Page 68 of Hidden Plays
Jesus, he was messed up. I ached for him. It wasn’t my fault he fucked up his life. Things could have been so different.
Jabbing a finger on the bar, Noel said, “And that’s why I’m telling you, when Mom and Dad find out about you guys, Holden’s on his own.”
“Okay, enough about that.” As heat swirled inside me, I glared at him. He’d made his point, and we needed to change the topic. “How’s the girl you’re seeing?”
“What girl?” Noel wrinkled his brows.
“You told me you were dating someone.” Had he forgotten, or was it a lie? I sipped my beer.
With his eyes widening, Noel said, “Oh, Heidi. Yeah, we broke up. She was a slut anyway.” He pursed his lips. “Turns out she was fucking another dude who was supplying her with coke.”
I stared at him. Was he doing cocaine? I wouldn’t ask. I didn’t want to know. “That sucks.” I rubbed a finger along the bar surface. “You don’t seem very broken up about it.”
“She wasn’t worth being upset over. She gave good head, but that’s about it.” Noel chuckled. “I bet gay men give amazing head.” He raised his brows at JJ.
“We do.” Wrinkling his forehead, JJ smirked. “Maybe you should try it sometime.”
Noel dropped his mouth open and closed it. “If it’s good enough for my brother?—”
“Okay, that’s enough.” This could go downhill fast. I tapped my phone, resting on the bar, and read the time. It was getting late. “We have to go. Like I said, we have a game tomorrow.”
“Sure.” Noel scanned the bar. “One of my buddies is coming in a little while, anyway.”
I flagged Margaret down to get our checks, and we paid.
“It was good chatting with you, bro.” Noel gazed at me, nohint of sarcasm in his voice. “I mean it. We should get together more.”
For a second, the brother I’d grown up with before the booze and drugs sat beside me. I missed that person so much. “Yeah, we should.” If he’d show up on time and not get plastered. I held my hand out, and he grabbed it, then side-hugged me with a pat on my back. Whispering in my ear, he said, “JJ seems like a nice guy.”
“He is. Thanks.” I released him and glanced at JJ, standing with his hands in the front pockets of his designer jeans.
“Nice to meet you, JJ.” Noel stretched his hand to JJ. “Take care of my brother now. You hear?”
“I will.” With a soft grin, JJ shook Noel’s hand.
“Come on.” I snatched JJ’s hand and led him from the bar, taking one last look at Noel as an ache quivered through my chest. If he could only get his life on track and stop with the booze. But there wasn’t much I could do about it. “Where did you park?” I stopped on the sidewalk, next to the boulevard, the lights from the traffic signals glinting color in JJ’s hair.
“Across the street.” He pointed to the parking lot. “You?”
“Same.” I shifted my weight. I needed him tonight. Having Noel see us together unnerved me. “Can I, uh, stay with you tonight?” Despite not playing until the evening, we still needed a good night’s sleep for the game tomorrow.
He grabbed both my cheeks and planted a hard kiss on my lips, his eyes locking on mine. “Of course you can. Grab your stuff and come over.”
With a nod, I swallowed the lump climbing up my throat. What was up with my emotions?
I parkedoutside JJ’s house, grabbed a small duffel bag with my toiletries and strode up the driveway to the front door and then knocked. The place seemed quiet. Were all the guys in bed already?
JJ opened the door and stepped aside. “Come in.”
Walking in, my gaze swept the main room, the low lights from the lamps resting on the side tables at the couch. No one else was here. “Is everyone in bed?”
“Yep, looks like. Or in bed watching game footage on their phones, more like.” He smirked and closed the door behind me. “Are you okay? You looked off when we left the bar.” He grabbed my bag from me and set it on the floor by the hallway. He could tell.
“Yeah, I was more than just off.” I scrubbed my face, ambled to the couch and dropped onto the end.
“Want a beer, a Gatorade or water?” JJ slipped into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator door. “I’m having a Gatorade.”
“Get me a beer.” Fuck it. I wasn’t playing tomorrow, and I’d only had a few drinks at the bar. I wasnotmy brother.
