Page 54 of Slew Foot
He didn’t know how to finish the question.
“Oh!” Rafe looked startled. “I mean, no. Not really. Sorry. I didn’t mean we were—that I was …”
He trailed off, looking flustered. “Sorry.”
Mickey swallowed down his disappointment. “No, that’s okay. What did you mean?”
“Just, um, you know. Hanging out with a good friend like this. Imissedit.”
“I get that,” Mickey said. The little note of longing in Rafe’s voice made Mickey’s heart ache.
“Coming to a new team. It’s lonely,” Rafe whispered, like it wasn’t something he usually said aloud.
Mickey nodded. “I get that too. I miss the guys I used to play with back in Germany.”
“Yeah but,” Rafe said. “It got really hard there at the end. When Logan and I broke up”—he made a funny face Mickey didn’t quite understand—“I didn’t just lose my boyfriend. I lost my best friend.”
Mickey reached out to touch Rafe’s arm. “That sounds terrible.”
“And things gotweirdwith the team. Guys started to take sides, and it got super tense. We swore we wouldn’t let our breakup mess with the team, but like, it was awkwardall the time. And I …” He sighed. “I dunno.”
“Jesse dating Connor and Gavin dating Dakota makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t it?” Mickey asked.
“Yeah, a little bit,” Rafe admitted. “Like, it makes me wonder when it’s all going to fall apart and what it’ll do to the team when it does.”
“I understand,” Mickey said slowly, though it was a little sad Rafe assumed it would fall apart. Mickey was no expert on relationships, but Connor and Jesse and Gavin and Dakota seemed very solid to him.
“Thanks.”
Mickey shrugged because he didn’t think he needed to be thanked for it but whatever.
They fell silent, the only sound around them the soft hum of the heater and a door down the hall closing. The room was dark except for the light from the TV streaming across the bed. Mickey wanted to say something, wanted todosomething, but this quiet, peaceful moment was nice too.
He turned to look at Rafe’s face in the blue light and when Rafe caught him, all he did was smile. That slow, sweet smile that made Mickey swallow hard because it filled him with so much want.
“Aren’t you going to tell me I’m wrong?” Rafe asked after a moment.
“No. Not unless you want me to.”
“I mean kinda,” Rafe said with a little laugh. “Iwantto be wrong about this. I don’t like going around thinking bad thoughts about other guys’ relationships.”
“Well, I mean, ithasworked for other guys in the league,” Mickey pointed out. “Zane Murphy and Ryan Hartinger. Anders Lindholm and Kelly O’Shea. Felix Hale and Jonah Brewer … they’re all still going strong. They played together and dated and are still in love. Still committed.”
“True.”
“I guess the only way to know for sure is to wait and see.” Mickey looked him in the eye.
“Also true.” Rafe’s expression turned thoughtful.
Mickey nudged Rafe with his foot. “I guess in ten years or whatever, if they’re still together, you’ll owe me a drink”.
Rafe looked surprised. “Just a drink?”
“Why?” Mickey asked. “Did you have something else in mind?”
Rafe looked thoughtful. “No, not really.”
“Okay.” Mickey held out his hand and smiled. “A drink it is.”
