Jordan responded first. Probably sitting at home by himself, endlessly scrolling through his apps, being picky as fuck about what guy he was going to let fuck him for the first time.
this is what I keep telling you.
not helpful,Trevor texted back.
“You’re quiet,” Lane said, nudging him again. “Are you sure you’re good?”
Trevor looked over at him. He was allowed, evenencouraged, to tell Lane how he felt now. And they were already running a minute or two behind, Tom and Delia would almost definitely beat them to the restaurant, so there’d be no time for Lane to go back and change anyway.
Not that he probably would. He’d probably spend the whole dinner with his hand on Trevor’s thigh, barely covered by the tablecloth, smirking every single time Trevor looked over at him.
“You’re just . . .” Trevor swallowed hard. “You clean up, good, yeah?”
The enormous smile that broke over Lane’s face at Trevor’s words told him that he’d made the right choice in telling him.
“Yeah? You feelin’ hot about it, baby?” Lane said, ducking his head closer. Hesmelledgood too, and Trevor wanted to climb him like a tree.
But he couldn’t. Theycouldn’t.
“Yeah.”
Lane’s gaze met his, and Trevor felt like he was burning up from the inside out. He nearly leaned in and did something stupid like kiss Lane, when the truth was, this dinner was going to be awkward and difficult enough, if Trevor couldn’t get himself under control.
“Later,” Lane mouthed at him, and Trevor wanted to melt to the floor about it. But he didn’t. Because that would be undignified.
The elevator doors dinged open, and Lane hesitated for just a second before he walked out, into the lobby, Trevor trailing behind him.
How had Lane done this for so long? Foryears, even? Trevor hadn’t been entirely sure he got why Lane had stayed away, but now he was beginning to really understand why.
And back then, Lane had only thought it was him. He hadn’t had an inkling that it could be mutual.
Trevor’s phone vibrated as they slid into the Uber.
you could just go the simplest route and TELL THEM, Cam had texted.
Trevor sent him an eye rolling emoji back. Cam knew very well why Trevor couldn’t just go the “simple” route and tell them. Because Lane and his silence had made that simple route more difficult, and Trevor was being an understanding and sympathetic boyfriend. A good partner.
or,Jordan sent,you could just stay at home and fuck about it.
Lane must have glanced over at his screen. Because he nudged Trevor’s side. “Whining to the rookies, huh?” He still looked amused.
“A little,” Trevor admitted.
“It’s cute,” Lane said, an honest-to-God dimple showing in his cheek. “Really freaking cute, actually.”
“Stop it, I’m trying to think, well, notbrotherlythoughts, but platonic thoughts. We’re going to have to keep it together for a whole dinner.”
But Lane just laughed. “You keep it together at practice, sometimes for like ten-plus hours.”
Somehow that was different though. Those guys just looked at him and Lane and saw the demon twins. Saw the overlay of their short history of rubbing each other mostly the wrong way, not therightway, and interpreted everything through that. Ofcourse, it also helped that Trevor had something tododuring those long days. A purpose. Being busy always helped.
Instead, he was going to be sitting there at dinner, making small talk, and with very little to distract him, trying not to think about how he wanted to pull Lane’s tight pants off with his teeth.
“Yeah, not the same,” Trevor admitted.
“I get it.” Lane ducked his head down closer. They were close to the restaurant now. Only a few blocks away. “It’s like they’re meeting us for the first time again.”
Trevor nodded his agreement. “That’s exactly it,” he said. “They didn’t know us when we knew each other. And we’ve spent the last six months doing that.”
