“I think we should take these margaritas outside into the hot tub,” Cole suggested. “We won’t even have to worry about the ice melting in the pitcher since it’s like twenty degrees out. Although, it might melt from being so close to my hotness.”
Riley inspected his ice-filled glass. “So weird, your hotness doesn’t seem to be affecting the ice at all. We should be safe.”
“Fine, maybe not mine, but you—Ow! What was that for?” Cole grimaced in pain as his arm flew underthe table, as if someone kicked him.
“Let’s clean up and then head outside, okay?” Elena prodded, glaring at Cole from her seat next to him.
"Good idea,” Cole said, chagrined. “Cleaning assembly line!”
They all worked together to clear the table and fill the dishwasher, cleaning the pots and pans that wouldn’t fit with everything else. Afterward, everybody retreated upstairs to change into their bathing suits.
When Riley walked into their room, it took him a moment to realize he’d be changing in front of Josh. It had never made him pause before, but they'd just shared that heated kiss and now, for the first time ever, he was nervous about being alone with his best friend.
He walked over to his bag and kept his back to the rest of the room. He heard Josh enter and walk over to his own bag. He wasn’t sure if he was relieved that Josh wasn’t saying anything either. Maybe he felt awkward about the kiss, or maybe Riley was totally overthinking it. Maybe they only got hard from friction. That was a thing, right?
Quickly slipping off his pants and pulling on his board shorts, he continued to rummage around in his bag to kill time. He didn’t want to turn around and catch Josh changing. It wasn’t something he’d ever thought of, but now he hesitated. It would kill him if things ever changed between them, because Josh had been the mostimportant part of his life for so long.
He slowly rummaged through his bag, reorganizing the few clothes in there, when there was a touch to his shoulder. The unexpected feeling had him jumping, but since he was squatting in front of his bag, he jerked at the wrong angle and almost went right into the wall.
Josh caught Riley before he could fall headfirst into the wall, holding him against his chest. Josh quickly dropped his arm and Riley spun, realizing a moment too late that the move put them chest to chest.
They both stood still for a moment, until Josh cleared his throat and took a step away.
“Hey, I wanted to say sorry if I made you uncomfortable earlier with that kiss. I was just trying to win the game for us. And there are worse things than having to kiss you,” he said, chuckling awkwardly.
Nope, no way. Riley wouldn’t have Josh feeling uncomfortable over anything, even him. He stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug, giving him a friendly pat on the back.
“No need to apologize. We got the win, didn’t we?”
Worry eased from Josh’s face and was replaced with his bright smile. There he was. Josh unhappy looked…wrong.
“Now, let’s go see what game we’re gonna win next,” Josh said, and Riley’s nerves returned. Oh man, what else would this trip have in store for them?
————————
“Truth or dare!” Cole shouted from his spot in the hot tub, and Riley tried to keep the smile on his face despite his inner turmoil.
Everything would be fine. This was his family, and he was safe with them. They wouldn’t make anyone do anything they’d regret. But they would push them to that limit. Damn it.
He tried to ignore his racing heart and take in the ambiance of the night. Snowy mountains and trees surrounded them. The only noise he could hear was from his friends and the occasional hoot of an owl.
No matter what happened the rest of this trip, he’d try to enjoy it. He could save his worries for when they got home.
A couple of them cheered while others groaned at the idea of truth or dare. Hailey seemed to be on his side as her gaze bounced around the group. She was the “girl next door” type and was so wholesome it was adorable. Avery was similar, so they usually avoided things like excessive public displays of affection. From context clues, he could tell the pair had a healthy sex life, but they preferred to keep it private. At least he wasn’t the only one worried about this game.
It was the night before New Year’s Eve, so there was plenty of time for shenanigans.
“I’ve never played this game,” Emilio said from his corner.
Abby, perched on Emilio’s lap, rolled her eyes. “Fine, we’ll play so Emilio can see what it’s like.”
They’d all had a good time introducing Emilio to new things as he assimilated into his new normal.
“Okay, let’s start with Josh,” Cole said. “Truth or dare?”
Josh’s head rested against the edge of the tub, his eyes shut as the jets underneath him worked their magic, his margarita held safely above the water. Without moving or opening his eyes, he mumbled, “Truth.”
“If you could make out with anyone in this hot tub, who would it be?”
