He Kissed Me Crazy

The Conversation

It was two hours later before Tucker's phone went off again, when he was home at his desk trying to study, playing with the higher collared shirt he was now wearing.

As soon as that chime sounded from his phone charging on the bed, Tucker’s heart started to race.

See? This pretending to be a girl thing was really messing with him. He really had to put an end to it. As soon as he thought of a good way how.

He’d only realized when he got home that he’d been way too friendly as his persona. How could he suddenly turn Kendell down now without it being suspicious?

Well, it`s not like girls don`t change their mind at the drop of a hat...

Tucker sat on the bed and picked up his phone.

Kendell: [Wow, I'm beat. Want to share a pizza with me?]

Tucker stared. What? Pizza? Now? Tucker’s eyes narrowed. That was a pretty lame way to ask a girl out on a first date. Do you even know my name or where I am?

Then it hit him like a bombshell that Kendell was texting him, Tucker Bradley, and not his fake persona, and Tucker`s face heated at his own stupidity.

He quickly texted back:

[yeah, sure]

What would he have said if he hadn’t realized Kendell had been texting him?

He stared down at his phone for a moment more, considering that, then switched to his new app and tapped on Kendell's name, swiftly typing in the new name, “Caesar.”

He did NOT want to make the mistake of answering as the wrong person.

His finger hovered over the keyboard when he realized what he was thinking.

Wait… Why the hell do I need to do this? I’m going to reject him as soon as possible.

He jerked when his phone chimed again.

Caesar: [How often did you think of me today?]

Tucker’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline.

Kendell had just texted his persona again.

And with such damn confidence…

So, this was how Kendell was when talking to girls? Tucker couldn't believe how... direct Kendell was. This reminded him of Drunk Kendell.

You’re being way too forward with a girl you don’t know, buddy.

Tucker couldn’t help himself.

[Only now, because you texted me.] He wrote it back right away, smirking.

We should bring that big ego down a bit, for your own good.

Caesar: [Liar.]

Tucker snorted. The confidence of that one word...

[My life isn't all about you, you know.]

Caesar: [Do you want it to be?]

Tucker swallowed.

Shit, Kendell was doing weird things to his stomach.

[Of course not.]

Caesar: [Liar.]

[You're just going to believe whatever you want, aren't you?]

Caesar: [Just what your body told me that night.]

Tucker sucked in a breath in angry surprise.

You are so full of it! He ignored his racing heart.

His phone buzzed again before he thought of a response.

Kendell: [So will I grab a frozen pizza or will we order in?]

Tucker stared and then shook his head in disapproval. Wow, Kendell, flirting it heavy with a girl while ordering pizza with a guy. I didn’t realize you were such a player.

Tucker flipped back to his persona.

[I'm studying now so please leave me alone.] Tucker smirked, wondering if Kendell would be shocked by how quickly her tone had changed. That's what you get for laying it on so--

Caesar: [Of course. :)]

Tucker frowned. That didn’t sound very shocked.

Caesar: [By the way, how do you spell your name?]

You sneaky bastard, Tucker thought, weirdly irritated. Kendell was acting like he knew the girl’s name already, using the trick Tucker had created.

Tucker narrowed his eyes again, considering. What should he tell him?

Yes, he should just reject him and get it over with.

But… Kendell had gotten on his nerves with his unwarranted confidence and Tucker wasn't finished popping his bubble. One good kiss a god does not one make. We’ll just continue this for a bit longer.

[Stephanie]

He’d always liked the name Stephanie.

Caesar: [What a pretty name. When can I see you again, Stephanie?]

Tucker abruptly put down his phone, ignoring the thumping of his heart at those words.

Sh*t. What can I say? Of course Kendell would want to see 'her' in person.

The apartment door opened then, and Tucker nearly jumped out of his skin.

He quickly set his phone to silent and closed his screen before unplugging it and shoving it in his pocket.

He rose from his seat and fixed himself, straightening his clothing, running his fingers through his hair, until he realized what the hell he was doing. As he headed out of his room, he casually calling out, "Hey, man, s'up?"

“Hey,” Kendell answered back, sounding distracted.

Taylor found himself swallowing down a strange nervousness as he moved through the hallway towards the kitchen. It was just Kendell. And yet, his chest was getting tight and he felt his breaths starting to come a little faster. He must be too nervous about being caught.

Kendell was in the kitchen, leaning against the counter and looking down at his phone, and Tucker found himself relaxing at the familiar sight.

Tucker's eyes zoned in on that phone though, immediately wondering if Kendell was sending Stephanie another text. Unconsciously, he touched his pocket before he quickly took his hand away.

When he moved closer however, his curiosity getting the better of him, he saw that Kendell was browsing a pizza website, and felt a little irritated.

Then blinked, confused with himself.

Irritated?

Well, I did want to mess with him some more, he told himself.

"Since you didn't respond, I thought we'd order in. Feel like spice tonight?" Kendell asked without looking up, one hand tapping absently on the counter as he held the phone in the other, scrolling with his thumb.

He was wearing a dark blue T-shirt and black jeans today, which fit his athletic build perfectly, and his dark hair was in its usual wavy windblown mess. The light gleamed on it and Tucker became curious if it felt as silky as it looked. He'd never touched it before.

Kendell looked up then and Tucker immediately jerked his eyes away, hurriedly saying, "Yeah! Uh, yeah, spice is good."

"Were you just sizing me up?" Kendell's voice was incredulous, and Tucker forced his cheeks to not redden.

"F*ck off, of course not!"

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Kendell push away from the counter and move toward him.

"You totally were," Kendell said with a grin, trying to catch Tucker's eye as he moved to stand right in front of him.

But Tucker sidled sideways to avoid him and headed to the living room.

"I told you, no, I f*cking wasn't. Now," he grabbed the controller and flicked the tv on. "Order the damn pizza and—"

He cut off despite himself when he turned to find Kendell smiling right behind him. A little panicked because his body was reacting really strongly and really strangely to Kendell's closeness, he shoved on Kendell's chest. "Knock it off!" But Kendell just grabbed Tucker's shirt and pulled him down, so Kendell's mouth was next to Tucker's ear, their chests close enough to feel each other's heat.

"I just want to make sure you know..." Kendell began, and his deep voice so close was sending shivers through Tucker's body that he prayed Kendell didn't notice. He struggled to free himself, but Kendell had him in a firm grip and off balanced, as his voice did crazy things in Tucker's ear, "... that though I’m flattered, I'm a one-person man. And I already have someone I like."

Tucker stilled. Was he talking about Stephanie? Or someone else? Tucker had to know.

"W-Who?"

Kendell let him go and crossed his arms, shaking his head and grinning. "Who else have I talked about recently?"

"You mean S—" Tucker cut himself off from saying his persona's name, then realized it might be weirder he didn't know. "Stephanie?"

Kendell's eyebrows rose and then he narrowed his eyes at Tucker.

"You aren't interested in my Stephanie, are you?"

Tucker nearly burst out in surprised laughter, but he quickly turned to go back into the kitchen to hide it. "Of course not. But isn't it a little early for you to be calling her yours?" F*ck, even the idea of it was giving Tucker weird vibes. Trying to find an excuse as to why he was back in the kitchen, he went to the fridge and took a look inside.

"Not at all. We..." Kendell paused and Tucker couldn't help but look back at him.

His friend was touching his lips and smiling... there was no other way to put it... seductively. "I don't think I should share… But take it from me that I know she feels the same way that I do."

Tucker scoffed. “You’re nuts. You don’t even know her.”

Kendell tilted his head as he leaned against the couch. “And did you know your past women well before you realized you wanted them?”

Tucker broke eye contact as he looked back in the fridge and decided on a cold bottle of water. F*ck. He had him there.

“You—You don’t even know what she looks like.”

“Love is blind.”

Tucker’s gaze snapped back to Kendell’s, who was smiling benignly.

Tucker frowned.

He had come to realize in the past two months that Kendell was never benign.

“You… are you playing with her?”

Kendell’s eyebrows shot up. “Is that what you got from this conversation?”

Tucker moved toward Kendell, frowning, setting his water on the table as he went. “Are you playing with a girl who said she likes you?”

Once upon a time, he would have never thought of it from Kendell, but as he’d said, the past two months had shown him another side to Kendell he hadn’t been aware of.

Kendell’s mouth turned upward in a lopsided smile, even as his dark eyes became unreadable. “Unlike you, Tucker, I have always been sincere with anyone who confesses to me.”

“When have I not been sincere?”

“The longest relationship you had was with Stacey, and that only went on as long as it did because you couldn’t be bothered to break up when you were that close to graduation.” Kendell sighed then and turned away, putting his nose down in his phone again. “Pizza will be here in twenty minutes, it says.”

Tucker frowned at Kendell’s back, not sure what to make of the way the conversation had turned.

“So… you’re really … serious about this girl?” He broke the seal on his bottle of water and began to drink, needing something refreshing.

Kendell looked back at him and smiled, and Tucker felt something strange coiling in his chest which he tried to shove back down. “Of course not. I’m just playing with her.”

Tucker snorted into his water, nearly choking, then put the bottle on the table again with a shake of his head at his grinning friend, and he couldn’t help but smile back. “You’re f*cking impossible.”

“But you love me anyway.”

Tucker dropped his eyes to his water, unable to meet Kendell’s eyes as his heart shook and tingles swept through him from head to toe. He quickly raised his bottle back up to drink some more, trying to push past whatever the hell was going on. He looked down into the bottle suspiciously. Had Kendell put something in the water?

But he'd broken the seal.

F*ck, maybe I’m just going nuts.

“Wh-When did you say that pizza was coming?”