Page 98 of Still Bruised
Jude pretended to read a woodworking magazine near the register instead of paying Rick any attention.
“I noticed Foster’s SUV parked not too far away from your place and thought, hey, maybe they picked up where they left off in high school.”
Jude swallowed his surprise, turning the next page in the magazine.
“I mean, why wouldn’t you both want to see what would’ve happened if I hadn’t interrupted you that afternoon.”
Jude silently begged Bob to hurry so he could leave.
“I’m curious. Who’s the fucker and who’s the fuckee?” Rick asked. He grinned. “I’ve seen Foster naked, so I know he’s tearing that ass up if he’s giving you the D.”
Jude’s gaze whipped to Rick’s. “You’ve checked out Foster’s cock?” Jude chuckled. “Sounds pretty gay to me.”
The last time he’d said that to Rick, he’d nearly gotten his ass beat. Nothing better than waving a red flag at a charging bull first thing in the morning to fully wake up.
Jude was shocked when Rick went on the defensive instead.
“We showered together for four years between gym class and football. We were all naked. Foster was kind of hard to miss,” Rick said from between clenched teeth, his face growing redder.
“Ah, I can see it now. There you were in the showers, washing your little dicklet and staring lovingly at Foster’s monster,” Jude said, grinning. First the bull and next the hornet’s nest. Clearly, he had a death wish. “Imagining him givingyouthe D, I bet.”
Rick’s face grew even darker. Veins started to pop out in his neck and forehead.
“You know, I have a serious question for you,” Jude said. “Why did you protect Foster? Why was I the only one who suffered?”
“We needed him to make it to state,” Rick snapped. “Then the asshole choked and we never made it. Such a waste.”
“Football was over in, what… November. Right? You still had half a school year left, yet you still covered for him from what I heard. Did he have some dirt on you?” Jude grinned when an odd look came to Rick’s eyes. “I wonder what it was.”
Rick’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t have dirt.”
“Or maybe you had a crush on Foster.”
“Fuck you,”Rick snapped.
Jude grinned, loving seeing Rick on the defensive for once. “Is that why you got so mad at me? I was kissingyourman, hmm?”
Rick’s face went full red. “Ididn’thave a crush on Foster,Judith.”
“Ah,” Jude said, grinning like a fool.
“Do you know how easily I used to get under your skin?” Rick asked. “It was so much fun seeing you all flustered and tripping over yourself. You took everything too serious. Foster wasn’t oversensitive like you, so he wasn’t anywhere near as fun.That’swhy I didn’t come after him once we ended our season. There was little point.”
Jude blinked at Rick. Jude wasn’t oversensitive. Rick had been the bully at the top of the food chain, unafraid of anyone else.
Or maybe there had been someone…
“You were scared of Foster,” Jude said, eyeing Rick. “Weren’t you?”
“Scared?Please.Your little boyfriend’s a pussy. He let a stronger man into his wife’s bed and lost her because of it.”
Jude froze.
“What? He didn’t tell you his wife kicked him out because he was a weakling bitch? How he begged to stay by her side and be her precious little cuck?” Rick chuckled. “How he’d gotten off watching that other dude plow his wife and then sucked his dick after?” Rick smiled, arrogant anger radiating off him sickening. “You two are perfect for one another, really. The boy’s weak. Always has been. Always will be.”
“Says the guy who hits his wife,” Jude said under his breath.
“Those charges were dropped… it never happened.”
