“What if we call it a tie?” Olander says as he leans his huge forearms on the table and shoots the guys a placating grin.
“You want to know what? I don’t give a fuck,” Araujo spits out. He shoves back from the table, his chair crashing to the floor. “Thompson can have the fucking title.” He storms off.
The table goes silent. Um. I exchange wide-eyed glances with Shane, Nebiolo, and Winters.
“I thought a tie was fair…” Olander looks around at all of us, his blue-gray eyes round.
“Maybe…I should go after him,” Thompson says awkwardly and hurries after his friend.
Shane leans into me and drops his voice. “That was weird. I’m getting major jealousy vibes, am I right?”
I follow Thompson's lean frame as he hurries toward the exit. “You might be right,” I murmur. “Have you ever noticed Thompson has a lot of freckles?”
Our gazes meet, and his eyebrows disappear into his hairline. “Shit.”
My thoughts exactly. Maybe we’re not the only two with secrets.
TWENTY-EIGHT
SHANE
Jed pullshis Range Rover into the driveway of Nebiolo’s brother’s townhouse. Paulie and Easton are out of the car before it’s even rolled to a stop.
“Shit, remembered—Have to hurry?—”
“Say bye to Stone for us, Michaels!”
The car doors slam, and with that, Jed and I are alone, my ridiculous roommates disappearing inside the front door.
“They’re really embarrassing,” I say awkwardly. “I don’t know why I’m friends with them.”
His deep chuckle rumbles through the car, through my ribcage and settles in my chest. A soft, soothing vibration.
Pauls and East have takenOperation Save a Surfboardway too seriously. Those two trying to push us together are so damn obvious. At this point, Jed and I would be better off if we started hooking up again to get them to stop.
There’s an idea.
No. Stop it, Shane.
I gnaw on my lip and turn to him. “I’m sorry, Jed.” Thelast thing I want is for him to feel pressured. I do appreciate my friends’ support, but they’re laying it on a bit thick.
“Don’t be.” He shakes his head quickly. “They’re good friends.”
They are. I’m so fucking lucky to have them.
He studies me, his face half in shadow, half lit by our outdoor lights. “I didn’t doubt you when you said they wouldn’t be trouble. But this just proves how right you were. Their”—he does air quotes—“encouragementis refreshing in a way. Usually, you have to worry about people being uncomfortable with you dating another man, even those who say they’re okay with it. Some people prefer that we keep our queerness behind closed doors. I’m happy you have such a supportive network.”
“Me too.”
Not all that surprising considering we’re all queer except for Paulie, but Jed doesn’t know that, and it’s not my place to say. Frankie is out and proud, though, so maybe that will help ease some of Jed’s worries about us.
“Paulie’s older brother, the one who rents the townhouse, is gay. Definitely a safe space here.” A chuckle slips from me, and I run a finger over the dashboard. “Frankie actually offered to teach me the ways of the gays when I came out as bi.”
“Oh, he did, did he?” Jed says tightly.
My gaze snaps to him and traces his flat lips. Huh. “Yeah. Frankie’s hot, don’t get me wrong.” A muscle in his cheek tics. “But I was kind of hung up on someone else.”
“So, if not for this someone else, you’d go there?”
