Page 21 of Just Forever

“You’re taking this whole thing pretty well,” Ryker says.

“It’s because I always expect the absolute worst from people. By my standards this whole evening was a raging success.”

“Maybe I should take a page out of your book,” he muses.

“Then we’ll just be two insufferably pessimistic dickheads no one wants around because we’ll suck the joy out of everything.”

“Well, yeah. But?—”

“No, that was in the pro column of this list we’re making. Keep talking.”

He snorts and shakes his head, and I nudge him with my shoulder. “You two will sort it out.”

“Promise?” he says. Self-deprecation mixes with humor in his voice.

“Your mom loves you, so whatever she meant to say, it most likely comes from a place of caring. Just… let’s try and give people we plan to keep in our lives the benefit of the doubt, okay?”

He looks at me for the longest time. “I think I’m rubbing off on you.”

“Right now? Because I’m not going to say no to that offer.”

“That was mature and optimistic and reasonable,” he says, ignoring the jokes.

“I don’t think anybody’s ever used those words about me.”

“That’s because you hide that side of you from everybody like it’s your life’s savings and you’re afraid somebody’s going to steal it.”

“They aren’t?”

He laughs and pats my thigh before he gets up and holds his hand out.

“Come on. Let’s go back to the hotel and see about that fucking.”

I get up too. “Are you getting your brain ready for me?”

He starts walking backward, and I follow him. “I maintain that it’s not possible to fuck somebody’s ear,” he says.

“We’ll do some research at the hotel. If somebody’s done it they’re also the kind of person to put it up on the internet.”

“It’s a date.”

“A porn date,” I say solemnly.

He swats at my ass, and I try to retaliate.

And everything is nice and easy.

RYKER

I wakeup early the next day. It’s a force of habit from years of early morning practices. When I turn my head, I fully expect to find Lake still asleep, and I already have plans about how to wake him up. Instead, the bed is empty.

I push myself up on my elbows and look around. The hotel room is silent and empty.

Weird.

I grab my phone, but before I can call him, he walks inside, two cups of coffee in hand and a pastry box shoved underneath his armpit.

He stops when he sees me, and his eyes move up and down my bare chest with clear appreciation.

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