Page 20 of The Jock
Colby could talk to Nash about what was going on, but not here and not now. Not with Milo out there, no doubt waiting for the class to begin.
He wasn’t, though. Colby walked out full of hope, eyes searching for that familiar face, but he wasn’t there. Milo had left.
To say that he was crestfallen was an understatement. Whatever brief thought Colby had that he’d be able to concentrate better without Milo there to distract him was quickly proven false. Were it not for the fact that he could runthrough his circuits in his sleep, he’d probably have forgotten which way was up.
He was being stupid about it, and he knew it. It wasn’t a big deal even if he was attracted to Milo. It changed nothing in the end, especially because he’d mostly sought out Milo for his brother’s sake. Milo and Taylor had hit it off and Milo had even offered to show Taylor some makeup tricks. Colby’s attraction to Milo had to take a back seat to whatever friendship was developing between him and Taylor.
Taylor needed a friend like Milo more than Colby needed to explore his burgeoning attraction to the man. Besides, at the very least, he should figure out if he was bisexual or pan or some other flavor of non-hetero. Because it was clear to him that his attraction to Milo, though inconvenient, wasn’t going anywhere.
Nash stuck around after Colby was done and after they showered off, he followed him back into the office where Colby still had to get the schedule done. Colby flipped his hat around so that it was facing forward so he wouldn’t have to look Nash in the face.
Nash waited until he was sitting before he closed the door and dropped into the comfortable chair opposite the desk. “You’re in a mood.” He ran his fingers through his mostly dry hair.
“We’ve been friends for too damn long. I can’t keep shit from you,” Colby groused.
“I don’t generally stick my nose into your business, but most of the time it’s because you have your shit together. You okay?”
“I’m fine. I had a fight with Taylor a couple weeks ago and it fucked me up, but we’re cool now.” Colby knew he could trust Nash, but he still found it hard to open up about his interest in Milo. He barely knew the guy, so he couldn’t say that he had feelings for him, but the potential was there.
“You look like someone shit in your sugar bowl.”
Colby snorted a laugh. “Colorful imagery.”
“I aim to please.” Nash leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. He pinned Colby in place with one of his signature no-bullshit stares. “Seriously, Colby, what’s up with you?”
“Is there any possible way I can plead the fifth?”
Nash narrowed his gaze. “Are you mad at me?”
The idea that Colby could be mad at Nash was preposterous. He furrowed his brow, his eyebrows crumpling together. “Why would I be mad at you?”
“I’ve been preoccupied lately.” Nash shrugged. “We haven’t spent a lot of time together.”
“I’m not mad at you for having a life, Nash. You’re allowed to secretly date whoever you want.”
Nash opened his mouth, then closed it again without saying anything. After a deep breath, he said, “You sound mad.”
“Maybe annoyed, but I’m going through something of my own.”
Nash’s features relaxed. “You can tell me, you know. Talking helps.”
Colby considered it for a long moment. “Yeah, why not. It can’t hurt, right.”
Nash smiled at him like he’d won the lottery and he scooted closer to the desk. Resting his elbows on the top, he cradled his head in his hands. “Okay, spill.”
Colby crumpled up a piece of paper and bounced it off Nash’s forehead. “You’re entirely too pleased with yourself. Maybe I don’t want to now.”
“Too late. You’ll feel better for it, I promise.”
“Okay. So, I don’t know if I’m entirely straight.”
Nash blinked at him. “Okay…um, was that a secret?”
“Yes? It’s pretty brand-new information to me.”
Nash looked at him with an incredulous expression, then it softened to something less disbelieving and something moretender. “Oh, Colby, honey. Remember in tenth grade when you spent six weeks talking about our new gym teacher, Mister David?”
“He was nice.” Colby’s cheeks flushed. “He was encouraging and he taught me a lot of things about weight training.”
