Page 106 of Summer Lessons

His hair was cut a lot like Skip’s now—parted to the side and brushed back from his brow. It looked sweet and grown-up, both at the same time. His earrings had apparently healed, because he had a big fake diamond in each ear, but it suited him. He was wearing a T-shirt—something new and striped and not full of holes—and cargo shorts with flip-flops that looked relatively new and not like they’d fall off his feet.

And the smile he leveled at Mason was tentative, and a little worried.

“Hi,” Mason said, the emptiness in his chest filling for the first time in months. “I’m glad you could come.”

“I brought a friend—not a boyfriend, okay? Just a friend. I didn’t want you to think… you know.”

Exactly what Dane and Skip and Richiehadbeen thinking. Mason knew.

“That’s kind of you,” Mason said, nodding. “That would have hurt.”

“You seem to have a lot of… friends.” With an arched eyebrow, Terry gave George a once-over. George gaped at him and then sort of faded into the background.

“Just friends too,” Mason said soberly. “I wouldn’t have three men here if I was trying to date them.”

“I know you wouldn’t.” Terry bit his lip and looked at Mason shyly. “That would be mean, and you’re anything but mean.”

Mason smiled at him, his heart so full of the compliment that he could barely breathe.

And something crashed and someone screamed by the poolside, and Mason turned his attention outside for just a minute—

And Terry was pulled away, his friend chatting excitedly about the gaming system and how they had up next.

Mason went outside and cleaned up the mess—Ponyboy had gotten excited at the kids in the pool and knocked over a planter. He had plenty of help, because in spite of Mason having no interest in any of them, his three suitors would not leave him alone.

And Terry’s friend—and his other teammates—seemed hell-bent on keeping Terry’s attention divided as well.

The rest of the day felt like a haze of people that Mason could never remember talking to, and glimpses of Terry’s brown eyes peering at him from his own haze.

They were the only two souls in the whole house, but they never had a chance to touch.

Until night fell, and people left.

Terry went somewhere in the middle—after Hugh and George but before Stuart—and Mason managed to catch him before he got to his car.

“So,” he said breathlessly, wilting in the heat. “I just wanted to say I’m glad you came.”

Terry smiled and, unbidden, stood on his tiptoes and kissed Mason’s cheek. “I’m glad I came too. Are you coming to see our game next week?”

Of course he wasn’t. “I can try,” he said brightly. “If nothing comes up.” He refrained from raising his hand to cup his cheek.

“I’ll look forward to seeing you.” Terry raised his hand and rubbed Mason’s lower lip with his thumb, and Mason’s libido woke up with a bang. “Maybe we can go out afterward.”

“I’d like that,” Mason whispered.

And then Terry turned and was gone, leaving Mason in the humid dark, alone.

Or so he thought.

“Oh,” Stuart said, coming out of the shadows by the doorway. “I was wondering.”

“Wondering what?” Mason headed back into the house—sweat was running down his neck and back already.

“You said you weren’t over someone, and I was wondering. Is this guy really mooning for someone he doesn’t have a chance with, or is maybe there still a thing going?”

Mason shrugged and cupped his cheek, unable to stop the smile that pulled at the corner of his mouth. “We’re still friends,” he said with dignity.

Stuart’s low laughter was probably sexy, but Mason wasn’t feeling it.