Page 51 of Perfect Storm (Toronto Thunder #1)

Instead, he reined in his disappointment and didn’t. Just smiled, easy, like it was no big deal, and said, “Sure thing, bro.”

“Great,” Aidan said, nodding. “I don’t know how late I’ll be.”

AKA don’t bother waiting up for me.

It was harder to swallow that, and there was a part of Levi that strongly considered, when he got back to the condo, heading into the guest room.

But he didn’t, his feet taking him into the room he’d been sharing with Aidan instead, like his feet knew what he wanted and they weren’t giving it up all that easily.

“You’re probably going to be disappointed,” Levi told his feet. But it was probably a good message to all of him, because his whole body was still suffused with hope.

Like against all odds, when Aidan got home, he was going to reach for Levi again.

Aidan was tired when he got in the car for his drive home. Almost considered not doing what he’d been debating all day, but he also knew this situation was not as elastic as he wanted it to be.

At some point it was going to snap and someone was going to get hurt.

He was more afraid that the person who did was going to be Levi, more than he even cared if that person was him.

There was a strong voice inside of him that kept insisting if that was true, then a whole lot of other things—emotions and feelings that Aidan wasn’t quite ready to face yet—had to be true, as well.

But he wasn’t sure, and no way could he say anything until he was sure.

Talking to Riley wasn’t a guarantee he would be sure, after, but he’d never found clarity like he’d found when talking things over with his little brother.

Sighing deeply, he plugged his phone in and dialed.

It was late enough Riley should be on his way home or actually home, and like clockwork, Riley answered on the third ring, his voice echoing like he was in the kitchen of the townhouse he shared with Landry.

“Hey,” Riley said, “what’s up? Everything okay?”

Over the last three years, they’d discovered that it was better for their relationship if they didn’t talk the week before a matchup. Aidan knew that, and he’d called anyway.

“I didn’t call about football,” Aidan said.

Riley huffed out a little laugh. “You want to talk about Mo, finally?”

“Um. Yeah. Sort of.” Aidan groaned under his breath. “I don’t know how to start, even. But first . . .” He didn’t want to ask if Landry was there, listening in. If he was, he’d probably have said something already, but the last thing he wanted was for Landry to think he didn’t want to talk to him.

“First?”

“Landry’s not there?”

Riley was quiet for a long moment. So long Aidan thought that maybe he was and now Riley was worried that something serious was going on.

“He’s upstairs,” Riley said. “Why?”

“I . . .I need to tell you something, but it’s . . .it’s awkward.”

“Please don’t tell me you discovered you were wrong this whole time and you were actually in love with Landry,” Riley joked.

“No,” Aidan scoffed.

“Well, you’re freaking me out, Aidan. You gotta tell me what’s wrong.”

“It’s not Landry. It’s . . .” Aidan huffed out again. Annoyed that he couldn’t quite spit this out. Riley wouldn’t judge—much, anyway—and he would keep this secret, probably, as long as Aidan swore a blood oath that he’d eventually tell Landry himself.

“Bro,” Riley warned.

“I’ll start at the beginning. You know back in July, when you and Landry and Levi came to Michigan?”

“Yes,” Riley said cautiously. Aidan heard him open and close a door, and he had a feeling Riley had just gone out onto the screened-in patio they’d added to the back deck last year.

Good. He’d finally taken Aidan’s concerns about Landry overhearing seriously.

“You know I was bummed about Mo. I’d finally told him how I felt, and it didn’t go well.”

“We were there. We saw how upset you were.”

“You weren’t the only one who noticed. Levi noticed too. We . . .well—”

“Oh my God,” Riley interrupted. “Do not tell me Levi hit on you.”

Aidan was not going to go into all the pact details because every time he told someone, it sounded stupider and stupider. “I guess we could call it that. And I hit on him back.”

Riley sucked in a hard breath. “And then he went to Toronto. And you’re living with him. Aidan, don’t tell me you’re fucking with Landry’s little brother while you’re in love with someone else.”

“Am I in love with someone else though?” That was the real heart of the issue. The most important question.

“I don’t know, are you?” Riley’s snark could be relentless. Aidan tried to remember a time when he’d admired that about him.

“I wasn’t even thinking about it, we were just having a good time. And it was a really good time. I like him, and you know I don’t like many people.”

“I know,” Riley said dryly.

“Anyway, it was good—”

“Please don’t tell me any details,” Riley interrupted again.

“It was probably heading towards more than a hookup, honestly, I could feel it going there, though I was understandably . . .nervous, about that.”

“Of course you were,” Riley soothed. He’d known Riley would see it, the same as Aidan felt it. “You’d just had your heart broken.”

“Exactly,” Aidan said.

“But then Mo got traded back.”

“Right. I thought it wouldn’t change anything, at first, and it didn’t, because Mo hadn’t felt the same back in June, and so why would anything be different?”

“He did not.” Riley didn’t sound so soothing now. Now he just sounded really fucking pissed. “Mo did not.”

Aidan winced. “I mean, I get where he’s coming from. Sometimes you don’t know how you feel about someone until they’re not there anymore, and I hadn’t talked to Mo since June. He was giving me space.”

“Please tell me he didn’t pull that whole oh, but fate made sure I was traded back to Toronto and now we’re reunited and that means I should love you.”

Aidan couldn’t tell Riley that, because that was the sort of thing Mo had said.

“I guess it comes down to, I’m torn. I like Levi. Three months ago, I was in love with Mo. But whenever I think about telling Levi it’s over, I feel fucking sick to my stomach.”

“Huh.” Riley paused. “Tell me what it’s like with you two—not the details, please—but like, how is it?

What are you two like together? I can sort of picture it, but I don’t have a firm grasp on it, not yet.

You two have been around each other, sure, but other than July, I’m trying to remember the last time you two actually hung out. ”

“God, he’s so great. Funny and chill and doesn’t take my shit.

Teases me, but not in the way that would’ve pissed me off before.

I don’t know . . .it’s like he helps me relax.

Pulls me out of my own head. Keeps me from overthinking everything, and it doesn’t even seem like it’s hard for him.

He just does it.” Aidan hesitated. “I like seeing him in the morning. I like how he’s in my bed at night. I don’t want him to leave.”

Riley hummed under his breath.

“But for so long, Mo even considering returning my feelings . . .that was everything I wanted. It feels crazy to turn him down without even trying. Like, what did I feel if I don’t want him now?”

“Bro, I’ve got a really simple answer for you,” Riley said.

This was exactly why he’d called Riley. Riley would see through his bullshit and boil it down for him.

“What?”

Riley laughed under his breath. “You can see it, I know you can. I can hear it in your voice. There’s no way you don’t feel it.”

“What is it, Ri?” Aidan demanded.

“You said you like Levi, but, bro, I gotta tell you, you don’t sound like you just like him. You love him. Levi’s who you love.”

“I—” Aidan didn’t know what he was going to say, because Riley was right, he shouldn’t even be surprised by it, but before he could figure it out, Riley interrupted him.

“I don’t know what you felt for Mo. Maybe you loved him too. But you’re in love with Levi.” Riley chuckled darkly. “God help us all. Landry is gonna lose his shit.”

That was definitely a serious consideration. “In a good or a bad way?”

Riley just laughed. “I wish I could tell you. But I think it’s gonna be good. Eventually.”

“God,” Aidan groaned.

“But only if you tell him. Like right away. Don’t make me keep this secret from him.”

“I don’t want to, but that means . . .I can’t tell Landry I love his brother before I tell Levi.”

“Yeah, you definitely have to tell Levi. Does he—”

“If you’re gonna ask if he feels the same, don’t. You think I know? You think I’d be this torn up if I knew how he felt? I mean, the Mo shit complicates things, sure, but you know Levi. He’s only ever hooked up. He doesn’t do relationships.”

“And it would make shit really fucking awkward if he just wanted to fuck you.”

“God, Ri. Please,” Aidan nearly begged.

But Riley just laughed. “I think you’re gonna be okay. Seriously.”

“How do you know that?” Aidan questioned. He was around Levi all the time, and he didn’t possess even a fraction of Riley’s confidence.

“Just a feeling.”

“A fucking feeling,” Aidan said flatly.

“You need to talk to him,” Riley chided. “Tell him everything.”

“But—”

“And if it’s awful, I’m gonna be there next weekend. Landry’s gonna be there.” Riley’s voice had gone soft. “We’re gonna be there to pick you up. And kick Levi’s ass too, while we’re around. Convince him he’s wrong.”

“Ri,” Aidan warned.

“I mean it,” Riley said firmly. “He feels like that for you. I can’t believe I didn’t see it before, but I do now. He switched to left tackle for you, bro.”

“That’s football,” Aidan dismissed. Which . . .had he ever dismissed football? Jesus, he was fucked.

“It’s really not, though,” Riley argued.

“Levi doesn’t put his neck out like that.

Landry’s been whining about it for years.

Worrying about his kid brother. But then when he switched, and he was the one who wanted to make the switch?

It’s practically all Landry and Logan have been talking about for weeks.

And he did it because of you. He wants to protect you. ”