Page 26 of The Shots You Take

Chapter Nine

July 2006

“We’ll probably be here for a while,” Riley said.

Adam glanced over his sunglasses at the front of the boat, where Harvey Tuck, behind the wheel, was chatting with the man who’d pulled his own boat up next to theirs. “That’s cool. I’ve got nowhere to be.”

To demonstrate, Adam folded his arms behind his head and slid lower on the bench seat, bare legs outstretched in front of him. He tilted his face up to the sun and smiled.

Beside him, Riley stood. “I might swim.”

“Yeah?” Adam watched him pull his shirt off. His broad shoulders were tanned and dotted with freckles, and his golden chest hair glistened in the sun.

“You comin’?”

Adam glanced uneasily at the dark water surrounding the boat. He didn’t trust the ocean, even the calm waters in the harbor they were puttering around.

“You’re not going to get eaten,” Riley teased.

“You can’t promise that.”

“I’ll fight any sharks off.” Riley flexed his biceps.

Adam believed him. Riley was always quick to fight anyone who touched Adam during games. “All right,” Adam said, removing his sunglasses. He didn’t trust the ocean, but he did trust Riley. “Fuck it. I’d love to watch you punch a shark.”

Riley executed a perfect dive off the small swim platform at the back of the boat. Adam, not interested in venturing too deep below the gentle waves, eased himself in via the ladder.

“It’s fucking cold,” he complained when he was only shin deep.

Riley laughed. “Come on, Ontario. Let go of the ladder.”

Adam descended another step, his breath catching in his chest. “No. What the hell. No, Riles.”

“You get used to it. Just jump.”

This was Adam’s fifth summer visiting Avery River, and he knew from experience that, yes, eventually his body would adjust to the frigid water, but he suspected it was only because his body simply stopped functioning.

“Ah, Jesus,” he yelped as he went as deep as his waist. “I’m never going to be able to have kids. My balls just fell off.”

“That’d be a shame,” Riley said, and Adam was pretty sure he didn’t mean about the kids.

They hadn’t touched each other since he’d arrived three days ago. Not like that. They hadn’t last summer either, not the entire three weeks that Adam had visited. Or any of the summers before that. He knew he shouldn’t be touching Riley like that anywhere, but for some reason it made sense during the hockey season. Not all the time, but sometimes.

They weren’t gay. Adam just liked having sex with his friend sometimes. He liked doing everything with Riley, so why not a bit of sex? It didn’t mean anything, and no one had to know. It was just for them. A way of burning off adrenaline after a game, or nerves before one. A way to kill time whenthey were stuck in a hotel for a few hours. A way to feel good when there was no reason not to.

But one day Adam would meet the woman he would want to marry. And he’d have to explain to her why his fucking balls had fallen off.

“I seriously can’t even fucking breathe,” Adam complained, slightly panicked. He glanced over his shoulder at Riley, who was treading water happily. “Are you a merman or some shit? How are you so comfortable?”

“You’re basically all the way in now anyway. Just swim, Shep.”

Adam squeezed his eyes shut, muttered, “Fuck,” and let go of the ladder. He screeched a bit as the water numbed everything below his chin, and Riley laughed.

“I h-hate you,” Adam panted as he swam toward Riley. “Fu-fuck you.”

Riley disappeared beneath the water.

“No,” Adam said. “Don’t. Where are you?”

---