Page 34 of Perfect Storm (Toronto Thunder #1)

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Wes asked Aidan late the next afternoon.

They’d already gotten through practice—Levi was slowly but steadily making progress at the left tackle position and that pinched look on Zane’s face was slowly beginning to smooth out—and lunch and several hours of video study in the QB room.

“What? Why?” Aidan had thought he’d been in a pretty damn good mood all day.

More than once, he’d actually caught himself smiling at nothing at all, thinking of how the alarm had gone off this morning, Levi’s arm warm and heavy along his body, his cock hard against the back of Aidan’s thigh.

How Levi had pulled the covers back and sucked the two brain molecules he usually had in the mornings right out of his dick.

He’d been so loose and relaxed it had actually been easy to tell Levi just how right he’d been.

And when Levi had glanced over at his phone charger, plugged into his side of the bed, raising an eyebrow—asking without asking if he should leave it—it had even been doable to tell him he wasn’t sick of him yet.

Levi had grinned then, and Aidan knew he’d gotten what he’d meant.

It was good; he was good.

But Wes was frowning at him right now like he was being even more nuts than usual.

“I’m just saying. You smiled at that Rams coverage like it was nothing.”

“Been a hell of a lot easier to handle since Donald retired,” Aidan said, because that was better than saying, I’m happy. I didn’t know what that felt like, really, but now I do, and I don’t want to let it go.

He and Wes didn’t really talk about personal shit. But then, Aidan didn’t talk about personal shit with anyone, usually.

Wes didn’t look convinced. “Something’s up with you. I can’t figure out what it is, but it’s something. Like you’re actually . . .I don’t know . . .relaxed. It’s kinda freaking me out.”

Aidan wasn’t going to get offended by this. He was not.

“I can relax,” he insisted.

Wes shot him a dubious look. “In theory, sure. Not sure if I’ve ever seen it in action, though.”

That was probably fair. Wes probably hadn’t. But then Wes wasn’t Aidan’s favorite person. Wes was the living embodiment of the clock is ticking.

Aidan just shrugged. Still not sure if he wanted to discuss any of the particulars of why that might be true. Before they’d met Wes’ hockey friend at Vault, he hadn’t even known what Wes’ ex’s name was.

They just didn’t have that kind of relationship.

You barely have that kind of relationship with anyone, Riley chimed in. Just Landry. And me.

He was going to need to call Riley, and soon, with the way he kept worming his way into his brain in the last twenty-four hours.

“You get laid or something?” Wes asked casually, but the look in his eyes made it clear he thought he was right.

Aidan told himself not to flush but went bright red anyway.

You’re thirty-three years old, he told himself firmly, sex is not a bad word.

“Okay, yeah, that’s cool,” Wes said. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Absolutely not,” Aidan ground out. But even now, he wasn’t actually annoyed. The good mood that had buoyed him all day was still keeping him nice and toasty inside.

The thought that when he and Levi climbed in the car to go home, it would be just them. Just them on the couch, Levi giving him shit for how terrible he was at Mario Kart. Levi in his shower. Levi in his bed.

“It’s not Ramsey, is it?”

“Ramsey?” Who was Ramsey again? Was that a player new to the team whose name he’d already forgotten? Shit. He was usually better about that stuff. Levi had him a little distracted. Understandably, but still. Aidan prided himself on being better than that.

“Ramsey,” Wes said slowly. “My friend? The hockey player? We met him at the bar.”

“Oh yes. Yes.” That guy.

Wes looked appalled and then Aidan realized he thought that yes, Ramsey was the person Aidan was sleeping with.

“No,” Aidan said forcefully. “No, definitely not. Not that I give a shit about that. Not that I don’t . . .” He’d come out to so few people, he wondered if it would ever be easier or less awkward. Today was not that day. “I do, actually. Uh. Like guys, that is.”

Wes raised an eyebrow. “Okay,” he said. “You do realize I’m gay, right?”

Aidan knew, which made his awkwardness even worse. “Yeah.”

“Then it’s all good, man,” Wes said, patting him on the shoulder. “Not that Ramsey wouldn’t show you a real good time, but I always got the impression you want more than a hookup, and that’s all he’s ever interested in.”

How was that possible when Aidan had only had fleeting hookups in his life, and in the last few years, while Wes had been around, none at all?

Well, that was probably why. There’d been none at all, because he’d been too busy pining for Mo.

“Uh, well, yeah. I guess so.” Because it wasn’t like hookups had ever done it for Aidan. But then, he wasn’t entirely sure if this thing with Levi was a hookup. They hadn’t defined it; they’d only both grabbed for it.

Maybe that meant something. Maybe it didn’t.

“It’s really all good, Flynn. Glad it’s going good.” Wes patted him again, absently, then gestured at the screen. “You wanna go over these coverages again?”

“Yes,” Aidan said with certainty. He’d probably only play a series or two—if Zane felt they needed more to look at—but Wes was going to be in the rest of the game.

They finished up in the next hour, and when Aidan glanced at his phone, he saw that Levi had finished up early and had caught a ride back downtown with Lane and Trevor.

Aidan ignored the spike of disappointment and sent a thumbs-up response to Levi and then another text to Riley. You free in a few?

Riley sent back a response almost instantly. Yeah, give me ten.

That was just about perfect. Aidan gathered his bag, picked up a chicken caesar wrap he’d supplement with a protein shake when he got home, and headed towards his car.

Riley called six minutes into his drive back, just after he’d finished cramming the last of his wrap into his mouth.

“Perfect timing,” Aidan said, a little garbled as he chewed and swallowed.

“Yeah?” It was only a single word but Riley sounded good. Happy and upbeat. Typical Riley.

Sometimes Aidan was slightly envious that he could be like that, but whenever he was, he remembered that Riley could be like that. That he’d protected him from the worst of their parents’ bullshit, and Riley’s sunshine had never been dimmed.

“Yeah, just finished eating. Well, part one anyway.”

“I’ve never heard anyone sound so happy about a protein shake,” Riley teased.

“It was a good day,” Aidan said, and because he didn’t say it enough—and he hadn’t said it enough, before, which meant he always went out of his way to say it now—added, “Even better now.”

He could practically hear Riley beam through the phone. “Yeah, you guys kicking ass this year? How’s Levi on your line? Landry’s been weirdly close-lipped about it.”

“Not sure Levi’s been telling him much,” Aidan said.

Levi had told him over dinner last night that he’d decided to be more circumspect.

It was one thing to play for teams on opposite sides of the country that played each other maybe every few years.

It was another thing entirely to be in the same division.

Landry wouldn’t take advantage, but Landry wanted to win the same way that Levi did. That Aidan did.

“Makes sense,” Riley said. “We never had that problem, though.”

“I think it’s just gonna take some getting used to. You want me to talk to him?”

Riley was quiet for a moment. “No, no. It’ll work itself out. Landry’s just neurotic about it. Worried about Levi, even though he shouldn’t be.”

“Good news is you’re a pro at dealing with that.

” Even a year ago, Aidan didn’t think he could’ve made that joke, but the shame crawling up his spine when he thought of how he’d acted—and how Riley had tolerated it and endured it and then finally snapped over it—felt less pressing than it had back then.

“True.” Riley’s voice was wry. “So you’re on friendly terms, then?”

Of course Riley was digging. Gently, in a very Riley-like way, but still digging. Aidan experienced a momentary fear that he was only doing it because he suspected something. But how could he?

“Ri, he’s living in my guest room.”

Riley chuckled under his breath. “I know. I know. But you two have never been close. You gotta forgive a younger bro for looking out for other younger bros.”

Riley wouldn’t be Riley if he didn’t—not because he needed to. Aidan reminded himself that Riley knew that.

“We’re doing good,” Aidan said, hoping that would be the end of it.

“No details? Just ‘we’re good’?” Riley still sounded playful but the intent was there. Aidan knew him too well not to hear it.

“You know how it is,” Aidan said. “We’re at the practice facility twelve-plus hours a day. Putting in the work. He did . . .uh . . .we’ve been playing some games. He finally got me to get a new gaming system.”

“Oh yeah?” Riley asked brightly. “Good work, Levi.”

Aidan rolled his eyes. “Maybe I’ll even get one for the Michigan house.”

“You better, bro.”

Before Aidan could change the subject, Riley continued, “You know it was awesome when he came with us this summer. Only a bummer he couldn’t stay longer.”

Aidan told himself for a second time that Riley couldn’t know anything. They’d been careful and Riley had been, as usual, totally distracted by Landry. Besides, the last personal development he’d told Riley was that he was trying to get over Mo.

“For sure,” Aidan said. What else could he say? He couldn’t demand Riley tell him what he knew—or what he suspected.

“You talk to Mo?”

Aidan let out a frustrated sigh. “Why don’t you just come out and ask, Ri?”

“Ask what?”

Aidan growled, but Riley only laughed.

“I’m not sure what you want me to ask? I’m just trying to figure out where your head’s at,” Riley said.