Page 12 of Perfect Storm
He drove them around the edge. Riley sitting in the back with Landry, Landry’s arm over his shoulder, Levi on the opposite side, head tipped back like he was trying to absorb the sun.
“That’s the Barnes’ house,” Aidan pointed out as they passed it.
“Barnes?” Levi asked, frowning.
“Avery and Charlie? Well, I guess now Ethan, too. He just got drafted. They all play in the NHL,” Riley told him. Levi made a weird, confused face as Riley laughed. “Hockey, bro.”
“They’re cool guys. They work hard. Play hard, too. Young, but serious.” They’d inevitably crossed paths a handful of times when Aidan had bought this house, at parties and barbeques. Last time they’d run into each other, he and Avery had evenexchanged numbers, promising to hang out more. He should’ve texted Avery that he was coming here, but honestly the thought hadn’t even occurred to him. He’d only wanted to be alone and this had seemed like the most logical place to do that, if he wasn’t interested in hauling his sad, brokenhearted ass all the way to Antarctica.
“Now I think I remember,” Levi said. “Hockey, you said?”
“God, you’re an idiot.” Landry smacked him on the leg. “It’s lucky you’re cute.”
Aidan steered the boat towards the middle of the lake, taking them across to one of his favorite inlets, with a tucked-away beach that didn’t tend to get a lot of traffic, even in the summer. It was almost impossible to reach by foot, and even though it was easy enough by boat, it was off the beaten path enough that most people didn’t even know it existed.
They helped Riley empty the boat of the cooler and the food, spreading towels out on the sand, a fringe of trees overhanging on the beach just far enough to give a nice amount of shade.
Riley brandished the sunscreen and everyone submitted dutifully. “I don’t know why you’re like this when we all tan,” Levi griped, tugging off his shirt.
He was built like a tank, wide shoulders—wider even than Landry’s—and all rippling muscle. Not underwear-model muscle, butrealmuscle. Like he could probably pick up Aidan and bench him or something. Aidan ignored the prickling of his skin and turned away, staring out at the lapping water on the shore.
“Skin cancer is a thing, dude,” Riley reminded him, ignoring his yelp when Riley sprayed the cold liquid all over his skin.
Landry said he wanted the first go, so Aidan took him out first, watching as he carefully balanced himself on the board. He didn’t tend to try a lot of fancy tricks, but when it was Riley’sturn, his smaller, more compact body made every single one he tried look effortless.
“Hey, you want a turn?” Aidan called over to Levi as he pulled the boat up to the tiny dock. He’d sprawled out on not just one towel, but two, laid out side by side, and he looked blissful.
“Nah,” he called back. “I’m good right here. Might take a dip later.”
“Come on, bro,” Riley said, nudging him with a wet arm. “I’ll drive. You take a turn.”
Aidan wanted to argue. Say he was still feeling like shit. Which was . . .well, nottechnicallytrue, but true enough. But Riley had that determined look in his eye. The same one he’d worn when he’d insisted to Aidan that he’d end up in the NFL, even though everyone—including Aidan—had thought he was too small.
It was easier to argue with a wall than to circumvent Riley when he wore that look.
“Sure,” Aidan said.
They switched places, Riley piloting the boat out with a soft, expert touch.
Turned out that Riley was right about this, like he was right about most things. It was refreshing and good, to use his body in this way, in a way he knew how to. It stretched muscles that had gotten a little too lazy in the last few days of inactivity.
By the time he lifted himself back into the boat, he was feeling good. Loose and warm and with a tiny tendril of an emotion he was pretty sure was happiness winding its way through him.
Of course that was the moment Riley decided to strike.
“What’s going on with you?” Riley said, tone of voice deceptively casual but the intentness of his gaze making it clear just how serious he was.
Aidan grabbed a towel and scrubbed it over his wet hair before shoving his hat back on. “What do you mean?”
“Bro,” Riley warned.
So much for Riley not having any clue that something was up. And if Riley knew, Landry knew.
Aidan wouldn’t have said that was a downside of them dating, necessarily, but it wassomething. A mild annoyance, maybe, on any normal day. But actively frustrating today.
“What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to tell me what’s up with you,” Riley said.
