Page 114 of Perfect Storm
“Sucks that some of these guys aren’t going to be here,” Wes said quietly.
“It’s that way every year,” Aidan pointed out. Wes was still young and sentimental. Aidan had been forced to ruthlessly cut out much of his football romanticism. Sports was a business, as much as any other job.
“Levi waiting on you?” Wes asked, his voice dropping even further, glancing over to where Levi was still not pretending to do anything but look at Aidan.
Aidan nodded. It was on the tip of his tongue, the sudden desire to ask about Wes’ ex. The one he was still hung up on.How did you know he wasn’t the one? Or that he was, and that’s why you can’t move on?
But Wes had never even told Aidan the ex’s name, and Aidan supposed that wasn’t surprising, because he’d never done anything more than barely tolerate Wes’ existence.
For legitimate reasons, sure, but he couldn’t expect Wes to suddenly be his friend. Even if he was beginning to wonder if maybe he should be.
“Don’t fuck that up,” Wes said under his breath.
Aidan wasn’t sure at first that he’d heard correctly. “What?”
Wes shrugged a shoulder in Levi’s direction. “That,” he said. “I’m not stupid. You’ve got something going on, and it’s Levi. Don’t fuck with him.”
The last thing he’d expected was a shovel talk about Levi fromWes.
“What about if I want him to fuck withme?” Aidan said, before he could overthink it.
Wes’ mouth opened and then snapped shut again.
“That’s what I thought,” Aidan said, unable to stop the smugness from leaking into his voice.
“Well,” Wes said, sounding gratifyingly flustered, “that’sa visual.”
“Sure is.” And Aidan was going to have that visual spread out across his bed tonight.Naked. Could anyone blame him for being smug when that was waiting for him at home? Staring at him like Levi could barely wait for it?
“Congrats?” Wes squeaked.
Aidan surprised himself by taking pity on the guy. Slid onto the bench next to him. “How did you know?” he asked.
“I’m heartbroken, not dead,” Wes retorted without much heat.
“Dude, I don’t mean how did you know you were into guys. I mean, how did you know you weren’t ready to move on?”
Wes’ eyebrows shot up. “Is that what you’re doing with Levi? Moving on?”
“Sort of.”
“You never met my ex,” Wes said wistfully. “Marcus was . . .Marcusis. . .unbelievable. The most amazing guy I’ve ever met. Hot and funny and so fucking smart he makes me look like the Cro-Magnon man. I always knew I’d lucked out with him, that he’d even be willing to look my direction.”
“Dude—you’re in the NFL,” Aidan said. And though his tastes were running to enormous, built offensive linemen these days, even he could acknowledge Wes wasn’t exactly hard on the eyes.
“So?” Wes’ voice was defensive now. Not mad, butsharp. “Marcus is the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“And you fucked it up?” At least he’dhadMarcus. Though Aidan could acknowledge that might make it worse. Knowing you’d loved and then lost . . .
Well, at least he’d never had a shred of real hope when it came to Mo. He’d always, in the back of his mind, known that score, and it wasn’t in his favor.
“No, life fucked it up, and then I fucked it up worse,” Wes said, resigned. “Anyway, the way I know I’m not ready—no matter how many times Ramsey tries to cajole me into moving on—is that he’s still the only guy I can think about. Your visual? A fun way to pass a few seconds. Then I’m back on the Marcus shit. Like always.”
There’d been a time when Aidan had thought he’d end up like this. Never feeling for anyone the way he’d felt for Mo. But that hadn’t been true at all.
“That . . .that helps, actually.” Aidan rose to his feet. This time it was him who pulled Wes into a real hug. “I’m sorry about it, though. Sucks.”
“Yeah,” Wes agreed. “You know how else I know I’m not ready? I actuallylikemissing him, because it means I have an excuse to think about him, still. To have him in my head.”
