Page 10

“So we’ve been up all night,” Ash adds, and I notice the huge grin that suggests it hasn’t been so terrible for him to be up that long.
“I’m surprised to see you guys down here, then.”
“Boy’s gotta eat,” Ash says.
“I think you were eating just fine earlier,” Colin says, heading over to his boyfriend.
“Oh, gross,” Marty says, stopping his spoonful of Raisin Bran inches from his mouth. “Please, I’m trying to eat.”
“Can’t help that I can’t keep my hands off my man,” Colin says as he manhandles his boyfriend from behind beforeburying his face against Ash’s neck and taking a gentle nibble, making Ash blush.
“You two seem fun,” Angie says, closing the pantry, holding a protein bar.
“Oh, sorry,” Colin says. “I didn’t see you behind the door. I’m—”
“As if I wouldn’t know a former tight end for Peach State when I see one, Colin Phillips.” She shakes his hand. “The pleasure’s all mine.”
Marty’s expression is twisted up as he glances between Angie and me. “Wait. So you spent the night with Lance?”
“Yeah, Lance just showed me the night of my life.”
Ash’s eyes bulge. Marty’s jaw drops.
“Angie,” I say, “you don’t have to do that with these guys. We’re all cool.”
“Then in that case, he was trying to be a dick to Ty Lancaster, and I agreed to help if he’d watchWickedwith me.”
“We never really agreed on that part.”
“That was really my plan from the start. I’ve already made my other friends watch it with me too many times.”
“Wait, what happened with Ty Lancaster?” Marty asks.
“Eh, he was making this big deal that I could never do what he does and have a one-night stand, and I wanted to show him up.”
“You don’t do what he does,” Ash points out.
“That’s none of his business, is it?”
The guys get a kick out of that.
“Guess you had to get him back after that prank last night,” Colin notes.
“Even the guy who wasn’t here knows about it?” I ask.
“Yeah, everyone was posting about it in my feed. Pics are hot, though. You should be proud.”
Marty cringes. “I feel like maybe we’re all operating off different definitions of pride.”
“Couldn’t you guys have just left the park?” Colin asks.
I reflect on the moment when I made the call, when I could hear Kacey in my head, saying,“Sometimes you just gotta own it.”He’s been gone for so many years, yet I still follow the words of wisdom my big bro left me with before I lost him.
“Just some advice I heard once,” I say, not wanting to bring the mood down—or upset myself—by getting into it.
“Well, it definitely made the night extra sexy,” Colin says before refocusing on Ash. “And you looked especially sexy.” He continues fondling his man, offering a few kisses along his neck. Ash closes his eyes, rolling his head back as he gets into it.
Everyone in the kitchen gets so quiet, I can hear Marty gulp and Angie tear open her protein bar.