was in love with his son.
Chapter Seven
Alec
“Not that I wouldn’t love going to a barbecue with your family, where I’d have to pretend to be someone I’m not. I would do it if I wasn’t going out with a guy tonight.” Logan grabs his backpack out of the hall closet and smiles. “We’re going hiking. Did you know I’m a kick-ass hiker?”
“No.” I lean against the wall.
“Is your man still here? I thought we were going to have to throw down when he was here the other night.”
“Is it shitty for me to admit I liked seeing him jealous?” I ask.
Logan laughs. “No. Not after everything he’s put you through.”
“It’s not just him.” On reflex I grab Logan’s arm. “I know it seems like it but it’s not. For the first few years I was just as determined to keep it under wraps as he was.”
Pulling away, he shakes his head. “But you’re not now. That matters, man.” He sets his pack on the couch. Logically, I know he’s right. It’s Brandon who won’t go there, and it’s Brandon who keeps running, but I’ve never pushed him either. I never told him what I want.
“I know it’s easy to make him the asshole but . . . he was always there for me too. Even when shit went down, he would have come to me like I did him if I was the one who got hurt.”
There’s not an ounce of me who doubts that. And he’s still here now. It’s only been a week, but I didn’t expect him to stay.
Logan rolls his eyes. “No offense but I don’t want to talk about him. Hiking was a much better conversation than this. Or even the fact that I bet I’ll get laid tonight.”
I can’t help but laugh. And be jealous too. It shouldn’t be this big a deal to be who I am, but it sucks when I don’t want to do that without Brandon. “I really don’t want to go out to the cabins tonight.”
Logan starts putting the supplies he had on his couch, in the pack. “Nervous to see your guy?”
My groan is hard to bite back. “He’s not mine. You should stop calling him that.”
“You’re his though.” He stops to look at me. “Don’t get me wrong, I hate the guy on principle but meeting him? It makes it harder to hate him when I see the way he looks at you.”
Heat shoots through me. I know I should deny what he said, but I can’t. I’ve never trusted anyone the way I trust Brandon and I know how he feels about me.
“It’s not enough though.” Logan sobers. “And you shouldn’t have to wait. I mean, he’s fucking hot and all but I’m better.” His eyes hold mine for a minute and I try to figure out what he’s telling me. If he’s saying what I think he is.
Before I can reply, Logan continues, “Anyway, you should go. Zane will be here in a little while and I’ve got shit to do.”
Pushing off the wall, I hold my fist out for Logan. He bumps it with his. “Have fun, man.”
“Like there’s any doubt?”
I’m pretty sure he’s right. Shaking my head, I smile at him before walking out the door.
“Hello?”
The second he answers the phone, I start rambling. “I almost told him . . . Brand. He was talking about ball and this girl whose always hanging around that likes me and I was going so fucking crazy that I almost
told him
. I’m so tired of it. I just want . . .”
“Chase! Get the fuck over here, man. We’re leaving with or without you.”
Immediately I know he’s with his friends from the team. Anger creates a whirlwind inside me that threatens to suck me under. “I’ll let you go.”
“Don’t. Don’t hang up.” And then to the people he’s with I hear him say, “Go ahead and go.”
“What? You’re ditching us, Chase. You’re such a fucking bastard.” They all laugh.
“You ever think something more important than you came up?”
I hear it in his voice, he’s trying to play it off, maybe make them think he’s going to meet some girl but I know—I know he’s leaving them because he knows I need him. He always does.
There’s sound in the
Chapter Seven
Alec
“Not that I wouldn’t love going to a barbecue with your family, where I’d have to pretend to be someone I’m not. I would do it if I wasn’t going out with a guy tonight.” Logan grabs his backpack out of the hall closet and smiles. “We’re going hiking. Did you know I’m a kick-ass hiker?”
“No.” I lean against the wall.
“Is your man still here? I thought we were going to have to throw down when he was here the other night.”
“Is it shitty for me to admit I liked seeing him jealous?” I ask.
Logan laughs. “No. Not after everything he’s put you through.”
“It’s not just him.” On reflex I grab Logan’s arm. “I know it seems like it but it’s not. For the first few years I was just as determined to keep it under wraps as he was.”
Pulling away, he shakes his head. “But you’re not now. That matters, man.” He sets his pack on the couch. Logically, I know he’s right. It’s Brandon who won’t go there, and it’s Brandon who keeps running, but I’ve never pushed him either. I never told him what I want.
“I know it’s easy to make him the asshole but . . . he was always there for me too. Even when shit went down, he would have come to me like I did him if I was the one who got hurt.”
There’s not an ounce of me who doubts that. And he’s still here now. It’s only been a week, but I didn’t expect him to stay.
Logan rolls his eyes. “No offense but I don’t want to talk about him. Hiking was a much better conversation than this. Or even the fact that I bet I’ll get laid tonight.”
I can’t help but laugh. And be jealous too. It shouldn’t be this big a deal to be who I am, but it sucks when I don’t want to do that without Brandon. “I really don’t want to go out to the cabins tonight.”
Logan starts putting the supplies he had on his couch, in the pack. “Nervous to see your guy?”
My groan is hard to bite back. “He’s not mine. You should stop calling him that.”
“You’re his though.” He stops to look at me. “Don’t get me wrong, I hate the guy on principle but meeting him? It makes it harder to hate him when I see the way he looks at you.”
Heat shoots through me. I know I should deny what he said, but I can’t. I’ve never trusted anyone the way I trust Brandon and I know how he feels about me.
“It’s not enough though.” Logan sobers. “And you shouldn’t have to wait. I mean, he’s fucking hot and all but I’m better.” His eyes hold mine for a minute and I try to figure out what he’s telling me. If he’s saying what I think he is.
Before I can reply, Logan continues, “Anyway, you should go. Zane will be here in a little while and I’ve got shit to do.”
Pushing off the wall, I hold my fist out for Logan. He bumps it with his. “Have fun, man.”
“Like there’s any doubt?”
I’m pretty sure he’s right. Shaking my head, I smile at him before walking out the door.
“Hello?”
The second he answers the phone, I start rambling. “I almost told him . . . Brand. He was talking about ball and this girl whose always hanging around that likes me and I was going so fucking crazy that I almost
told him
. I’m so tired of it. I just want . . .”
“Chase! Get the fuck over here, man. We’re leaving with or without you.”
Immediately I know he’s with his friends from the team. Anger creates a whirlwind inside me that threatens to suck me under. “I’ll let you go.”
“Don’t. Don’t hang up.” And then to the people he’s with I hear him say, “Go ahead and go.”
“What? You’re ditching us, Chase. You’re such a fucking bastard.” They all laugh.
“You ever think something more important than you came up?”
I hear it in his voice, he’s trying to play it off, maybe make them think he’s going to meet some girl but I know—I know he’s leaving them because he knows I need him. He always does.
There’s sound in the
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