“Yeah, a bit.” He’d thought about it nonstop ever since Alex mentioned it. Half the time he thought it was the best idea ever, the other half he knew it would probably kill him. Especially if, God forbid, Alex ever brought a guy back while Riley was there.
Would Alex even want to live together after Riley told him how he felt? Probably not, whichever way it turned out. So what could it hurt to indulge himself a little?
“And”
Riley let himself imagine the two of them sharing a flat, maybe a big double bed like the one upstairs in Alex’s room. “I think it’d be great.”
Alex beamed at him in return. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
Obviously, Alex had been waiting for him to show an interest, because for the next twenty minutes he chatted about places to look at, what they’d need and how much they could afford. Riley let him talk, fascinated by how animated he always got when excited about something.
A small smile quirked Alex’s lips, and Riley felt bittersweet as he pictured the scenarios Alex weaved with his hands and his excited words.What the fuck am I going to do?
Alex finally stopped to take a breath, his eyes sparkling and his smile still wide. “Shit, sorry. I’ve just talked at you for ages, haven’t I?”
“Kind of.” Riley grinned at him. Alex’s good mood was infectious despite Riley’s inner turmoil. Alex always had that effect on him. “No change there.”
Alex leaned closer and slapped his arm. “Piss off. I’ve just been thinking about it for a while, and I have all these ideas waiting to come out.” He played with the handle of his mug, a sure sign he was nervous about something. “What about you?”
Riley cocked his head to the side. “What do you mean?”
“Well, you’ve not said much.” He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, making it all red and plump-looking. Watching Alex like this was torture. Thank God he had his big coat on. “You’re serious about moving in together, yeah? I’ve not badgered you into agreeing?”
“No, Al. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t go along with everything you suggest.” God, he was such a liar. He’d pretty much do anything Alex asked him, and they both knew it. “I’d love to move in with you.”And fuck if that isn’t far too close to the truth.“You know, share a flat or whatever.”Stop talking, Riley. Just stop.How Alex didn’t see how bad he had it, Riley had no idea.
“Awesome.” Alex’s smile was back in full force, and the way it lit up his whole face made Riley’s breath catch in his throat.
The memory of their kiss flooded his mind, cruel in its clarity, and Riley’s gaze automatically dropped to Alex’s lips. If he leaned forward just a bit, they could be doing it again. Thankfully he managed to catch himself before he actually did it. Impromptu kissing, when Alex had no idea that they’d done it before, would probably not be the best way to reveal how Riley felt about him. Especially not a good idea with their friends walking up the road.
Loath to break the cosy little bubble they were in, Riley reluctantly nudged Alex’s foot with his. “They’re back.” He nodded in the direction of the road, and Alex turned to see.
“Are they singing?” Alex’s grin widened as he turned fully in his seat.
Now that he’d mentioned it, Riley could definitely hear the last verse ofRudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. “Were they drunk when they left?”
“I didn’t think so, but then, I’d only just woken up.”
They watched as their friends got closer and the singing got louder.
Riley laughed as Nick stumbled and Abi had to catch him. “They look pretty pissed now.” All four of them were walking in a not-quite-straight line, nudging into one another with every other step. “Christ.” He glanced at Alex, also laughing, and at the same time they said, “Pub.”
The village had two pubs. One was always full of locals, where all the talking stopped when strangers walked in and everyone in the pub turned to look. They’d been in there once—and never again. Riley shuddered at the memory. The other one wasn’t too bad, and over the last few years, they’d got to know the owners fairly well. Enough to not feel like outsiders when they went in.
As they neared the lodge, Riley noticed two shopping bags—Jake carried one, Abi the other. They both looked full. “Looks like they got more than bread and milk.”
Alex hummed his agreement. “What else could they possibly have bought? It’s a tiny shop.”
“Hey! You’re up!” Abi held up her bag like a trophy. “We brought fish and chips!”
Riley’s stomach grumbled loudly in appreciation.
“Fantastic.” Alex was up off the bench and heading towards her. “I’m fucking starving.” He took the bag from her and they all trooped inside, kicking boots off in the entryway and hanging coats on hooks. Riley followed in after them, the smell of food distracting him from his Alex-related worries.
They ate at the table, straight out of the paper. Alex groaned at the taste of the first few chips, the sound so low and pornographic that Riley had to concentrate hard on his food not to react to it.
“Jesus, Alex, they’re only chips.” Jake pointed at him with one of his own. “I don’t envy Riley having to listen to that all night when you live together.” His expression turned thoughtful, as though an idea had just occurred to him. Riley was too busy being shocked that Alex had already told him, and he almost didn’t catch what Jake said next. “But I guess it wouldn’t matter if you two—”
