Page 49 of Beautifully Devoted

“Aww, you’re worried about me not enjoying my food?” Cruz flirts.

“No, I’m afraid my taste buds are going to acclimate to your bland-ass diet and stop working.” Liam shudders.

“These abs you love so much are a direct result of my strict diet.” Cruz lifts his shirt with a wink, flashing his admittedly impressive stomach at his boyfriend.

“You’re saying your sexy abs are worth me losing my sense of taste?” Liam arches a brow toward Cruz.

“You tell me.” Cruz grins as he twists his torso, showing off the ridges of his muscles.

My eyes catch Bennet’s across the room as Liam drags his fingers over Cruz’s stomach, and we share an eye roll.

And I thought I was the horny one around here.

“No fucking in the kitchen,” Bennet disrupts their foreplay. “House rules.”

“Since when?” Cruz asks.

“Since you two looked like you were gonna do it,” he retorts.

I add some ginger and turmeric to the juicer and hit the button, startling Liam out of his ab-induced trance. “Pass me some cups,” I tell Bennet. “You guys can try.”

“You don’t have any green stuff in there.” Bennet frowns as he hands me the cups.

“He hasn’t figured out how to make green stuff taste good yet.” Cam saunters up beside me and takes one of the cups, sniffing it as he asks, “How’d you do on your test?”

“Got an A.” I beam.

“Nice job.” He takes a sip as he gives me a congratulatory smack on the ass, the same way he does on the field. Only this time, it’s harder than the little pat he usually favors, and I swear his hand lingers there just a second like it’s rubbing out the sting. But it’s gone so fast I’m not sure I didn’t imagine it. “Um,” he clears his throat and sets the glass down. “Definitely your best attempt. A little strong on the ginger, but it's more or less drinkable.”

The rest of my roommates each mimic Cam, sniffing then sipping their drinks. They make similar noises—not quite approving my blend, but not repulsed by it either. Almost in unison, they clear their throats before declaring it decent.

***

The muffled bass of the music at Jerry’s seeps through the door as we approach, welcoming us before we even step inside the dark, somewhat dingy poolhall. Inside, it’s louder. Not so much you can’t have a conversation, but enough that you have to raise your voice to do it.

I’m barely in the door when I catch sight of Aiden with a couple of his frat bros at the bar, and my body tenses. Despite Cam’s confession that he didn’t feel right hanging around Aiden alone, it doesn’t sit well with me that they shared something I wasn’t part of. I know that’s ridiculous considering it was my idea, and they didn’t even take it the direction I first suggested, but just knowing they could’ve makes me squeamish.

Fortunately, Aiden does little more than nod in our direction, and I can only hope that’s because Bennet was making his way over to them and not because I had some sort of warning look on my face. I’m not sure what expression I might’ve been wearing when I saw him, and even though I wanted him to stay put, I’d feel bad if my face made him do that. Not bad enough to suggest he should come shoot pool with us, but a little bad.

Beside me, I see Cam nod back, but he doesn’t change direction, heading straight for the pool tables. I follow with Liam and Cruz, shoes occasionally sticking to the floor, and we put our money on the table so we can play the next game.

Since the pool tables are in the back of the room, somewhat hidden from the bar by a hall that leads to the bathrooms, we can’t see Aiden from back here. I’m sure he’ll come over eventually, and after a beer or two I’ll feel less edgy and ready to hang out, but for now, I can’t deny I’m glad to have a little separation.

I’ll overthink this feeling later, but for now, we claim one of the high-top tables that line the perimeter of the back room. Cruz sits on a stool with his legs spread so Liam can stand between them and use him as a backrest. Cam takes the other stool, leaving one of his legs braced on the floor instead of the footrest so I can straddle it and rest my weight on him. Bennet joins us a few minutes later, setting a pitcher of beer and some glasses down as he asks, “Who’s up first?”

“Liam and Cruz have the first game, then me and Jagger,” Cam says.

“Cool. I’ll grab Aiden when I’m up and he’ll be my partner.” Bennet pours everyone a glass, and we all take a sip of the cheap college staple.

While we wait, we shoot the shit about football—of course—before Cam says to Bennet, “Hey I keep meaning to ask if you saw that guy in the stands at practice a few weeks back? Would we get scouts watching this time of year?”

“Doubtful,” Bennet shakes his head. “I mean, it’s not against the rules to watch anyone at any time, but I don’t think they’d bother watching us during summer ball.”

“What would a guy be doing at practice, then? They’re closed to the public, aren’t they?” Cam asks.

“Yeah, but every once in a while, people will find a door that got left open by mistake. It happens over the summer when campus is sort of empty. I can’t see it being a scout though. He’s probably just a random dude with nothing better to do and got lucky enough to find an unlocked door.”

Looking at Cam over my shoulder, I ask, “Why are you still wondering about that? It was forever ago.”

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