Ryder gives him a nod, not taking his gaze off me.
“Hey, man,” he begins, and he’s casual in his greeting.
This isn’t what I came to say, not entirely anyway, but he has someone, and it’s obvious it’s not as casual as Ryder had made it out to be just two days ago. But I do owe him an apology all the same.
“I thought I’d come by and say sorry for being a bitch yesterday, for getting my panties in a bunch over you leaving with your man. Of course, he’s in town, so you deserve to see him.”
Ry threads his fingers through his jet-black hair, a nervous habit he’s had for years.
“Thanks, man. And I should have come to find you instead of just sending a text. It’s just, Garrison and I have had this thing for a while, and I wanted to see him.” There’s this nervous quiver in his voice. “And it’s the first time you would have seen me with another man, and honestly, I was nervous you’d get all grossed out by it.”
I’m so turned on, and I want it to be me. But I don’t utter these words. “It’s the reason I came by, but I’ll leave you to spend some time with him.” I want to call him Garrison the putz, but I don’t. It will show my true feelings, but in my pout, I wonder if Ry sees this.
I make it to my feet to take my leave, but he stands in my way, stopping my clean exit. “No, you don’t have to go. I know Garrison is going to be up there for a while. You saw the news. He has some things to do. We have a crazy week ahead of us, so hang out for a while. Garrison is a great man, and boy, is he a fan of yours.”
Yeah, so I could tell. And I keep the sarcasm at bay and in my mind. “So, I can kick your ass at Call of Duty, we can go for a swim, and you can stay for dinner.” I’d rather do anything than watch these two together, but I can’t say no to Ryder. So I don’t.
We finish Call of Duty, and we’re out on Ryder’s back porch, sitting on the edge of the pool with our legs dangling in the cool water when Garrison joins us. “Hey, hon, I was wondering where you went off to. Sorry, I was longer than I thought.” He leans in to kiss Ry on the cheek. I watch Ryder’s body language, and he’s casual but comfortable.
“This isn’t my first rodeo, Gare. I know how you work.” He leans into him, placing his hand on his knee as we all sit in a line on the edge of the pool.
“I thought you’d be swimming?” Garrison begins, trying to jump-start a conversation.
“Yeah, it’s cooler today. It’s nice to just sit outside without sweating my balls off.” Both Ryder and Garrison begin to giggle like little girls.
“Classy, Ry,” he counters. “Well, what do you want to do for dinner?” He leans forward to look at me. “Are you staying, Crush?” he asks.
“Nah, actually, I better go. Give you two some time alone.” I push up from the pool, turning my head slightly to Garrison. “Good meeting you.” It’s all I say before making my way out of the house.
“Crush, wait a second,” Ryder calls. He’s behind me, but he doesn’t reach me until I pull at the driver’s door of my truck. “Christopher Colton,” he calls to get my attention.
“What?” I twist around, searching his face, my reply a little louder than I mean it to be.
“Are you mad? And could you seriously have been more rude to Garrison? Shit, if you only knew how much he idolizes you.”
I blow out a large sigh and pull at my chin. “Nah, man, what would I have against Garrison?” I know exactly what I have against him.
“Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. You know, Garrison and I are what we need from each other. It’s not a commitment. I care for him, but what you see is all we’ll ever be. And he knows this.” Ry’s eyes are large, as I remember them being when he’s passionate about something.
“So what is it to me?” I ask.
“And the thing is…if I didn’t know any better, I’d say you were jealous,” Ryder explains.
I open the door and step up on the foot rail to hoist my big body into my truck. “Remember, these lips are off-limits to you, pretty boy.”
I lie through my teeth, but my need to put space between Ryder and myself is so great right now.
“Glad to know you can still be the asshole I remember.” His lips pull at the corners into what I’d coin the most breathtaking smile he’s imparted on me since coming back into my life.
“Yeah, it’s a constant in this ever-changing world, pretty boy.”
I shut the door, and as I turn my head back, I can sense his eyes on me. I leave without another glance and return to my very lonely home.
7
Ryder
Practice is relatively easy all week. The changes in team workouts have me worn out, and by the end of the day, I’m drained. But I’m catching Crush’s throws, and more importantly, he’s gotten his damn head back in the game.
After five more days of practice, the weekend is upon me. The coach calls me into his office, wearing a grin the size of the sun. The man is known for many things, but smiling like a Cheshire cat is not one of them. “Listen, Hanley, I won’t keep you,” he says, pushing from his desk, “but whatever the hell you and Colton worked out, keep it up. He’s a completely different man, and fuck, you two out there on the field together—it’s something of beauty.”
“Thanks, Coach. I’ll see what I can do to make it continue,” I reply.
“Yeah, don’t fuck it up.” His mean as a rattlesnake expression returns to his face, and giving a curt nod, we part ways.
Leaving the office quickly, I find the locker room has cleared out. Even Crush is gone. And though we are working flawlessly, the carefree nature we had forged over last weekend seems to have dissipated after he visited when Garrison was there.
He’s acting like a jealous girlfriend, and I’m confused. I’ve never had a girl of my own, or someone who has become so territorial. However, I’d witnessed enough of Alison’s fits during college that I certainly can identify one.
On this Friday night, my mind is only on getting home, ordering a steak, and doing nothing but maybe playing a little Call of Duty. “Hey, fucker,” a familiar voice calls out to me. Leaning against my car with his arms folded is the person my thoughts are always on.
“Hey, asshole. Are you over your little tantrum from last week?”
He cocks his head to the side, furrowing his brows my way. “What are you talking about?”
I purse my lips together. “Yeah, okay, if this is the story you’re sticking to, we can pretend it never happened.” And when I give him a wink, his face reddens. He turns his head to the side, breaking contact. “So besides putting a dent in my car, what are you doing?”
“I’m about to pick up Brooklyn for the night. Al needs time to herself. It’s so kind of her to let me have my child when she needs to get some.” There’s a dry humor in his voice. “So, I was going to order steaks and play Candy Land until she passes out. Want to join us for the evening? I mean, you kick my ass at Call of Duty, I can kick your ass at Chutes and Ladders.”