Page 69 of Worthy

“Uneventful,” I mumble.

“With you?? It never is,” he chuckles. “Spill it, Trouble.”

My stomach flutters, and I cringe.God fucking dammit… Now that nickname has been completely sullied for me.

All of our friends have always called meTrouble, since we were teenagers and I filled Mr. Janson’s desk drawer with frogs. Lance didn’t even know about the nickname when he called me it in college… And of course it just made me like him even more.

What a prick.

“Are you bored or something?” I grumble.

“I don’t have to be bored to want to know what’s up with my best friend,” Jake croons. I roll my eyes. “Unrelated, I have a twenty-minute drive to pick up the girls from a sleepover.”

A chuckle puffs from between my lips, then I bite the bottom one. I don’t know why I’m hesitant about telling Jake that I ran into Lance at Pride. It makes it seem like I’m harping on it, which I so amnot…

I just know what mentioning it is going to do.Still, I tell him everything so…

“Okay, I guess one sort of interesting thing happened,” I gulp.

“I knew it. Go.”

“I, uh… I ran into Lance.” Jake starts coughing hysterically in my ear. “You alright there, buddy??”

“Sorry, I choked on a sip of my coffee.” He clears his throat. “You ran intoLance…? At Pride??”

“Yea. It was weird.” I purse my lips, ignoring all the crazy happening inside me.

“Did you guys… talk?” Jake asks, and I know he really means,Did you guys hook up?Because he knows me all too well, and he also knowsallabout my history with Lance Hardy.

Meaning he knows exactly how into Lance I was in college, and how devastated I was when he ghosted me.

Okay,devastatedis a little much. It makes me sound too sad-boy for my liking.

“We talked a little…” I explain, pacing around the living room of my hotel suite. “He sorta wanted to… apologize, I guess.” I pause and shake my head. “But who cares, right?? I mean, fuck him.” Jake is quiet for a few heavy seconds that have me gripping the phone tighter and tighter in my fist. “Please agree with me.”

“It’s definitely a long time coming,” Jake finally speaks, though his words don’t placate me one bit. “He should’ve apologized years ago.” I’m chewing my bottom lip raw. “Is he still… married?”

“Yea. Of course he is.” I roll my eyes again, feeling saltier than a New York City pretzel.

“What was he doing at Pride?” Jake huffs.

“What do youthinkhe was doing at Pride…” I mutter.

It’s beyond obvious. Lance has been questioning his sexuality since college, and I’m willing to bet he would have letanyonesuck him off through that glory hole. The fact that it was me was just some twisted joke put on by the big dude in the sky he loves so damn much.

“Do you think he came to see you?”

My jaw tightens. “Jacob, I love you, but please don’t say things that make it hard to do so.”

“Dude, come on. It’s not crazy,” he states firmly. “Maybe he was telling himself he went just to see how he felt about it, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he was secretly hoping he’d run into you. He obviously knew you’d be there…”

“Whatever. None of this fucking helps me.” I rake my fingers through my hair. “He’s a pastor and he’s married to a woman. I don’t have time for any of these closet games.”

Jake pauses for a second. “Hang on… Did he tell you he’s been thinking about you?” I go silent for a second, and Jake gasps. “There’s more to this story you’re not telling me, isn’t there?!”

“Why do all my straight friends love gossip more than I do?” I scoff.

“Okay… I have a confession,” he says, bunching my stomach. “He friended me on Facebook. Like a year ago.”

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