Page 5 of Collide

Well, he guessed, there was his answer. “You okay?” he asked.

Coop was still hacking away, but nodded his head, before he took another drink to calm himself. “Jesus, way to spring that on someone.”

A ghost of a memory from the day before snuck into his head. “I’m pretty sure I told you yesterday.”

“You could hardly speak straight.” Coop’s blue eyes widened. “Not straight, straight. I mean, you were all messed up because of the pain meds. I didn’t…I wasn’t…”

Another laugh jumped out of his mouth. He tried to hold his ribs, but it didn’t stop the pain from shooting through him. He’d never seen Coop so flustered in his life.

“Asshole,” Coop grunted. “It’s not that funny.”

Maybe it wasn’t, but Noah needed to laugh. It felt good, too. Well, besides the killer pain in his ribs. “Shit. You’re right. I’m sorry, but pain meds or not, people don’t say they’re gay, if they aren’t.”

Cooper crossed his arms, and with that movement, the laughter left the room. This was game time. Where he’d find out if his friend would want him to leave, all because of who Noah was attracted to. He couldn’t read the look in Coop’s eyes. Didn’t know him well enough anymore, to know what his intense stare meant.

“We used to talk about girls together, man.”

“I was a kid. I was confused. I can promise you, I’m not confused any longer.” He held Cooper’s gaze, so he understood Noah was serious. This was who he was, and he was okay with that. “Do you have a problem with it?”

“Are you going to hit on me?” Coop tossed back at him.

“You’re not my type.” Actually, the man couldn’t have been more his type. Dark-blond hair, sexy eyes, and his strong, muscled frame. Wasn’t like he could tell him that, though. “Plus, you don’t hit on every woman you meet, do you? Because I’m attracted to men, doesn’t mean I can’t control myself around them.”

“That’s what I thought, so don’t ask stupid questions. You’re my friend. I’m not going to slam the door in your face, because you have bad taste.”

This time Noah held in the laugh, but fuck it was hard. Still, he wrapped an arm around his ribs while he shook his head. The response was so typical of the Cooper he’d known all those years ago.

“More women for me.” Coop winked, but then he shifted in his seat. His eyes didn’t quite catch Noah’s. He wanted to be comfortable with it, but Noah could tell it wasn’t going to be as easy as Cooper wanted it to be.

***

Noah Jameson was gay.

Yes, he’d said so the night before, and logically, Coop realized the meds wouldn’t make him say that if he wasn’t, but hearing it today made it more real. It wasn’t that Cooper was homophobic or anything. He was all for the right to live and love who the hell you wanted. For everyone to have that benefit, but, it wasn’t every day you found out your childhood best friend was gay.

The same friend he told about a boner he got over kissing a girl at twelve. Maybe it shouldn’t, but it made things a little weird.

“So what do you do?” he asked Noah. Cooper crossed his arms over his chest and remembered he didn’t have a shirt on. Was it strange that he wasn’t wearing one? He knew if a woman sat at the table with him, shirtless, he wouldn’t be able to pay attention to anyone, but her.

He shifted in his seat again.

“I make wood furniture. Some indoor, and some outdoor. It started out as a hobby when I was home from the service.” He replied. “Hoping to open a store and have a workshop attached. You?”

Noah took a drink of his orange juice. Cooper felt naked. Noah stood and grabbed his plate, then reached over for Cooper’s, and his eyes shot to his friend’s hand.

“Christ. What do you think? I’m going to jump you? This isn’t going to work out.” Noah continued grabbing the plate, put them in the sink, and then started walking out of the room.

Guilt curdled Cooper’s stomach. What the hell was wrong with him? “I’m sorry. I’m being a prick, but you have to admit, it’s a lot to take in. I didn’t expect it, but I’m okay with it.”

Noah turned to him. “Glad to know I have your approval.”

“Fuck,” he ran a hand through his hair. “That’s not what I meant. You’re not making this easier, you know.”

Noah closed his eyes and took a deep breath, which probably hurt. Cooper couldn’t help but wonder if there had been people, with whom his sexual orientation hadn’t been okay with; if Noah had had problems. But then, he’d said he’d been in the service, so that made sense. The thought of people giving Noah shit for being who he was sent anger coursing through him. This was Noah—the guy who always had Cooper’s back when they were kids.

“You are who you are. Don’t be a hot head because it surprised me. You always were getting pissed about something.”

This made Noah open his eyes. He shook his head, but he didn’t look upset anymore. “That’s because you never took anything seriously. You were always getting us into trouble.”

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