Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
I groaned at Linc as we jogged through Willow Brook Park. “First of all, what the fuck is a gayvine?”
“Gay version of grapevine. Hello, Beau?”
“I get it. I just think it’s silly.” I had no problem with who I was. I quite liked being gay, but I didn’t get it when some of my friends playfully put the word gay in front of everything. “And second, you knew and it took you this long to bring it up? How the hell did you even hear?”
“One never outs someone from the gayvine. Get it together!” I glanced at Lincoln as we jogged, and he grinned. He hardly had any sweat on his forehead. Linc was smaller than me, shorter and skinnier. He wore the twink badge very proudly.
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t. You love me. We’re best friends.”
I really did love him, and he was my best friend. It didn’t matter how different Linc and I were, we just fit. He was sometimes needy, drove me crazy, and I likely did him too, but I couldn’t imagine my life without him. He was who I talked to if I needed someone. He knew things about me that no one else did. Not that kiss with Ash…he doesn’t know about that. Jesus, why was I thinking about that again? “You’re right, I do love you. It’s the only reason I put up with you.”
“Aww. If that’s not love, I don’t know what is!”
In sync like always, Lincoln and I slowed down at the same time. I plucked the towel from the waist of my shorts and wiped the sweat off my face as Lincoln sat at the picnic table—yeah, the one I’d shared with Ash.
I knew that if I didn’t give him something, he’d hound me for days, or hell, weeks. “Yeah, I went out to dinner with him. It was just a thank-you for getting him and his car home. That’s all you get.” He opened his mouth, and I added, “And there’s no more to get either. He’s straight, remember?”
“Oh, come on, boo. I’ve landed plenty of straight boys for a night or two.”
“I don’t know about you, but to me, that seems like they’re pretty bisexual.”
“Yeah, I agree, but not according to them. Maybe your football player is the same?”
I shook my head. “Even if he is, I’m not interested, and he’s not my football player.” Sometimes, I wanted to kill my friend.
“You guys going to hang out again?” Linc asked.
“Nope.” And we weren’t, not that I knew of, at least. We’d had dinner together, the conversation much lighter after what Ash had admitted to me. We laughed, talked football. He gave me stories about some of his years playing, and even though I wanted to ask him why he’d thrown it all away, why he’d so obviously fallen out of love with it, I hadn’t. It wasn’t fair of me to ask, and it wasn’t my business. But I did know Ash had fallen out of love with the game. I could see it in the way he’d played the past couple of years.
I talked to him some about work and Kenny, just life in general. I’d enjoyed it more than I’d expected. There had been no awkward silences or anything like that. It was a few hours later that I’d told Ash I needed to go home. He’d paid, and we went our separate ways.
I had to admit I’d thought about it a lot since dinner two days before. It was strange how easily we fell into place. When I looked at him, I didn’t see an ex-professional-player like I thought I would. I saw annoying, sexy, cocky Ash.
And of course I’d had to throw sexy in there. Fucking Ashton. I didn’t know why it was his fault I was attracted to him, but it was.
“For a minute, I thought I was going to have to be jealous of you.” Linc nudged me. “But God, he’s gorgeous as hell. It’s simply not fair he’s straight.”
“No,” I replied honestly. “It’s not.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Ashton
Ashton Carmichael needs to up his game. Play more like the MVP Ashton who led his team to a championship. He’s not worth anything to them if he can’t play ball.
“I’m sorry. I know I’m staring, but I can’t believe I’m sitting here with Ashton Carmichael, right now.”
On reflex, I lowered the cap I wore, as if that would make a difference. My eyes immediately darted around, but it didn’t look like anyone in the loud, bustling restaurant heard him.
Wyatt elbowed his friend…Pete, I thought his name was. Wyatt had called to ask me if I wanted to go out to lunch with him. It had been a week since I’d seen Beau, and I was bored out of my fucking mind, so I’d said yes. I hadn’t expected to show up and find him there with someone else. Why in the hell would he do that? Why invite someone else along without telling me?