“Please, yes.All for you, and preferably miles away from my family,” Ryan joins us.
“Will you stop with that?”Ian says.“Can you just accept he’s Evan’s dad, and that he and Chris have been friends for twenty years?”
“Lucky me.”
“Why the fuck are you so wound up over him?”
“Because he’s a pain in the arse.”
“You should actually get to know him,” I hear myself say.“Seriously.You might be surprised.”
Ryan throws his hands up.“I’ll gladly leave that to you.”
“Already defending him,” Ian says, giving me a shove.
“He doesn’t need defending.”
“Uh-huh…” Ryan teases.
“You just don’t get it,” I say, shaking my head.
“So explain that to us, then.”
“He’s not like you.”
“That’s for sure,” Ryan says, and Ian slaps him on the back of the head.
“He’s not like me either.”
“Now I’m lost.”
“He is a man.”
“Um… and what are we?”
“We’ve no idea what that even means — me included.”
“This is getting good now,” Ian says.
“This is wrecking my head,” Ryan deadpans.“Any time the Doctor gets involved, I lose the will to live.”
“Then go play somewhere else and stop bothering the grown-ups talking, will you?”
“Grand idea.I’m off to bother Nick.I saw him out on the pitch with the kids.”
“Good.Go to someone who actually understands you.”
Ryan flips him off and walks away, leaving the locker room.
“I know what you mean,” he says once we’re on our own.“And you’re right.”
I nod.
“I also believe he can understand, you know.”
“I’m not sure.”
“If I figured it out, then so can he.”
