Page 23 of Perfect Storm
“I mean, you could always use a better piece on your line,” Riley pointed out, not unkindly. “You’re not getting any younger and more mobile, bro.”
Aidan made a face. “I’m sure if the brass thought they could sign him, they’d make a run at him.”
And wouldn’tthatbe a trip?
Both he and Levi had assumed the next time they’d be around each other would be a year from now, football season long over, sitting across from each other in Aidan’s kitchen, again.
What if that wasn’t true though?
What if Levi ended up in Toronto? On his team? On his offensive line? Watching his back, every practice and every game? Deeply meshed with the rest of his guys. Always around in his ugly shorts with his broad smiles. Giving Aidan those knowing looks. The ones that only Aidan would be able to decipher.
“He’d be good on the Thunder,” Landry said, so casually it was clear he really didn’t suspect what had gone on the last two days.
“Good on a lot of different teams,” Aidan pointed out. It was true, as well as being a more comfortable proposition.
Because while it might be great, Aidan didn’t know if he really wantedit.
Did hewantLevi watching him in that way he did? Like he could see right through Aidan? All fucking season? Aidan wasn’t sure he could handle that. He’d barely handled it for two days.
He tried not to think about it as the conversation segued into a discussion of their training schedules as Landry finished scrambling the eggs and they loaded plates up.
After breakfast, Riley left to take a shower as Aidan was washing the dishes. On his way out of the kitchen, Riley glanced over at Landry, still lingering at the table and then gave Aidan a look that said,tell him now.
Aidan was already planning on it. He didn’t know how he felt about this new Riley who was going around telling everyone, including him, what to do.
It wasn’t bad, but itwasdifferent and taking some getting used to.
“So uh,” Aidan said to Landry as he washed the frying pan Landry had made their eggs in, “I talked to Riley.”
“You talk to Riley every day,” Landry said.
Aidan made a face. “I mean, I talked to Riley aboutMo.”
It was annoying how Landry didn’t even look even the tiniest bit surprised. “Yeah?”
“I guess you figured it out, too,” Aidan said.
Landry shot him a look. “Dude, you literallyheld out, not for your own contract, but for Mo’s. That’s not like you.”
“So everyone keeps saying,” Aidan muttered. “And that wasthreeyears ago.”
“Yeah, and you pined for him for awhile. Probably took awhile to figure out why exactly you missed him so much, yeah?”
Aidan expected to feel another pulse of annoyance at how well Landry knew him, but instead, all he felt was seen and heard andunderstood. A warm and cozy feeling, like a fuzzy blanket, enveloping him.
“Yeah,” Aidan said. “And when I figured it out, it wasn’t like Iwantedto feel that way.”
“I felt that way too about Riley at first. Like, what do you mean I want him? I shouldn’t want him.”
Aidan considered agreeing with that assessment, but the truth was, he’d left those feelings behind a long time ago. “It’s a mind fuck, for sure.”
“Worse even, ’cause it didn’t turn out for you the way it did for us,” Landry said gently.
“Ugh, how do you even know? It could have been great. It could have been awesome. Mo could’ve told me he loves me too.”
“He probably did,” Landry said. “He probably told you he loves you as a friend.”
Aidan grimaced. It hadn’t been fair. It still wasn’t fair.
