Page 44 of Perfect Storm
“Oh, Iknowso,” Levi said.
“’Cause they’ve done that before?”
Levi laughed, because of course Aidan knew they hadn’t. That he was only trying to make a point.
“They’ve threatened it enough times,” Levi said.
Aidan merged onto the freeway, already full of barely moving cars, and slid between a Lexus and a Camry, flipping off the Lexus when the driver tried to box him out.
“I’m only saying this because I have some experience with this phenomenon,” Aidan said dryly, “but threatening and doing are two very different things.”
“Huh?”
“Threatening is just their stupid-ass way of showing you without actually saying the words that they’re here for you, no matter what. They’re not actually gonna do it.”
Levi raised an eyebrow. “That what you did with Riley?”
“I didn’t—” Aidan broke off his sentence with a curse under his breath. “I only ever wanted Riley to know I had his back. Went about it in the worst fucking way ever, which is why I’m telling you so you’ll understand the difference.”
Levi considered this for a long moment. “That’s really fucking stupid,” he said finally.
“It sure is,” Aidan agreed. “Never claimed that any of us have more than shit for brains.”
“You ever explain this to Riley?”
“Had to understand it first,” Aidan said. He flopped back against the seat as the traffic came to a complete standstill. “But once I did, yeah. Took me a year or two. Think it’s why he’s still talking to me. If he hadn’t known that I wasn’t trying to overstep, just show him that I cared, without using the actual fucking words.”
“What’s wrong with using the words?” Levi had never understood how masculinity, especially toxic masculinity, claimed you couldn’t communicate worth a shit. Emotions weren’t scary; even talking about them wasn’t as ball-shrinking as so many guys claimed. You still had them long after you finished talking about your feelings.
But then Levi also understood that he was possibly more evolved than the regular straight white guy. Touching dicks regularly could do that for you.
Aidan wouldn’t be that enlightened, as he hadn’t actually touched another dick yet.
Yet.
Now Levi was thinking about it, again. That simmering heat between them was enjoyable, no question about it, but while Levi might have normally enjoyed the tingling anticipation for any amount of time, he felt weirdly impatient with Aidan. Kept wondering why time wasn’t passing any faster.
“Nothing’s wrong with using your words, if you’re any good at it,” Aidan admitted.
“Nobody says you have to begoodat it to do it, bro,” Levi said.
Aidan laughed. “Good point. Anyway, I did do it. Badly, probably, but I did it. That’s probably why Logan’s always asking you if you’re okay. If you’re happy. He’s trying to communicate with you that he cares.”
“He touches Dylan’s dickallthe time. You’d think he’d be better at it.”
Aidan had just been taking a long drink from his water bottle and choked. “What,what?” he questioned. “What about Dylan’s um . . .dick?”
The flush that crept up Aidan’s cheeks at saying the worddickwas adorable. Levi couldn’t even make fun of him for it.
“There’s a certain kind of enlightenment in communication skill when you regularly touch dick.” Levi reached over and patted Aidan on the knee. Wanted to let his fingers linger, but he pulled back.
He’d only been trying to offer an understandable sympathy that Aidan wouldn’t be familiar with this turn of events, yet. Besides, Levi was trying not to torture himself anymore, because he was already suffering enough.
“That’s just something you made up,” Aidan said, but he was chuckling under his breath.
“No, it’s really not,” Levi said.
“Then how come Landry is so shitty at it?” Aidan cut a glance over at Levi. Levi wondered if Aidan wanted to claimhewas too, even though he regularly touched dick.
