Page 145 of Perfect Storm
Aidan nodded. “A lot. Like I love him.”
“I just thought . . .” Mo shrugged. “Fate pulled me back here, and I’d missed you so fucking much, and the thought of being with you, you know,like that, didn’t really disgust me. I could’ve wanted it.”
“That just means you’re not straight, you idiot,” Aidan teased carefully, “and that we’re friends.”
Mo looked like he was considering that. “Yeah, I guess that makes sense.” He paused for a second. “You can tell Banks to stand down. I’m not gonna freak out on you or burst into tears or tear you into tiny little pieces.”
“How did you know—” Aidan stopped abruptly, and then laughed. “I guess it probably wasn’t very hard to figure out.”
“Not really,” Mo said. “I meant it though. I’m happy for you, really happy.”
“Me too.” Aidan tried to not be as smug as he felt, beingthishappy, but it was hard. He wasn’t sure he’d quite pulled it off. Especially not when Mo made a face.
“No big surprise you’re gonna be insufferable. He gonna be the same way?”
“I don’t know. I’m kind of a catch?” Aidan joked.
He’d been told that so many times, by so many people, but he’d never really believed it was true. Not until now. In the back of his mind, Riley telling him,I told you so.
“Oh geez, youare,” Mo said, and he was chuckling now. He took a long drink of the red wine in his glass. “God, I’m almost regretting saying anything to you now.”
“Almost,” Aidan repeated wryly.
“Well, it’s good to know, you know? I bet you felt that way too.”
“Yeah,” Aidan agreed. “It was. It was what really allowed me to move on and fall in love again. So thanks?”
Mo rolled his eyes. “Youarethe worst. Why do I love you again?”
“Those darts I keep throwing you,” Aidan said.
Mo burst into laughter, and yanked him into an unexpected hug, and Aidan knew, without a doubt in his mind, that itwouldbe okay.
They’d be okay.
And for the first time, he allowed himself to be really, really happy not just about Levi, not just about their 2-0 record so far, but that for the first time in three years, he had his good friend back.
Levi kept telling himself that Aidan had this handled, but even though he knew it with like ninety-nine point nine percent certainty, it still felt good to hear Mo, and then Aidan, laugh, and even better to watch as Mo tugged his boyfriend into a very bro-y hug.
Nothing like Levi wanted to hug him.
Though if he was being honest, hugging him was the least of what he wanted to do to him.
Over Aidan’s head, Mo’s eyes met Levi’s, and he gave a small nod.
It was up to interpretation, but Levi was pretty sure he was saying,hey, I get it. It’s okay. We’re okay.
That was a relief.
Levi didn’t want to end up with someone in the locker room who hated him—someone who made it impossible for him and Aidan to exist in a normal couple kind of way.
Aidan was never going to be a big PDA person. Maybe here, at non-official events, but Levi already knew what he’d be like once he went to work.
But he didn’t want to keep his distance, because neither of them wanted to rub their loved-up-ness into Mo’s face.
Levi tried not to look over as Mo and Aidan hugged again—this one lingered a hair longer, but it was very much agoodbyesort of hug.
He was right, because a second later, Aidan walked over.
