“Why do you care?”
He tilted his head at my boyfriend and even I had to huff, which drew Perry’s attention to me.
“We’re not really going to pretend we haven’t all noticed each other, right?” I asked Perry. “You noticed me at a party and told me to cut out being a slut and leave with you.”
“I never called you a slut.”
I couldn’t help a grin. “Not in so many words. But you didn’t like what I was doing, and you wanted me to stop it. To follow you. You said what you wanted, and I did what I wanted in return. Simple. No games.”
“No games,” he agreed.
“No games,” Channing said.
“I don’t know what it means, though,” Perry said.
“It doesn’t have to mean anything tonight.” Channing got up. “Or tomorrow. Or ever. But Evan is right. I find you both very intriguing.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning, for now, that I’m glad we will be playing tomorrow, if for no other reason than it gives me more time to observe you both.”
“Like a bug under a microscope,” Perry muttered.
“Pere,” I said. “Not like that.”
“Not like that,” Channing agreed, cupping Perry’s face and lifting his chin. “Not like that at all.”
Perry swallowed so hard his Adam’s apple bobbed and I saw something in his gaze as he stared up at Channing that I rarely saw. Or, rather, that he hardly ever let me see. He looked anxious. Worried. Searching.
My gut twisted because I knew, down in my bones, the things that made him anxious, I couldn’t help him with. Maybe Channing could. I could steady him out in the world, whenpeople got to be too much. But here, in our home, when he faltered, I didn’t know how to fix that.
What worried him was what became of us when he got overwhelmed and I got stuck, just like I had when I’d walked through our door tonight and couldn’t think what to do next.
Not that I wouldn’t have figured it out eventually, because I’m not stupid. But Perry had needed care, painkillers, and an ice pack, and I couldn’t even think to kick off my boots right in that moment.
One night, at a party, he’d needed a guy he liked to listen to him and follow him home just because he’d said so. Now, he needed someone who could take the lead while he recovered, and make sure that guy who had followed him home didn’t unravel.
Channing had taken charge, got me moving, got Perry breathing, and that had been good for both of us. I liked that: good for both of us. The kind of guy we could maybe agree on.
I stepped up and wrapped fingers around Channing’s wrist. “Give it a minute, Chann?—”
“Alan.” He turned his devastating gaze on me, though he didn’t remove his hand from Perry’s face, or my hand from his.
“Alan. After we play tomorrow, at least.”
He nodded, looked back to Perry, and for one, heart-stopping second, I thought he might lean down to kiss him but he just smiled. “There will be a lot to discuss after we play tomorrow.”
“Sure,” Perry said, pulling his face out of his grip. “If you say so.”
“I do.”
“Okay, then.” He nodded, as if he’d finally convinced himself this was not a trick. “Okay.”
“Okay.” Alan turned to me, cupping his own hand over mine, still on his wrist. “Make sure he showers, takes his pills, and applies ice one more time before you take him to bed.”
“That’s about enough instructions,” Perry said, his voice truly growly this time but not mad, as far as I could tell.
Alan chuckled. “Fair enough.” He licked his lips and studied my boyfriend. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.” He stroked fingers down the side of Perry’s face. “You keep him on track, he’ll take care of you.”
