14
Sean
I was beginningto regret keeping the door on my closet not only closed, but also padlocked and chained shut. If I wasn’t so worried about who I slept with having an unfair bearing on my ability to play the game, I’d be able to call any of my close friends to ask them what in the hell I’m supposed to do now.
After scrolling through my contact list a few times, hoping a name would magically pop out at me, I landed on one of the only people who knew my secret.
“Tucker, I was starting to wonder if you were going to forget my number,” Eric answered. I looked around nervously, checking to see who was still in the employee lot. “I heard you’d been to the house, which explains the beer missing from my fridge when I got home.”
“Shit, I’m sorry. I needed a quiet place because my sister’s been staying at my house,” I apologized. He didn’t care if I helped myself to whatever he had on hand while I was there, but I’d been raised better than to drink a man’s last beer and not return it. Honestly, I’d planned on driving back down to replenish what we drank, but I hadn’t had time.
“No worries, bud. You know I’ll never pass up the opportunity to give you shit.” He laughed and my mood lightened a bit. “To what do I owe the pleasure?”
“You have a spare hour? This may not be quick,” I warned him. I still couldn’t believe I was going to share any of this, but I had to get it out before I went insane.
“I’m all yours until early next week. Will that be long enough?” He knew me well enough to know that I didn’t often get upset, but when I did, it was never anything minor.
“Yeah, I think that’ll be plenty of time.” Little things he’d said started to click into place and I began to worry. “Wait, where are you?”
“I’m at my house, really wishing there was a cold beer in my fridge,” he chided. “My grandpa passed away last Thursday and I flew in this morning for the funeral.”
“Damn, now I feel even worse about drinking all of your beer. Sorry to hear about your grandpa, he was a good man.” Pa Sapp was more like a father to Eric than a grandparent. He was the one who taught Eric how to play and drove him to every practice.
Like Mason’s family, Pa made it to every game, except this season. He’d been battling cancer, and we all knew it was only a matter of time. It was hard to believe the old man was gone.
“Thanks. It wasn’t a surprise, but it still sucks. Anyway, I know you didn’t call to talk about that, so what’s up?”
Next to Mason, Eric was one of my best friends, and I knew it wouldn’t take long for him to realize something was bugging me. I spent the next ten minutes giving him the short version of what was going on, leaving out any details that would give away the identity of the object of my turmoil. Unfortunately, Eric wasn’t as oblivious as he liked people to believe.
“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want, but does this have something to do with you and Atley locking lips on the beach when you were here a few nights ago?” I nearly choked on my own saliva as I spluttered, trying to figure out whether it was better to confirm or deny.
“Oh, come on. Did you think I wouldn’t try to figure out what was going on when my neighbor complained about two guys fighting onherpart of the beach before disappearing up the steps to my backyard? I wasn’t going to say anything, because all I cared about was that it wasn’t assholes who didn’t belong here, but if you’re this worked up, then maybe you need to tell someone.”
Denial seemed pointless since he had proof. And if he hadn’t even told me that he knew, it stood to reason that he wouldn’t say a word to anyone about the rest of what I’d said.
“Yeah, fine,” I grumbled, hating that he’d said the same thing I was thinking to myself a few minutes ago. I did need a friendly ear other than my little sister. “Since you know all of it then, what’s your take? Am I an idiot to be this worked up about him not sticking around?”
Eric made this annoying clicking sound with his mouth. It was his tell whenever he figured he was about to say something and he wasn’t sure how it’d go over. “Honestly? I was shocked when I saw the security footage of you and Mason together, but after the third time watching it because I knew my eyes had to be playing tricks on me since Mason’s always come across as a bit of a playboy, I saw something else…”
“Yeah?” The line was silent long enough that I wondered if he had any intention of sharing his observation with me.
“I saw two guys so into one another that it made me jealous,” he confessed. “I’ll agree that it’s going to be a long road for the two of you, but I think you’ll be happier if you give him whatever time and space he needs. I’d give just about anything to find someone who’d look at me that way.”
I felt like an even bigger dick than I had minutes earlier. Eric deserved someone who’d make him happy. When we’d been fooling around, I told myself that it was enough for both of us, but hearing the pain and envy in his voice, I knew that he didn’t feel the same way. He’d wanted more, but settled for the crumbs I was willing to give him.
“So, basically you’re telling me that I’m being an idiot?”
“Nah, I think you’re dealing with a shitload of stress right now. What do you say you pick up a couple of six packs and head down to my place? I don’t have anything going on tonight and I need a break from family time.”
“I can do that. I’ll be there in twenty.” I was grateful to Eric for realizing that my house was the last place I wanted to be right now. Once I thought about it, it felt wrong to run to Eric at the first sign of trouble between Mason and me.
I justified spending time with him because he was still one of my friends, and he was mourning the loss of the man who meant more to him than anyone else in his life. He shouldn’t be alone right now.
Once I got to Eric’s, I suggested we call Jason and see if he wanted to come by for an impromptu cookout. When I told Jason why Eric was back in town, the small gathering somehow grew to half of the Mavericks hanging out in Eric’s backyard. We all knew Pa, and it seemed fitting that we had a drink in his honor since none of us would be able to attend the funeral.
Jason waited until most of the guys headed to the basement for a round of darts before bringing up the elephant in the room.
“Where’s the other half?” he asked as we sat around the smoldering fire pit.
