Chapter Eighteen
Ru’s smile had been tight when Adam told him about it on their way to the center, but he still took Adam’s hand and squeezed. “You really don’t talk about him much. Are you even friends?”
“I don’t know. We just sort of ran together. I was the running back and sometimes the wide receiver for our football team. Last year he wasn’t quarterback, so he would guard me, but even he couldn’t keep up. I used to be the best on the team at scoring touchdowns. I mean, they chose me for my ability to haul ass to begin with, and then when he made quarterback, he suggested to the coach this year that we try running more at practice. I thought he was trying to help the whole team.” Adam picked at the seam of his jeans. “I guess he’s a friend. Though we have never hung out or anything.”
“But he doesn’t know you’re gay?”
Adam shook his head. “I don’t know if I’m ready for that yet. Some books make it sound easy, others are really scary.”
Ru pulled Adam in for a kiss. “You know my story, right?”
“Picture kissing a boy on a cell phone.”
“The first few days, I hid. I was terrified of seeing anyone and having to witness their disgust. Then I realized it didn’t matter. Those people who were looking at me like that, treating me so bad, it was just ’cause they need to do it to make themselves feel better. Because I’ve made myself more important than them despite being gay.” His warm fingers snuck under Adam’s shirt and curled around his side. “And you know what my reward is? You, baby.” He smiled. “Adam.”
“Somehow I think it would be easier to just be outed.”
“I can kiss you in front of him if you want.”
“Please don’t. I’m crazy about you, but you’ve seen our football team. They are all frickin’ huge. I’m fast, but can’t outrun them forever.”
“And your school has a no-bullying policy,” he pointed out.
But Adam just wasn’t ready yet. Would Ru hate him if he said so? Adam looked away and glared out the window. The snow had melted, usually did when it came this early. Now everything was just a big muddy mess.
Ru tugged on Adam’s hand. “It’s okay.”
“To not tell anyone yet?”
“Yeah.”
“Thanks.” Adam glanced his way, and this time the smile reached his eyes.
Nate wasn’t there when they arrived. Ru and Adam headed to the locker room to get changed. Adam’s knees were mostly healed. There had even been a little scarring, but thanks to some lotion and the daily workouts, they weren’t stiff. When they got upstairs to the track area, Nate sat on one of the chest press benches lifting something that was probably more than Adam’s body weight.
“Hey, Nate,” Adam called. The footballer glanced up, put the weight back, and then sat up. Adam motioned to Ru. “This is my friend Ru. Ru, this is Nate.”
Ru held out his hand, and Nate returned it in the traditional guy clench. Neither of them spoke, but Nate seemed confused. “We usually start with a run to get the blood flowing and then move to weights. Just let me stretch a little first.” Adam walked by them to the edge of the track and laid out his towel. Ru joined him for some basic yoga stretches.
“What happened to your knees?” Nate asked, coming up behind them.
“Major wipeout a couple weeks ago.” Adam sat on the mat and did a few hip stretches. “You should stretch if you’re going to run.”
Nate sighed and began doing a few very mild stretches. When Ru and Adam stepped onto the track, he followed. Adam sort of expected Nate to do some sort of sprint like he always had at practice, but he let them set the pace, and Adam always set himself to Ru, who was getting really good at running for longer periods of time. Ru was really good at focusing on his breathing, and that kept him moving.
They ran for just over an hour. Ru’s watch beeped, and that meant time to stretch and do some weights. It was the night for shoulders, arms, and chest. They worked and counted for each other, none of them really talking. Adam felt the tension between the two other guys but didn’t get why. Was it because Ru was a stranger to Nate?
Nate left the weight room twice, coming back more agitated each time. If this was how the guy was going to act, Adam was going to say they couldn’t work out together anymore. His own anxiety and tension racketing up with each interaction. This time was meant to help him relax and unwind, not add to his stress.
Adam lay back on the bench after checking his weights and waited for Ru to step up and spot him for a chest press. Nate moved up instead. Ru looked briefly irritated but let it go. When it happened on the second set, Adam could see the storm brewing on Ru’s face. So he spoke up. “Nate, let Ru spot this time. We’ve been doing this a while. We’ve sort of got this partnership thing going.” Adam tried to make it sound as neutral as he could.
Nate dropped the weight he’d been on the verge of handing to Adam, forcing Adam to take the brunt of it pretty quickly as it flattened to his chest. Ru was there in half a second to pull it off and then put it back in on the rack.
“What the fuck, man?” Ru shouted at Nate. “You could have hurt him!”
“Since you’re here, I guess he’ll be fine. Right,partner?”
Adam suddenly felt nauseous. Had he said something wrong? Did Nate know?
