“Hey, that’s okay. Do you want to go bowling?”
I laugh, startled by the random question, and prop myself up on an elbow to peer down at his face.
“Bowling?”
“Yeah,” he agrees. “I haven’t been bowling in forever, butyesterday I saw an advertisement for a glow-in-the-dark bowling alley. How cool would that be? We should go.”
“Okay, sure.” He sits up and my hand slides down into his lap. Surprised, I follow him. “Oh, like right now?”
“Yeah! Why not?”
“It’s eleven in the morning on a Sunday,” I point out, laughing at the obvious excitement on his face. “But sure, yeah. Why not?”
“Should we see if Max and Luke want to go?” he suggests, leaning over and kissing the top of my shoulder through my shirt. Heat that has little to do with the gesture, and everything to do with his words, burns in my stomach.
“Really?” I ask. Too many times in the past, partners haven’t appreciated how much time Max and I spend together. Nobody ever quite wanted to believe that, even though we both date men, we’ve never been interested in dating each other. Nate shrugs, still grinning.
“Why not? We could play teams. Me and you against Max and Luke—the best couple versus the worst.”
“Oh my god.” I snort. “Or you and Max against me and Luke. Hockey versus baseball.”
“No way.” He scoffs, standing and waiting for me to join him before going in search of his shoes and tugging them on. “It’s me and you or nothing, baby.”
Max and Luke are still in the kitchen when we leave my bedroom, and both look surprised to see us again. Curious, I turn on the oven light and peer inside at the unfortunate banana bread. As suspected, it still doesn’t look edible.
“You guys interested in going bowling?” I ask, looking at Max.
“Glow-in-the-dark bowling,” Nate puts in. I look over at Luke and watch the way his face lights up at these words.
“We’re in,” Max agrees, also noticing Luke’s obvious excitement at the offer. “Hockey against baseball?”
I smile at him. Of course we’d be on the same page. “Nate wants to do couple versus couple.”
“Yeah, I can’t be on a team with Marcos,” Luke puts in. “He’ll lose on purpose just to spite me.”
“It’s not like you’re going to be winning anyway,” Nate tells him, putting a hand on my hip and tugging me back against his chest so he can rest his chin on top of my head. I scowl. I’m notthatfucking short.
“Oh yeah? Well, let’s make it interesting,” Luke counters.
Max and I trail behind Nate and Luke as we leave the apartment, and walk toward Max’s car. He’s watching his boyfriend, shoulders loose and a smile on his face. Max looks over at me, eyes bright in the midday sun.
“If they become best friends, we can have epic double dates for the rest of our lives,” he tells me.
“Well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I warn, trying to ignore the way my heart leaps at the words. I willnotget my hopes up about any sort of future with Nate. Not when there’s so much unknown waiting on the horizon for me and Max. Not when he could decide at any time that he’s done wasting time with me, and wants to date someone he can kiss with impunity.
Nate peeks over his shoulder and smiles at me, slowing his pace enough that Max and I can catch up. He touches me again, fingers sliding between my shoulder blades and down to the small of my back. I never had to ask him to do that—touch me above my clothes unless I say otherwise—he just does it. It makes me feel equal parts sad and grateful.
He shouldn’t have to try so hard to work around me. And one day, he’ll have had enough of it.
15
Nate
Coach Mackenzie islate for practice, which has never happened before. We’re hovering uncertainly on the ice, nobody quite sure what to do without him here to guide us. Vas is glancing up at the clock so often, it looks like he has a tic. I skate closer to Micky, who looks so nervous he’s going to make himself sick.
“Hey, Micky Mouse.”
“Do you think Coach got in a car accident or something?” he asks, sounding scared. “Do you think he’s dead?”
