go home.”

  I’d spent the last hour mustering up the courage to call Chad. He was my dead brother’s best friend and the closest thing I had to a family. I hadn’t seen him in five years, but we texted all the time.

  “There’s no one here, so if you’re going to do it, you’d better get it over with.”

  I snatched up the phone to make the call, but the knot in the pit of my stomach pulsed. “Stop being afraid, damn it. Chad won’t be angry.” I sighed, then flipped through my contacts until I found his name. “But he will be disappointed in me.”

  I’d moved to New York City five years ago to become an actor. When my brother died in the line of duty, I was the beneficiary of his life insurance. It had paid for my acting degree, with enough left over to see me through two years of auditioning for work. But I’d underestimated how pricey living in the city was, and I still hadn’t found an acting gig. So I was cutting my losses and going home.

  I heard something in the other room drop to the floor.

  “Shit.” I muttered. I didn’t want my roommates to know I was moving out yet. Not that they would care, I was easily replaced. But I preferred keeping my business to myself. “Call him now, before someone comes in here.”

  My index finger shook as I placed the call. Normally we didn’t speak on the phone, but this turn of events required more than a few emojis and LOLs. Chad answered on the second ring.

  “What’s wrong?” His deep voice rumbled, and I felt a shiver race down my spine. I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

  “Victor, talk to me. What’s going on?”

  I sighed and felt my heart racing in my chest. Chad was more than my brother’s best friend. He was my walking, talking, macho-man fantasy come to life. I’d had a crush on him since my brother Federico introduced me to his partner on the police force. Back then I’d been a chubby thirteen-year-old with zits, and an awakening knowledge that I wasn’t like most of the other boys my age. At the time, I didn’t have the words to describe how Chad made me feel. All I knew was I wanted to spend as much time as I could in the presence of my big brother’s buddy.

  “Look kid, you never want to talk on the phone, so I know there’s something going on. Now spill it.” Chad ordered.

  “I’m moving back to Richmond,” I said, then felt a pressure building up behind my eyes. I had failed and was returning home with my tail between my legs.

  “About fucking time,” Chad muttered, then he grunted. “Sorry, I mean, you know, it’s hard for me to look after you when you’re so far away.”

  “I’m twenty-three years old, Chad. You don’t have to look…”

  “The hell I don’t. Fede would spin in his grave if anything happened to you.” I heard a can popping open, then he continued. “Do you need a place to stay?”

  I imagined him standing in his kitchen, no shirt on, sweat dripping off him while drinking a cold beer. “Fuck me,” I whispered.

  “What was that?”

  “Oh, sorry Chad. Um, no. I already found a place. I just thought you might want to know I was going to be back in town.”

  “Where?”

  “I found it online, one of those apartment websites. Hold on.” I placed the phone down and grabbed my backpack off the floor next to me. A minute later, my laptop was open to the realtor’s page. “It’s on the Northside, in a neighborhood called Barton Heights.”

  “Gimme the street address.” Chad barked.

  “You know Chad, I can take care of…”

  “Gimme the street address now.”

  The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I read it off for him, wondering what his problem was. It wasn’t a great apartment, but it was all I could afford.

  “You’re not fucking living there.”

  I know he had my best interests at heart, but who the hell did he think he was bossing me around like that? I’d lived in New York for years on my own, and could take care of myself.

  “Chad, c’mon, it’s not an awful place, and it’s only $800 a month. I can’t afford to spend…”

  “You can’t afford to get shot. That apartment building is next door to a crackhouse. I’m there at least once a week, and there’s usually an ambulance following behind me.” Chad sighed, then resumed speaking in a calmer tone. “Have you signed anything yet? Paid them a deposit?”

  “No,” I muttered, clenching my fist. “You know I’m not a kid anymore.”

  “Well, you sure are acting like one. Why the hell didn’t you call… look, as long as you haven’t signed a lease, you are fine.”

  I heard a siren in the distance, and couldn’t tell if it was coming from Chad’s line or if it was here in my neighborhood, Bushwick. Then I remembered the other reason I’d moved to New York, besides acting. I used to have nightmares about Fede’s death, and when I realized Chad could be killed too, I couldn’t handle being close to him any longer.

  “Everything else in Richmond is expensive. It was the only place I could find that I could afford.” Shit, I had scoured the internet trying to find a good deal on a place but had found nothing.

  “You’re staying with me.”

  “No, I can’t do that, Chad. It’s…”

  “That wasn’t a request,” Chad stated, then neither of us said anything for a moment. “Do you need me to come get you? I can rent a van and drive up there.”

  “No, you don’t have to do that. I have nothing except a trunk of clothes and my backpack.” I ran my fingers through my hair and realized I had just agreed to stay with him. “Look, Chad, this is only temporary. As soon as I find a decent job and…”

  “You will stay with me until you are ready to move on. Understood?” Chad’s baritone growled into the phone. My heart skipped a beat, and without thinking, I replied.

  “Yes, sir.”

  Chapter One

  Chad

  “Do you need help assembling the bed?” One of the furniture delivery men asked. He had the glazed-over look of someone absolutely exhausted. I could handle it myself.

  “No, thanks,” I replied. “Let me sign your
paperwork so you can get out of here.”

  After I showed the men out, I returned to my spare bedroom and leaned against a pale blue wall. It was Victor’s room before he left for New York. He’d only stayed here for six months after Fede’s death, and after he left I’d turned it into a home gym. Now it was going to be Victor’s once again, and I wanted the kid to feel comfortable here. Over the last couple of weeks, I’d moved the weights and treadmill to the garage and filled it with brand new furniture.

  I put my face in my hands and sighed. “Life’s been rough for both of us. This needs to be a proper home for you, Victor.” I picked up a photo of Fede in uniform that I’d had framed. It had been lying face down on the small, wooden desk I’d bought for Victor and wondered where to hang it. “Fuck it. Victor can decide when he gets here.” I sat on the corner of the desk and thought back to when Victor had first moved in.

  Understandably, Victor was standoffish after his brother’s death. Though I did what I could to make him feel at home, I could tell his mind and his heart was elsewhere. The six months after a street thug killed Fede were the worst. I was grieving for my best friend and trying to be strong for his baby brother. Emotions, especially intense ones, were not my strong suit. I’d always wondered if I had driven young Victor away, that I hadn’t been supportive enough.

  Victor’s grandparents tried convincing the kid to move to Mexico and make a fresh start. They had a small villa outside of Guadalajara, and the pictures I’d seen of it were stunning. To my surprise, he’d refused. Victor barely knew his grandparents since he was born in the US. He didn’t know Spanish, and Richmond was the only home he’d ever known.

  So, Victor stayed in this room, not speaking to me or anyone else. When he announced his intention to go to acting school in New York, I’d tried to talk him out of it. But he was eighteen years old and determined to make his own way. Coupled with a hefty life insurance payment, Victor refused to be held back.

  “You might be a quiet kid, but you're stubborn as an ox.” I laughed, remembering the dead-set look in his eyes. Once his mind was set on something, there was no changing it.

  Victor had been the opposite of his older brother. Fede was outgoing, a determined cop who only wanted to protect and serve. When he wasn’t on duty, you would find Fede on the basketball court, or at the gym. His smile lit up any room he entered, and more than once I’d had to remind myself that Fede was off-limits.

  First, he was my partner on the force, and anything beyond friendship could degrade the trust we needed to do our jobs. Second, the man was seriously into chicks. If a skirt walked by, his eyes naturally followed. He had known I was gay, but it had never been an issue. I’d come out to him a few weeks after they assigned us to work together. He’d shrugged his shoulders, and then we’d gone out for a beer. Little did I know he wanted my help with Victor.

  Over drinks, Fede confessed that he thought his younger brother might be gay. He knew it was a tough road to travel and wondered if I would befriend the kid. I agreed, and the bond between Fede and I grew deeper. When Fede introduced me to Victor, the kid had greasy teenage skin and thick-framed black glasses.

  His awkwardness was contagious, and the first few times I tried speaking to him were filled with uncomfortable silences. He always had a book in one hand, or his phone, and wouldn’t meet my gaze. Though Victor was never much of a talker, we became close. Victor would hover around me and Fede, silent but always watching.

  “What would life be like if you hadn’t been shot, Fede?” I wondered aloud, my voice echoing slightly in the near-empty room.

  Victor and Fede’s parents had died in a car crash a few years prior to our meeting, and Fede had become Victor’s guardian. Like being a cop, Fede took the job of raising his brother seriously. He always made sure the kid went to school, got good grades, and kept him out of trouble. The only thing Fede worried about was how withdrawn Victor was. No dates, no real friends to speak of, just books and his laptop to keep him company.

  Victor would follow me around the house, not saying much. But we had that type of friendship where words didn’t matter. He trusted me, and I wasn’t about to let him down.

  “I wonder what you look like now?” I murmured, then the doorbell rang, startling me. “Shit.”

  I wasn’t expecting anyone, and Victor wasn’t arriving for three more days. I pushed myself off the desk and trudged down the stairs to the front door. If it was a salesperson or religious freak, they were going to be very sorry they disturbed me. When I got there, I deactivated the security system and flipped the deadbolt. Then I swung the door open, my lips already forming a snarl.

  “What do you…”

  The words died in a long sigh.

  Standing before me was an almost mirror image of Fede, except hotter, if that was even possible. I felt my pulse ramping up and a flush spreading across my chest.

  “Victor?” I whispered.

  The man in front of me nodded his head, his lips twisting into a smile.

  “Chad. It’s, well, it’s good to see you again.” Victor’s arms started to open, then fell back to his sides. He bit his lower lip and hung his head. “Sorry I came a few days early, but…”

  “No, no, don’t apologize. Why didn’t you call me? I could’ve picked you up from the train station.” I said, then Victor lifted his chin, and our gazes locked. His eyes were piercing, a brown so deep they were almost black.

  “I’ll tell you about it later.” Victor breathed, then I noticed his arms open and fall to his sides again.

  Oh God, he wanted a hug, and I couldn’t stop ogling him.

  I opened my arms. “Come here, kid.”

  Victor hesitated, then launched himself in my direction, his frame trembling beneath my grasp. Long gone was the chunky teenager. All I felt was lean muscle under the thin fabric of his shirt, and with dismay, I felt my cock twitch. I froze in place and without thinking whispered, “Down boy.”

  “What was that?” Victor backed out of my embrace, and I felt my cheeks burning. I placed my hands on either side of his face and held him still. His skin was hot in my palms, and Victor’s full lips were wet.

  “Nothing,” I whispered, then cleared my throat and released him from my grasp. “I’m glad you’re home,” I said, my voice thickening. I tore my gaze from his and glanced down, noticing the trunk at his feet. “Let me get that.”

  “No, you don’t…”

  “I got it.” I grunted, needing a distraction for my overly enthusiastic dick. Lifting the trunk into the air, I snuck one last glance up, only to realize my eyes were level with his crotch. Victor stepped back and turned toward the door, and I got a glimpse of his firm, round ass. My mouth went dry. I averted my gaze and stood up, hiding my growing erection with the trunk.

  “Go in.” I nodded toward the door and Victor hustled inside, then shut the door behind me. Instead of putting the trunk down, I went straight for the stairs. “I’m putting this in your room. Be right back.”

  When I got to his bedroom, I dropped the trunk on the floor and leaned against the wall, surprised to be out of breath. The trunk wasn’t heavy.

  It was Victor. The sensitive and awkward teenager was a man now, and every cell in my body was reacting to his presence. My first instinct was to mold my hands to his round ass and pull him into me, tight. I was aching to cover his full, wet lips with my own, to discover if he tasted as sexy as he smelled.

  “You gotta keep it together.” I combed my fingers through my hair and felt sparks of electricity race down my spine. “He’s still a kid. Plus, Fede will come back and haunt you if you do anything to harm Victor.”

  I shut my eyes and willed my heart to stop beating so fast. But it was near impossible to do with only one thought racing through my mind.

  Victor is off limits.

  Chapter Two

  Victor

  “Thanks for auditioning.” The squat, older director scribbled something on his clipboard. “Next!”

  I’d been in t
he business long enough to know that I didn’t get the part. It was for a small theater putting on a contemporary version of The Importance of Being Earnest, one of my favorite plays.

  “Um, thanks.” I gave a small wave from the stage and walked off. The contents of my stomach churned with disgust. Why did I keep putting myself through audition after audition? Despite four years of acting school I obviously had no talent. I should just call it quits and go back to college and get a real degree.

  I walked up the side aisle of the theater and pushed the door open into the lobby. There were a few actors milling around drinking coffee. Everyone seemed to know everyone else, so I made a beeline for the exit.

  “Hey, I haven’t seen you making the rounds of auditions before.” A thin dude around my age with shoulder-length blond hair stuck his hand out before I could escape. “My name is Gavin. I thought you were fantastic, but I bet the director won’t call you back. He’s got the hots for the dude who went on before you. He hires him for all of his shows, though the guy is straight and doesn’t put out. Or at least we don’t think he does.”

  I shook his hand and grimaced. “Thanks for the compliment. I’m Victor. At least I know it’s not my acting ability holding me back. Do you think I’d get the job if…”

  “No,” Gavin cut me off. “He’s very particular, only into redheads. Want some coffee?” He pointed at an urn on a side table. I nodded, and we walked over to it. That’s when I noticed several sets of eyes following us.

  Gavin filled two styrofoam cups and handed me one. Then he glanced around the room and smiled. “You’re the new guy, and everyone is checking you out.”