Page 63 of Out of My Mind

“What’s going on withyou? You used to have game.” Seth weaved the ball through his legs.

“Used to? I still do.” Though Gideon didn’t feel too sure about it. His charming, fun, social self seemed miles away. This fall had brought too much shit. “So what’s Delia up to tonight? Hanging out with Mac?”

“Is that your attempt to find out what’s been going on with Mac?”

Gideon stole the ball from Seth before his friend could question his blushing cheeks. “I just want to make sure the guy is doing okay in his new place. Where’s he living?”

“Those crappy apartments on Pine Street. It’s small.”

“Empty? I had to pull teeth to get Mac to invest in a used nightstand.”

“He just got a dining table and chairs so people could come over.”

“He did?”

“Yeah. Rafe helped him pick it up.”

Gideon completely airballed his shot. “What’s a Rafe?”

“This guy Mac has been hanging out with.”

“Like a boyfriend?”The guy in the stupid sweater vest.Gideon picked up the ball and almost flattened it in his hands.

Seth shrugged. This was gossip overload for him. “I think they just started hanging out like a week ago, nothing official.”

“This is a pretty big step, though, picking out furniture. I mean, Beth and I didn’t do that until ten months of dating.”

Seth looked at Gideon as if he had crazy all over his face. “I think Rafe just went with him to the seller’s house?”

He tried to picture what a Rafe would look like. That was not a name you heard in Westchester. Maybe that was what Mac liked. Gideon pivoted, on the court and on this conversation. “Good for him for getting some furniture. Maybe next he’ll get a Swiffer.”

“I guess.” Seth picked up the rebound and positioned himself for a three-pointer, which bounced off the rim. It was closer than he’d come in their past games. “Why do you care so much?”

Gideon couldn’t tell if there was a tone to his voice that belied something else, like maybe he and Delia had been having some conversations lately.

“I don’t.” Gideon swished his shot, and that was that.

Φ

Except it wasn’t. Because after their game, instead of going back to his apartment, Gideon’s feet brought him to the crappy apartments on Pine Street. The main door was unlocked, allowing Gideon to look for Mac’s name on the mailbox and access the stairway. It was Gideon’s hands that had a mind of their own and knocked on Mac’s door. And it was Gideon’s eyes that absorbed every inch of the Mac who stood in the doorway, the same, strong Mac that had screamed with orgasm and cuddled in bed.

“What are you doing here?” Mac asked.

It wasn’t the way Gideon wanted to start this conversation. Mac’s instant offense made Gideon feel super awkward. He poked his head in.

“I wanted to check out your new place.” Mac did what he could with what looked like an apartment that hadn’t been kept up in years. It was one of those shady college apartments where the landlord didn’t fix anything because he knew there’d always be a college kid dumb enough to rent it as is.

Exhibit A: Mac.

A few items of basic furniture gave the place the shape of an apartment.

“It’s nice,” Gideon said.

Sitting in one of Mac’s new dining chairs was the Rafe. The guy’s rainbow socks peeked from under his jeans.

“This must be Rafe.” Gideon plastered on his best smile.

“And you must be Gideon.” He didn’t know why, something about the smile this guy gave him instantly made Gideon dislike him.