Page 23 of Still Bruised
“Keep playing,” Anton said, humor in his voice. “I’m going to kick your ass.”
“Like to see you try,” Jude said.
Anton marched back in and handed him a bottle. With the cap still on. It wasn’t the twist-off kind. “You bring the bottle opener with you?”
Anton sat down beside him and took a long sip from his bottle. He lowered it and made a dramatic,“ahhhh…”like it was the best beer he’d had in his life. He turned to look at Jude. “Oh? A bottle opener?” He took another quick sip. “You know where it is. Go get it.”
Jude barked with laughter.“Who’sthe asshole now?”
He rose and patted the side of Anton’s cheek while passing. Once he’d opened his beer, he returned to sit beside Anton, glad his best friend was sometimes his polar opposite. Anton never let beef sit and fester—though that night wasn’t exactly beef. Where Jude ran from drama, Anton confronted it and cleared the air. It was probably the only reason they were still so close after all their years as friends.
Jude would’ve fucked things up long ago.
He turned to look at Anton. “You know I love you, right?”
Anton grinned, never taking his eyes from the screen. “I know and back at ya.”
Jude turned to watch the tv, propping his feet on the coffee table.
“I am so sore. Tomorrow’s going to be hell,” Anton muttered.
Jude chuckled. “Lightweight.”
“That dude washuge,”Anton said.
Damn… maybe I should’ve fucked him instead of Scott.
Anton sighed. “I thought I could, but I was struggling.” He took a long drag from the bottle. “I’m sure you’re sore, too. Maybe we should cancel with Roan?”
“The only time we cancel Sundays is for bad weather and holidays,” Jude said. He eyed Anton. “I hardly see him anymore as it is. Don’t cancel.”
“You’d see him more if you made things right with his wife,” Anton said.
Jude glared at Anton.
“You know I’m right,” Anton said.
“I didn’t do anything!”
“Well, that’s not exactly true, either, now is it?” Anton asked.
“I’ll get around to it,” Jude muttered. “But we’re not canceling tomorrow.”
“I’ll just suffer through, I guess.”
Jude nodded. “Yep.”
Anton sighed, shaking his head. “Seriously, are you not sore? Two, Jude…”
“Are you judging me?”
“No… I’m in awe.”
Jude chuckled, shaking his head.
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Eastfield, NJ
