Page 34 of Breaking Ryan Baylor

“Yeah, I heard she does prefer men. Lots of ‘em, all at once.” He made a train horn motion with his arm. “All aboard the bukkake express, boys.”

Seggy stepped towards him. “You’re a mouthy little shit!”

“Do somethin’ about it then,” Hayes said calmly, his arms up and starting towards him. Now it was Ryan holding Hayes back. Osi had since wandered over and latched onto the back of Hayes’s hip pads to keep him put. Hayes grabbed his crotch. “And ‘little boy’ nothin’. Everyone here’s seen it. Biggest one in the whole locker room, bitch.”

“Yeah, your fuckin’ mouth, maybe.”

“Hayes. Enough,” Osi said, yanking him backward. “Is not worth it.” Osi looked terrified; he was predominantly a peacekeeper but would jump in to defend Hayes in a millisecond.

“You’re a little bitch, Hayes. You and your boyfriend Baylor.”

“Yeah? Let your wife know we’ll tag her any time!” he shot back as Osi and Ryan dragged him off to the showers.

Ryan turned around and wanted to say something, but seeing as he was already under such scrutiny, he decided against it. Instead, he turned to Hayes and said softly, “I don’t…I don’t wanna tag his wife, man.”

“Jesus, how dense are you, Rook? It was just chirps.”

“I knew that.”

???

The ride home is Hayes's truck was silent at first. Osi had gone out to hit the bars with some of the other guys. Ryan had been invited to go, but he wasn’t in the mood. He kept staring at the messages Amara sent him throughout the night, none of which he’d responded to.

A: I'm sorry.

A: You played amazing. I mean, I have no clue what's going on, but lots of chatter about you in the stands.

A: Somewhere I can meet you afterward?

A: Guessing you're pissed. I'll just see you when you come home. I'm sorry.

“You should’ve met up with her,” Hayes finally lectured. “She came out. It’s the least you could’ve done for her.”

“Hayes, don’t,” Ryan warned, putting his phone down and running his fingers through his hair.

“Yes, God forbid someone tries to give the almighty Ryan Baylor some constructive criticism.”

“Maybe I don’t want criticism from the guy who wants to fuck my girlfriend, OK?” he snapped.

“This shit again?” Hayes looked at him. “I thought I told you nothing’s gonna happen between us.”

“There’s no girlfriend stopping you now, is there?”

“Nope. Thanks for bringing that up though,” Hayes said quietly, checking the text message he’d just gotten.

A: He's pissed at me, isn't he?

“I’m sorry, man,” Ryan said, his breathing labored. “I just…this shit is messing…with my head…so bad.” His breathing sped up and it hit him out of nowhere. He reached between the seat and the door and hit the button, reclining his seat back. “Fuck.”

“Yo, Rook. What’s the matter? Shit, you havin’ one of those attacks?” Hayes asked, concerned.

Ryan nodded rapidly.

“OK, shit. What’d she tell me to do?” He pulled the truck off to the side of the road and put it in park. “OK, um…oh, right. OK. Five things you can see right now, Rook.”

“The dashboard. The seatbelt. The center console. My phone. Some asshole that wants…to fuck my girl.” Ryan smirked, then closed his eyes.

“Yo, not the time for jokes, bitch. Um, what was…oh, four things you can hear right now?”

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