Page 110 of Perfect Storm
“I can’t be the only one who thought Aidan fighting so hard for Mo to get his contract with the Thunder meant something?” Trevor said. “So yeah, maybe it’s okay if it’s something.”
The urge to confess the whole truth was on the tip of Levi’s tongue. He couldn’t tell anyone. That was the problem. His brothers were his best friends and he couldn’t tell them, because of Landry’s relationship with Riley. There’d been friends in Seattle, sure, but he wouldn’t call any of those guys for advice or even to unload his frustrations.
They wouldn’t get it.
They only knew the old Levi, who’d enjoyed a solely hookup lifestyle. They’d tell him to get under someone else and it would be fine. Or even worse, they’d suggest he still keep hooking up with Aidan, as long as Aidan was into it.
Aidan still seemed into it. They’d shared handjobs in the shower this morning and Aidan had seemed just as into it then as he had the night before, before the news about Mo had come out.
“Dude,” Wes told Trevor, “how would that make it okay? That would mean Aidan wasn’t into Levi, he was into Mo.”
“I don’t know, I was there when they saw each other for the first time, and it wasn’t exactly a romantic reunion,” Trevor said.
“Maybe they were hiding it?” Wes suggested.
Levi wanted them both to shut up before they accidentally stumbled on the right answer. “Guys,” he chided. “It’s fine. It’s not . . .it’s not something. It’s not anything. Just let it go, okay?”
Wes didn’t look convinced but Trevor was too nice to keep up the interrogation after Levi had told them to quit it.
At least then, Zane got their attention, deciding they were going to run another play.
He kept Levi in for another few plays, which was a great distraction, but then he sent him back to the sideline after that.
Turned out watching Aidan and Mo chatting it up like the last three years hadn’t happened was bad enough from a few dozen feet away, but it was worse up close.
Levi resisted the urge to run up to Aidan, plant a flag on his back, and hiss at Mo like a cat, because Aidan washis.
Except Aidan was not his. Aidan didn’t belong to anyone but himself.
Logically he knew that. The problem wasn’t with logic, it was with everything else—all those stupid feelings that kept churning away in his heart.
“Hey, Banks,” Aidan called out, “come over here and meet Mo.”
God. Aidan hadn’t called himBankssince this summer, since they’d kissed for the first time.
Still, what was he going to do? Argue? Tell Aidanno? That would make everything even weirder.
He could go over there and perform basic new teammate niceties, but he still dragged his feet doing it, stopping by and grabbing a bottle of Gatorade before heading over to where Aidan and Mo were still standing together.
“Finally,” Aidan said, shooting Levi a fondly exasperated look. “Mo, this is Levi Banks, my new left tackle.”
“Hey,” Levi said, accepting Mo’s outstretched hand. They shook briefly.
Mo was even better looking up close. Tan skin and dark eyes and hair. A jawline that looked like it had been chiseled from marble.
Levi wanted to hate him.
Wanted to hate the affectionate glance, full of a long familiarity, that Mo sent Aidan’s way. “So this is the guy that meant I couldn’t crash in your condo, huh?”
At least there was that. Levi supposed it could be worse. Mo could be moving in with Aidan. Aidan could beaskingLevi to leave, so Mo could move in.
Of course, it wasn’t like he was doing much sleeping in the guest room these days, but Levi had a feeling that Aidan wouldn’t be admitting that—especially not to Mo.
“Yep,” Aidan said, not sounding like he regretted that at all. “You got places you can stay, dude.”
“Yeah, I’m just giving you shit,” Mo said. “Makes me wish I hadn’t sold the condo in your building though. I’m sure to buy it back is gonna cost me more.”
It was petty but Levi hoped that it was so ridiculously expensive that Mo went someplace else. Levi didn’t want him that close, and Aidan hardly needed that either.
