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Luke

“ L uke, wait… We can work this out.”

“Work this out? Work THIS out? What the hell is there left to work out, Pete?”

Pete doesn’t have an answer to that. He just stands there, naked, someone else’s semen still dripping out of his ass. The guy he was fucking has wisely fled, leaving just the two of us screaming at each other.

If I’m being honest, things with Pete have been over for a long time. We stayed together because it was convenient to share the bills and have someone to come home to and talk to about our days. It’s been a while since I was truly happy with him, though.

I knew Pete was unhappy too, but I was still surprised to find him cheating on me.

“Look, Luke, it didn’t mean anything, okay? And honestly, can you blame me? When was the last time we had sex? Don’t tell me you haven’t had similar thoughts.”

“THAT’S what you’re going with? Fuck you, Pete! I’m out of here. We’re done. I don’t ever want to see you again.”

Pete doesn’t argue further as I grab my wallet and leave. I can send someone else to pick up the rest of my stuff later. For now, I just want to get as far away from Pete as humanly possible.

I storm out, already scrolling on my phone for Judy’s number. She answers promptly, like she always does.

“Hey, Luke.”

“Judy, can I stay at your place for a few days?”

“Of course! What’s wrong? What happened?”

“Pete and I split up.”

“Oh, Luke, I’m so sorry.”

So sorry my ass. I can hear the relief in her voice, and to be honest, I’m a little relieved too. Things with Pete and me have been bad for ages, and as hurt and angry as I am, my heart feels a little lighter, knowing that I won’t have to keep holding on the dregs of a relationship that was once good but that soured over the years for no apparent reason.

I so desperately wanted to find love that I convinced myself that Pete was perfect for me, despite the multiple signs that we wouldn’t be a good long-term match. I was foolish to keep going with him even when I knew it wasn’t meant to be.

“I just need some time to find my own apartment. You know the lease is in Pete’s name…”

“Luke, you’re my brother. You can stay as long as you need; you know that.”

“Thanks, Judy. I’ll see you soon.”

As I make the ten-minute drive to Judy’s place, anger and hurt start to fade and relief blooms. It’s over. I never have to pretend that I’m happy to see Pete again. That on its own is a huge relief.

Judy is waiting for me at the door and envelops me in a tight hug the moment I walk in. “How are you doing? Are you okay?”

“Surprisingly, yes. I mean, I know it’s been four years, but really, only the first two of them were good. It’s been going downhill for a while. I’m glad it’s over.”

“What prompted you to end it?”

“He cheated,” I say simply.

“The bastard,” Judy snarls. “Want me to key his car for you?”

“No way, we’re not giving him an excuse for a lawsuit. To be honest, it was over anyway, he has probably done us both a favor. All I want is never to have anything to do with him again.”

“I get that. What do you want to do? Grief protocol or celebration protocol?”

I don’t have to think long to decide. “Celebration.”

I’d rather get wasted at a club than sit on the couch eating donuts and watching sad reruns.

“Then you’d better get dressed, because we’ve got some dancing to do.”

“We can’t be out too late—I’ve got practice tomorrow.”

“Oh no, you don’t. You are finally going to take that leave Brandon has been bugging you to use up. You deserve a break after everything you’ve been through.”

That’s actually not a bad idea. I could definitely use a break, that much is for sure. Being in an unhappy relationship is draining in more ways than one.

“Alright. I’ll message Brandon telling him.”

It’s not like we have any important games coming up—I’d never take the break otherwise. I love football and I love my team, I’m usually such a professional and I wouldn’t want to leave them hanging.

I send Brandon a quick email before following Judy to her room, where she is already rifling through her closet.

“I, uh… I didn’t exactly pack anything before I got out of there.”

“Oh, right. Well, it’s early enough for us to stop at the mall on our way there. First set of clothes since the breakup—you’d better buy something good.”

I can’t help but have the petty wish that Pete sees Judy and me going clubbing and having a good time without him. Of course, that’s unlikely to happen. He’s probably called back his lover by now. I bet they’re currently in bed doing… No, I’m not going to think about that. I don’t want relief to be outweighed by anger again. I’m quite happy with relief, thank you very much.

I get a pair of skinny jeans and a new shirt at the mall, perfect for clubbing. The shirt is kind of see through and I like it. It’s the kind of outfit I would never wear when I was with Pete. He would get all jealous and insist that this kind of attire should be for us as a couple alone, not for public wear.

I coddled his insecurities, while all alone, I was the one who should have been insecure. I still can’t believe I never imagined he’d cheat on me. I’m such a fool.

“Hey, stop that.”

“Stop what?”

“Get out of your head. I can tell you’re thinking too hard. Tonight isn’t about thinking. It’s about celebrating your newfound freedom, and that doesn’t involve ruminating on the past, got it?”

“You know me too well.”

“True.”

“Alright, I’ve got it. Happy thoughts only.” At least for now. I’m sure I’ll have some more unsavory thoughts about Pete when I work through this later, but for now, I’m ready to celebrate my freedom, just like Judy says.

We get admitted into the club easily enough and I head straight for the bar. The music is blaring and I can’t wait to get out onto the dance floor, but I’m not going to do that until I’m sufficiently buzzed.

I raise my shot glass to Judy. “To freedom!”

“Freedom,” she agrees, downing her shot in one. I do the same and gesture to the bartender for another. After a couple of shots, the two of us go out onto the dance floor. I dance with Judy for a while before getting pulled into the arms of a complete stranger.

She clearly has no idea I’m gay, but that doesn’t matter. I’m happy to give her a dance regardless. Once that song is finished, I set my eyes on another stranger, this one a guy. I tap him on the shoulder and indicate that I’d like a dance. It’s too loud to hear much here, but I manage to convey my meaning well enough with gestures.

We dance together, our bodies moving in sync with the music. It’s nice, losing myself in the touch of someone who I don’t know and will probably never see again. It allows me to live in the moment and forget all about Pete, at least for a while.

I end up getting blind drunk and kissing someone—I don’t know who—though he his chivalrous enough to refuse to take it further with me as incapacitated as I am. Probably a good idea. Jumping into bed with the first attractive guy I see since leaving Pete would not be my smartest decision.

Judy gets me home and wrangles me into my pajamas before putting me to bed on the couch. I fall asleep focusing on nothing but the roiling of my stomach and how badly I want to avoid throwing up.

Alas, that wish does not come to pass. Barely an hour into drifting off, I’m kneeling over the toilet, emptying my guts. Just great. I suppose that’s the price I pay for forgetting for a while. Oh well. I still say it was worth it. This is what happens when you are a dedicated athlete who rarely drinks. My body is just not used to this kind of poison.

The next morning, Judy greets me with a tall glass of orange juice and some painkillers.

“Bless you,” I mumble, downing the pills and gulping the orange juice.

“We certainly had quite a night last night. What do you want to do today?”

“Sleep,” I groan.

“No way. You finally left Pete. You’re not sleeping the day away. We’re going out to celebrate.”

“I thought we did that last night?”

“Consider this an extended celebration.”

Judy eventually talks me out of the house for a picnic on the park. While the light at first feels like daggers in my sensitive eyeballs, I have to admit that the fresh air does me some good.

I lie back on the picnic blanket, staring at the sky. “I thought it would hurt more, but the hurt is fading quickly. Mostly, I’m just relieved.”

“That makes sense. Things between you and Pete were bad for a long time.”

“Yeah. I wonder if he went back to that guy—whoever he was.”

“Don’t think about that. What Pete does or doesn’t do isn’t any of your concern anymore.”

“You’re right. I just want to enjoy this time off. When I get back to playing, I’ll be a new guy.”

“Damn right you will.”

As much as I enjoy my time off, there’s a reason I haven’t taken the leave I was owed. I hate being away from the field, and my team. It makes me antsy and irritable, and I think Judy was glad when I finally found my own place to rent. I wasn’t exactly fun to be with toward the end.

When I finally return to practice, I feel more than ready to take whatever life throws at me. Without Pete dragging me down, I’m ready to take on the world.

It turns out that this resolve is destined to be tested.

Brandon hurries over and claps me on the back. “Luke, glad to have you back! We finally got the new player we’ve been waiting for. Meet Cody Miller. Cody, this is Luke Hardy.”

I turn to lay eyes on the most attractive man I’ve ever seen. Cody is taller than the average football player, with white-blond hair and bright blue eyes. He’s leaner than the average football player, but still well-muscled, and his lips are the most delectable shade of pink. I have heard of Cody Miller, of course I have. He is one of the most talented players in the NFL at the moment and will be a huge boost to our team.

I give him my most welcoming smile. “Hi, Cody. It’s nice to meet you.”

Instead of taking my proffered hand, Cody just glares at me. “Luke.”

Then he turns away.

I stare at him in confusion. What did I do to offend him? All I did was greet him? A glance at Brandon shows that Brandon seems equally flummoxed.

“Have you two met before?” Brandon asks quietly as Cody stalks off.

I wrack my brains, trying to think of where I could have met and pissed off Cody, but I’m sure I would have remembered meeting someone that beautiful. “No. I don’t know what his problem is.”

“Me neither. He was friendly with the rest of the team. He’s been fitting in well so far. Anyway. I’m sure you two will get used to each other. He’s a great player and he meshes well with us.”

“That’s good to hear.” I give Cody’s retreating back a doubtful look. I know that there’s more to it than being a good player. Football is a team sport. You have to fit in well with the team if you’re going to succeed. Maybe Cody is just in a bad mood or something. I’m sure he’ll cheer up.

Cody doesn’t cheer up.

He seems friendly enough with everyone else, but every time he’s forced to interact with me, he acts like someone is shoving bamboo splinters under his nails.

“Knock it off, Cody!” Brandon snaps when Cody refuses to coordinate a play with me for the third time. “I don’t know what your issue with Luke is, but you’re to leave it off the field, you understand me? If any players are having problems with each other, we mediate them outside of practice time. While we’re playing, we’re expected to put those issues aside. That’s just how this team works. Is that going to be a problem?”

“No,” Cody mutters, glaring at me.

For the rest of the practice, he does everything he has to—he works with me just like the rest of the team, but every time our eyes meet, I find him glowering at me. Doesn’t his face get tired, keeping up that same stupid expression? I resist the urge to tell him he’d better change it before the wind changes and he gets stuck like that.

As soon as we’re done, Cody storms past me into the locker room and is done changing by the time I make my way in there.

“What the hell is his problem?” I mutter.

“No idea,” Jason says back in a low voice. “Are you sure you haven’t met him before?”

“Yeah, I would have remembered. I can’t think what I’ve done to offend him. I’d apologize if I knew what it was.”

I wonder if I should ask for Cody’s number and try to message or call him. Surely, whatever this is, we can work it out. We’re both professionals here, after all. There has to be a way to figure this out.

However, I worry that calling him when he’s at home will just piss him off. Maybe it’ll be best to talk to him in practice tomorrow. I’ll arrive early and hope I catch him before we’re actually due to start.

If I can’t work things out with him, I know that Brandon will step in to try to mediate the problem, but it’ll be difficult to do so when there isn’t actually any source of conflict. As far as I can tell, Cody simply dislikes me intensely for no apparent reason.

I go home frustrated by my first day back. Football is usually my solace, but today, it caused more irritation than anything else.

I can only hope that whatever Cody’s problem is, we’ll be able to figure it out. We don’t need to be friends, but we’re on the same team now, which means that like it or not, we’re going to have to figure out how to work with each other.

Meanwhile, why has he got to be so fucking distractingly hot?