Page 81 of Scoring the Player
Sid smiles, shuffles to a stand, and wraps him up in a hug. “Car ride over was smooth?” he asks before dipping down to kiss him.
“Yeah,” Ty replies after he pulls away, returning an easy smile I’ve only ever seen reserved for Sid.
“It’ll make sense in a moment,” I mutter to a slack-jawed Salem.
Sid massages the back of Ty’s neck, rubbing his thumb over his fading hickey.
“Guys. Salem…” I remind them.
“Oh,” Sid says as they both turn toward us. “You wanna or should I?” he asks Ty.
Ty nods for him to shoot.
“You probably know from the media that we’re best friends. We’ve actually been in a relationship and have recently become engaged,” he tells Salem.
“We’re out to close friends,” Ty adds.
“It’s only a matter of time before we come out to the public or our relationship gets leaked,” Sid says.
I’m impressed that Salem’s able to contain his shock enough to stammer, “Engaged? Wow.” He huffs a laugh. “I mean, I knew you were close friends—everyone knows that. But engaged?” His gaze bounces between them. “Well, shoot, it isn’t a hard sell,” he jokes, making us laugh.
Sid was voted Sexiest Man Alive, for fuck’s sake, and Ty’s nickname is Pretty Boy. Only someone snorting too much Special K would look at them and not trade a year off their life for a top-ten spot on their threesome short list.
“Hey,” Ty says to me. “I can tell from his face that he didn’t know. Thank you for protecting us.”
“Always,” I reply.
Ty emerges from the bathroom,removing his beanie and moss-green sweatshirt, leaving a white tee underneath, and joins Sid, who’s waiting for him at the dining table with the remaining half tray of food. He slides onto Sid’s lap.
Sid congratulates him on the dub, and Ty boasts Sid’s game stats.
I look over at Salem, who’s just picked up the controller to start a game with Tommy.
He turns and catches me staring. His nose ring glints slightly as his lips spread in a warm smile. His gaze lingers on my face, the heat of it sending ants down my spine, before he turns back to the game.
“May I?” I ask Kieran, nodding to the Steinway.
“Have at it.”
I finish my beer and then toss the bottle in the garbage before I pad over, adjust the bench, and take a seat. Opening the fallboard, I stare at the black-and-white keys as I crack my knuckles.
I begin with scales to loosen up my muscles.
“He’s a pianist?” Ty asks.
“And guitarist,” Sid replies as their voices fade, and I drift away.
CHAPTER 19
SALEM
The game controller, like my jaw, hangs limp as Blue transports us to a symphony hall. The thing I’ve only glimpsed before expands over the room as we’re granted rare entry into the hidden scrolls of his psyche.
It’s all there—melancholy, fatigue, heartbreak, terror, hope.
The invitation only grows the itch of mystery that’s hooked me from the beginning.
More questions than answers, which might be the case with us until the end.
