Page 24 of Perfect Storm
“As for how I knew, it was obvious, dude. You tried to pretend you weren’t fucked up when we got here, but it was pretty obvious.”
Aidan finished rinsing off the pan and set it on the rack to dry. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Would you have actually talked about it?” Landry raised an eyebrow.
I told Levi. I talked about it with Levi.
“No,” Aidan agreed. Because it wasn’t like he’d wanted to talk about it with Levi. Levi had practically harassed him into it. He’d ended up doing it only because it was the best worst choice.
“Well, I’d imagine you still don’t want to,” Landry said, and yep, bingo, he was right there, too. “ButRiley would kill me if I didn’t say that we’re here for you, no matter what.”
“Thanks,” Aidan said, discovering he actually meant it. He’d tackled so much of this alone. Sure, he’dknownhe could talk to Riley and Landry about it, but the thought had never occurred to him. The first person he was going to tell was always going to be Morris, even if it didn’t turn out the way he’d hoped it would.
“AndI’dkill me if I didn’t add that it’s okay to be whatever you are. That you don’t have to always know right away about who that is,” Landry added.
“Was it weird for you, realizing it so late?” Aidan asked. Because it had been weird for him. He’d lived in denial for several additional months because he’d been sure that if he was actually queer, that he liked menlike that, because if it was true, he’d have known before he was in his thirties.
“Oh yeah. Threw me for a huge fucking loop. Kept thinking, was I just believing it was okay for my brothers to be gay but not me? Fucked me up for awhile.”
“Yeah. That thought crossed my mind, too.” He told himself not to ask but then he couldn’t help himself. “How early did you know about Logan and Levi?”
Landry sighed. “Logan took longer; he was mid-teens when he finally came out to the family. But Levi proudly declared it at eleven.”
“Of course he did.”
Landry grinned, pride radiating from every pore. “Levi’s never bothered fucking around. He wants something, he wants to do something? He just does it.”
He sure had. And apparently what he wanted now was Aidan, and Aidan couldn’t even pretend it wasn’t mutual.
When he’d finally come to terms with what he felt for Mo, he’d promised he wouldn’t live in denial any longer.
Pretending that he wasn’t attracted and interested in Levi would be lying. Even if it was only to himself.
“Pretty admirable,” Aidan said.
“Yeah,” Landry said. “I hope that attitude serves him through this contract mess.”
Aidan found himself hoping for the same.
And hoping a little, despite his discomfort, for Levi to end up in Toronto.
Later that day, he texted Levi back.
It was honestly my pleasure to have you,he sent.And you’d better put me on your schedule. A solid week. And next time, you won’t have to debate about waking me up.
Aidan hoped his meaning was clear enough—Levi wouldn’t have to, because he’d already be in Aidan’s bed—and he couldn’t help the smile when Levi sent a whole string of emojis, including the blushing smile, the dancing man,andthe fire.
Yeah, Levi was right about that. Itwouldbe hot.
Riley and Landry left a few days later, extracting promises that if Aidan needed them, they’d be booking the next flight out from Charleston.
But Aidan knew they wanted to get on with their offseason training program, and he could hardly blame them for that. He was working hard, too, putting in long hours in the gym he’d added to the house. Riley had made him promise not to be such a loner, and he’d actually made good on his promise, texting Avery Barnes.
One night, he’d invited the Barnes brothers over and they’d showed up with some of their hockey friends in tow, and it had been a good night. Another night, he and Avery had just shared a beer around their firepit, his brothers out of the house at some party he hadn’t wanted to go to.
“It’s just a bunch of younger kids, a lot of guys Charlie went to the development program with,” Avery had explained.
They’d had a chill night, sharing stories about football and hockey and their college days. Avery had gone to Michigan for two years before he’d joined the Mavericks, and so had Aidan, once upon a time.
