Page 48 of Man On

"Fucking hurricane out there," someone says behind me. I twist around and see Jamie Peters, finishing a bite of something and licking his fingers. Part of me hopes him talking to me at all is a peace offering, forgiveness for almost mowing him over with my cleats earlier. The other part of me almost wishes he was still mad, so he wouldn't be holding me up right now.

"Yeah, it's nasty. I think Lane went for a run?—"

"Oh, he's with Danny."

Fucking what?

"What did you say?"

Peters gives me an odd look and repeats himself. "He's at our place with Danny. I just stepped out to give them some privacy."

He keeps talking, but I don't hear anything else he says. All I can think about is that Lane is in Danny's room. Alone. With Danny. Who in my opinion, is a little too friendly with Lane. Do all gay guys have gaydar? Will Lane open up to Danny? Danny obviously likes him. Will he like Danny? Will they kiss, or?—

"Dude, you alright? I was just kidding."

"Kidding about what?" I ask, realizing that my fists are clenched so hard my arms are shaking.

"Lane and Danny?" He says, looking wary of repeating whatever the full joke was about the two of them. I’ll fucking punch him in the throat if he says something about the two of them together.

My jaw clenches. "Lane is straight."

"Okay. It's not like I'd have a problem if he wasn't. Danny's one of my oldest friends. I chose to room with him." He pauses and narrows his eyes. "Do you have a problem with Danny?"

"What? No."

Yes.

Yes, I have a problem with Danny, but it has little to do with what his dick fancies. It has everything to do with my stepbrother. Who, while he can hold his own, is still pretty impressionable and obviously confused about his sexuality. I don't need some slick, good-looking, smiley bastard to show my stepbrother what he's missing.

That's my job.

"Lane might though. He's super religious,” I say, to cover up my overly interested behavior.

"They have that in common, then."

"Really?"

"Yep, Danny was raised super Catholic. He doesn't even cuss."

They're fucking perfect for each other.

"You alright? You look a little tense."

"It's been a shitty day," I say, forcing my jaw to unclench.

"Yeah, I gathered that. Looks like you got all the mud out of your teeth, though."

He does a shit job of holding in a laugh when he catches my glare.

"You're way less intimidating than your brother."

"He's not my brother."

"That's what he said," Peters says, shaking his head like he doesn't know what to think of the two of us. "Y'all don't get along, or what?"

"It's complicated."

"I get that," he says, but I doubt he would get this.

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