Page 4 of Touchdown

“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?

2

Cody

Iknow I’m not being reasonable, but I can’t help it. I growl angrily to myself as I take my cock in hand and stroke it roughly. This issounfair. Everything was going well with the new team… until Luke Hardy arrived.

Why does he have to be so stupidly attractive? It’s like he’s some kind of sex demon sent specifically to taunt me with his toned abs and his chiseled features.

The practice gave me plenty of views of his sweaty, muscled body and I hated it. His ass… Fuck, what I would give to be inside that ass. I groan as I come at the thought of pressing my cock into Luke’s ass as I bend him over the changing bench. Ah, fuck, I want that.

But I can’t. I know I can’t, which means that Luke is just a stupid temptation that I have to resist while I stay professional.

I clean up and put my cock away as quickly as possible, trying to hide the evidence of my weakness.

As it so often does, my mind goes to Zack. I hate that even though it’s been six months, he still has an effect on me. Maybe he always will. I don’t know. Perhaps once your heart has beenbroken as badly as he broke mine, you can never truly leave the person behind.

I remember the day it ended so clearly in my mind, it’s as though it was yesterday.

“Zack! Baby, I’m home early. I brought some cupcakes. I thought we could have them after dinner.”

The cupcakes are from the same company who will be doing our wedding cake tomorrow. I’m hoping they’re half as delicious as the samples of the cake we got a few weeks ago. Zack has a huge sweet tooth and I’m sure he’ll appreciate them.

Zack doesn’t respond. He must have dozed off. The wedding planning has been stressful, after all.

I go upstairs to wake him up… and walk into a scene from my worst nightmare.

Zack is indeed in bed, but he’s not alone. He’s with Ryan, his best man, who up until now I was sure was straight.

I’m pretty certain that Ryan isn’t straight, given that he’s balls-deep in Zack’s ass.

The cupcakes go tumbling to the floor.

Zack spots me and cries out in alarm. Ryan spins around too and yelps as he pulls out and grabs for his clothes, as if covering his nakedness could undo the damage.

“Get out,” I hiss at Ryan.

He does as I ask without question.

I round on Zack, hurt and anger warring for dominance in my mind. “Well?”

“Cody, please, just listen to me. It just—it just kind of happened. We were working late, planning the wedding, and it… Well, I’m not entirely sure how we ended up like this. It doesn’t mean anything, I swear. I still love you. Only you, Cody.”

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