Page 25 of Stick By Me

Leo

Same old stuff. Work, dinner and bed. Have a great practice tomorrow. Goodnight.

Archer

Goodnight.

Then I scrolled to another set, the day I’d left on my trip.

Leo

Have a safe flight and text me when you land, so I know you’re safe.

Archer

Just landed. All is good.

Leo

Stay warm up there. And play your heart out. I’ll be watching from home. I know you’ll be great.

Warmth threaded through my chest, and I bit my thumbnail. God, he made me feel so…loved.Loved?Yeah, that was it. It was way too soon to think on those terms, but it was true.

“What are you doing?” Jonah, focusing on me, raised his brow.

“Reading a few text messages and trying to decide if I should text back or start a FaceTime call.” I bit my lower lip. I should call.

“Dude, if you’re going to sext Leo, don’t do it with me in the room, okay? Have some decency and use the bathroom for that.” He scoffed, shaking his head.

“I’m not sexting him. We’re just friends.” I tsked. I hadn’t told Jonah about the date yet and I wouldn’t tell him anything unless or until there was something to tell.

“I call bullshit, but whatever.” He stood up, then walked to the door. “I’m going to go see Ace for a bit, so you can call your boyfriend in peace.” He opened the door.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” I grabbed a pillow from beside me and chucked it at him.

He ducked, the pillow bouncing off the door and landing at his feet. “Sure.” He left, the door clicking behind him as it closed.

“Fuck yeah.” I dialed a FaceTime call with Leo and settled into my remaining pillows.

The call picked up and Leo’s gorgeous face filled the screen. “Hang on.”

“Who’s that?” Axel’s voice came through the phone.

“No one. Mind your own business.” The phone went dark, and shuffling sounded, then Leo came into frame, closing a door. “Okay, I’m alone in my bedroom.” A grin crept over his lips. “It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to seeyou.” My heart pattered in my chest. This time away from each other was making me like him even more. Was that supposed to happen?

“How are you feeling after your win? You looked like you had a lot of ice time tonight.” Leo moved his phone, and his bare chest, hard nipples and all, came into view, then his face reappeared.

My cock twitched in my joggers. Damn it, the guy was built in a way that lit me up inside. “Yeah, I’m feeling pretty good about it. The Nanooks aren’t very good this year, so I think Coach wanted me to get some ice time to get my confidence back up.”

“Did it work?” Leo’s tongue circled his lips, and he bit the bottom one.

God, I wanted that tongue on my dick. I palmed my swelling cock. Was I beating off after this call? Maybe. I glanced at the door. How long would Jonah be out? “Yeah, I think it did work. I’m feeling pretty good about things right now.”

“Has your dad called at all?” Leo knitted his brows.

“No, he hasn’t.” Way to kill a good boner. I shifted up higher against the headboard. “Let’s not talk about him, okay?”

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