Page 153 of Still Bruised
And if felt good to do it with Foster at his side.
Foster must’ve felt Jude’s stare. He turned and their eyes met. It wasn’t for the first time that night, either. He couldn’t stop looking. Foster seemed to suffer the same problem. He fought a smile, glad to see there was hope.
28
Foster pulled into the second fire station and turned to look at Jude. There were so many things he wanted to say, but Anton’s warning about Jude avoidance of relationships circled in his mind. He didn’t want to say the wrong thing and push Jude away, but he was so fucking happy he was there.
“Let’s go get them fed so you can finally relax.”
Jude shrugged. “Honestly, I’m enjoying this.”
Foster smiled. He hoped being with him was the most enjoyable part, but he had no idea. Jude was the reasonhewas enjoying it. He’d much rather be laid out in a turkey coma on the couch than driving around town, but he’d go anywhere with Jude. “Me, too.”
As soon as they walked in with the last of the boxes, Foster noticed his old teammate Aaron and a couple other people they’d both gone to high school with. A sense of warning washed over him for some reason. Foster was ready to turn around and leave, dragging Jude out the door with him. He carried the box of food in and laid it on the nearest table.
“Thanksgiving dinner for everyone from my parents. I hope you all enjoy and have a good night,” Foster said. He took the box from Jude’s hands, laid it beside the other, and urged him toward the exit.
“We’re not in a rush,” Jude said to Foster.
“Lookit what we have here…”
The fine hairs at the base of Foster’s neck lifted at the sound of Rick’s voice.
“It’s the lovers reunited.”
Foster turned to glare at Rick, his fists clenching.
Rick’s evil grin turned his stomach, but then so had the details of Jude’s harassment. While he wanted nothing more than to make the guy pay, there was no way he was going to let Rick torment Jude another second.
“Let’s go,” Foster said to Jude.
Jude didn’t seem to hear him. He was staring at Rick.
“Please tell me we won’t be getting dinneranda show tonight,” Rick said. He turned to eye everyone there. “Youse know that it was Foster I caught with Jude all those years ago. Jude was salivating for that dick, wasn’t he, Foster?”
“Go to hell,” Foster said before peeking at Jude—who appeared a bit paler. He tugged on Jude’s hand. “Let’s get out of here.”
Jude’s gaze never left Rick.
One of Foster’s college roommates had been there on the GI bill. He’d suffered from PTSD from his time overseas. Jude lookedjust like he had before a panic attack—tense and wide eyed with shallow breathing.
“Maybe if I’d outed Foster back then, I could’ve saved poor Ashley from her fate.” Rick shook his head. He looked at Aaron. “I kept that part under wraps, trying to save our winning season from ending. Too bad butterfingers here fucked it up anyway.”
“Yeah. I was the one he caught,” Foster announced to everyone there. Maybe if he could focus Rick’s attention on him, Jude might get a pass for the night. He’d suffered enough. It was Foster’s turn to bear the brunt. “But he got it wrong. I was the one down on my knees in the locker room. Right, Rick?”
Rick frowned at him. “No. Jude had his hand down your pants, as I recall.”
“Well, which is it, Rick? First, he was sucking a stranger under the bleachers. Then it was a handjob in the locker room. Then it was me and not a stranger. I don’t know… you keep changing the story, so maybe you didn’t see anything and just made it all up,” Foster said.
Rick took a couple of aggressive steps toward Foster. “I only changed the story to protect your faggot ass.”
Foster chuckled. “Guilty. I’m a fag.” He sighed with relief. “So glad to finally get that off my chest. I should’ve done it years ago.”
Rick rushed Foster—but the assistant chief stepped between them. He faced Rick down, crossing his arms over his chest.
Foster thought the guy looked familiar but couldn’t place him.
“We’re not doing this here.”
