Page 32 of Falling Faster
"Me too." His hand tightens around mine and his smile blooms. Then he drags his gaze away from me and focuses on my friends. "Craig's told me about you all too. I know Devonis your group athlete. Congrats on finishing your last marathon with such a good time, by the way." He pauses while Devon gives him a look that is both surprised and pleased. "And Cody, I hear you're a social media genius, and that you maintain the band's profiles and website."
Cody beams at me, then Ty. "I don't know about genius, but yeah, I do handle that for our band."
The tight grip Ty has on me eases as he turns to Patrick. "And Patrick, Craig told me how much he valued your help on that last song he wrote when he was up against his deadline."
A faint flush colors Patrick's cheeks. He shifts his body and shrugs, as though his assistance wasn't the eleventh-hour lifesaver we both know it to be. "What he already had gave us a great foundation to work with."
"You are way too modest, man." I raise my eyebrow, holding Patrick’s gaze until he smirks and nods at me, then turn to Ty, tracing a knuckle under his chin. The purple shadows under his eyes are much lighter than they'd been on our video call. "Did you get some sleep on the flight?"
"I slept through most of it. Slater got me noise-canceling headphones and Noah gave me a neck pillow that helped a lot."
Cody snatches a pillow from the head of the bed and hugs it to his chest. "Slater's your comic book partner, right? Craig said he's a member of the Buffalo Bedlam. Devon loves hockey. He's a big Bedlam fan."
Ty twists toward Devon, his eyebrows raising in interest. "Yeah? Slater Knox is working on the series with me. I stay with him and Noah Alzado a lot. They're really good guys. I didn't watch hockey at all before I met them, but since we've become friends and I've gotten to know a few of theirteammates, I guess you could say I've become a fan of the sport. Though I only watch Bedlam games."
Devon's fingers tangle in the blue drawstring hanging from his hoodie. For the first time since his arrival, I notice there's a player's number printed below the team's logo, and yep, it’s Anton Celek, the team captain’s number. "Have you met Anton Celek? He's my favorite player."
Ty fully relaxes against my side. He draws up one leg, tucking it underneath the other, and I catch a glimpse of the side of his sock, imprinted with tiny superhero symbols. "Celek's really nice. Laid back. Always looking out for his friends. I see him about once a month with the other guys at the team's book club meetings."
"It's cool that they post the book so the Bedlam fans can read along too. I’ve been a part of it since the beginning." Devon drums his fingers along the side of his thigh, his gaze darting to his phone. "Celek's pick last month was great. That mystery kept me guessing until the end."
"Whoever chooses the book hosts the meeting, so we were at his apartment for that one. His book collection is huge. It takes up an entire room. He's great about lending out the books. I'll have to tell him I met someone wearing his number."
"Is he single?" Propping another pillow behind his back, Cody keeps his attention on Ty. "Inquiring minds, and certain drummers with an affinity for running,ahemDevon, want to know."
I snort, completely unsurprised that Cody would ask. Cody, Patrick, and I have known about Devon's crush for a while. When watching a game with him, his attention always strays to Celek whether the captain is on the ice or the bench.
Caught in the crossroad of Devon's blushing stammer and Cody's unrepentant grin, Ty leans into me like he's seekingreassurance. "As far as I know, yes. He was dating someone back when I met Slater, but that ended a while ago."
Patrick swipes the pillow from Cody's lap and stuffs it behind his own back. "Stop trying to play matchmaker for Devon."
Cody makes a grab for the pillow's edge, his fingers digging into the fluffy white cloud. "Why? Devon's amazing. Anyone would be lucky to have him. Stop being a killjoy, Paddy."
"Don't call me that." The words grunt out through clenched teeth.
Cody rolls his eyes, releasing his hold of the pillow. "You love it."
"Anyone want to get a drink at the bar?" Devon asks too brightly, sending a quelling look to Cody and Patrick. If left to their own devices, the pair will bicker all night.
"I do." Patrick stands, throws the pillow at Cody, who catches it, falling onto his back.
"Me too." Punching an arm into the air, Cody sits up and smiles at Ty. " Let's go. We havesomany stories about Craig."
Amusement lights Ty's face. He squeezes my hand, then presses a kiss to my cheek before standing. "That sounds like fun."
Rubbing my hands over my face, I hold back my sigh. Nothing about tonight is going as planned. Might as well roll with it. "Luke said the guys are in the lounge on the tenth floor and we're welcome to join them."
Patrick extends a hand to Cody to help pull him to his feet. As quick as they are to fight, the tension fades just as fast. "He sent a text with that invite to me, too. It's been a while since I spent any time with Luke, and longer for the other guys. Seeing them again will be cool."
"Great, let’s go." Cody hooks his arm through Ty's. "We're so excited you're here."
He leads the way to the door. I shove my feet into my sneakers, pocket my wallet and room card, then follow my friends and Ty into the hall. Ty drops back to wait for me, a smile in his eyes, and his hand finds mine like we've spent a lifetime reaching for each other.
The urge to pull him into me and run my hands over every inch of him, soaking up his words and scent is strong, but with the guys here, I can't close us off in a private bubble like I want. Stroking my thumb over a patch of skin by his knuckle, I keep him close, answering my friends' questions about the show as we take the elevator to the tenth floor.
Two of the band's security guards stand like sentries on opposite sides of the lounge's door. They allow us through. Several members of the band's crew are at the tables, couches, and chairs throughout the room. Luke and Zander sit at a nearby couch. Brendan and Landry are by the bar.
Luke sees us, and a smile lights up his face as he stands and waves us over. "Hey, look who's all here. Drinks and food are on us tonight." He pulls Patrick in for a hug. "It's been too long, man."
