Page 123 of Perfect Storm
Aidan saw Acker getting backed up, knew he only had a second more to make this work.
Sidestepped, trying to buy another precious half a second.
Five.
Aidan threw the ball, just before Mo got set, but he knew Mo could adjust.Wouldadjust. Had to believe he would, like he had so many times before.
They’d always had each other’s backs.
Today was no exception.
Mo snatched the ball out of the air, came down with a quick toe-tap on the right side of the line.
The side judge threw his hands up and so did Aidan, as he raced in to celebrate.
Mo was an inch taller than him and a little broader and it felt natural, felt like déjà vu when Mo caught him mid-jump, mid-laugh, and raised him up towards the sky.
Aidan couldn’t help it, he looked down at Mo’s ecstatic expression and it was like the last three years hadn’t happened.
All the pain, all the sadness. Every moment he’d missed him.
Every time he’d railed at fate for separating them. For Mo not returning his feelings.
Maybe it was written in the stars, or even in fucking fate that Mo would never love him like he’d loved Mo, but theycouldhave this again.
“Thought I wasn’t even going to breathe, watching them try to drive for that TD,” Cam joked as Aidan leaned on the bar next to him.
He’d suggested two days before the game that they all head to Vault for what would either be a celebration of their first win or a consolation drink for their first loss.
“The defense was solid. They had our backs,” Aidan said, and Cameron nodded excitedly.
“They sure did,” Cam said. “But I wasstillfreaking out.”
“Aw, you’re such a rook,” Dawson teased as he lifted a glass of whiskey to his lips.
Cam made an outraged noise and elbowed him. “I played in college, you know.”
“Oh, honey, we know.” Dawson slung an arm around him. “You’re cute.”
He still thought maybe he should talk to Dawson. Dawson was such a solid guy—had been in college, and from everything Aidan had seen, nothing had changed now—but even solid guys went through it and could take advantage of someone without realizing it.
And that hero worship in Cam’s eyes wasverysweet.
But now he didn’t want to talk to Dawson. Didn’t want to warn him off. Just wanted to celebrate with his team.
Speaking of his team, it felt like he’d barely gotten a chance to celebrate the big win with Levi. Mo and Griff and Trevor and Lane had all been surrounding him. Jaden too. But it was like he was always on the opposite side of whatever group Levi was in. Then he’d had to do the press scrum after the game, and then it turned out that on their way to Vault, Levi had caught a ride with Griff instead.
Aidan sipped his drink and looked around the room, hoping that he’d see Levi. But he didn’t. There was Nate, chatting withJaden and one of their starting corners. Ramsey was here, in a corner with Wes, their heads tipped together.
Maybe that was something—no matter how much Wes protested that it wasn’t.
So many guys here, but he couldn’t findhisguy.
Aidan ignored the voice that screamed at him that Levi wasn’t his guy, no matter how much he wanted him to be, because he hadn’t said something.
He knew he should, even though he was half terrified that Levi would tell him it was only sex. He’d done everything he could this week to show Levi that it wasn’t just sex for him, and Levi hadn’t exactly protested.
They’d even grabbed pizza again from Moretti’s, mid-week, and it had felt even more date-like than the last time. And that wasn’t even counting the long, slow blowjob he’d given Levi when they’d gotten back to Aidan’s condo.
