Fucking goalie stares.
“Right,” Thad said. “In fact, we should probably get moving, Graham. I have some fun planned for this evening.”
He waved his phone, presumably hoping Jesse and Connor would assume he meant a hookup.
Jesse grinned. “Enjoy yourself.”
“Oh, you know I will.” Thad winked. “Same goes for you two.”
With a little laughter and a few more goodbyes, they went their separate ways.
They walked silently to where they’d parked, the cry of gulls calling out and the lap of water along the shoreline the only sound. The sun was low in the sky, the warm, golden light washing over the harbor. The breeze was cool, but the air still held the heat of the day, the perfect temperature for strolling along the water.
“Hey. Do you want to take a walk?” Graham said, feeling a little impulsive. So, maybe they couldn’t hold hands or anything, but it would be romantic.
Thad gave him a tight smile, shaking his head. “We probably shouldn’t.”
“Yeah, okay,” Graham said slowly. “Maybe another time then.”
Thad was still quiet on the drive back to Graham’s place. Any attempt Graham made to start a conversation fizzled out and eventually he gave up and spent the ride staring out the passenger window.
“Hey. Did I do something wrong?” Graham asked as Thad pulled into Graham’s designated spot and put the car in park.
Thad turned to look at him. “No. What would you have done wrong?”
Graham shrugged, feeling a little helpless. “I don’t know. Something feels … off now.”
“I know. And I’m sorry. It’s not you.”
“It’s not you it’s me?” Graham joked before he remembered he’d had the same fucking conversation with Maddy but in reverse.
He winced.
“Oh, it’s definitely me,” Thad said. “It’s …”
But he looked away and didn’t finish.
“C’mon, talk to me,” Graham coaxed. “If we’re really doing this, we need to talk about stuff, right?”
“Yeah.” Thad reached out and squeezed his thigh. “Definitely. And I’m not saying we won’t. I just … I need to … I think I should go home tonight.”
“What about our bet?” Graham said, but the attempt at humor fell a little flat.
Thad gave him a weak smile. “Another night, I promise.”
“You’re not breaking up with me, are you?”
“No.” Thad’s gaze darted around for a moment before he leaned in and brushed his lips over Graham’s. “I’m not. I just need a little—a little time to think. This is a lot, Graham.”
“Being with me?”
“Being withanyone.”
Graham nodded. After leading such a solitary life, Graham could understand why this relationship was a big shift for Thad.
He continued. “But mostly, it’s all the lying and having to hide … I know you liked the idea of sneaking around. Thought it would make it hotter, but for me … I don’t know. I don’t feel good about it.”
Graham reached out and took his hand. “Yeah, I get that,” he said quietly. And he did. While the hookup in the storage closet had been hot, he didn’t like the idea of being dishonest with his team either.
