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“Hey,” he said back, letting his arm press up against Jed’s. He didn’t have the energy to worry about keeping his distance right now.

“I told Mike this was a jerk move.” Jed sounded angry. “What’d he want?”

“I’m not sure.” Remy closed his eyes and tried to ignore how good the heat radiating off Jed felt. “I guess I’ll find out. We’re having a drink at the hotel.”

“Are you sure you want to do that?” Jed shifted in the seat beside him. “He’s acting like a selfish asshole right now, asking you to spend time with him just so he can go back and talk about the drink he had with his star player. You don’t have to see him if you don’t want to, Remy.”

God, Remy liked hearing Jed say his name. But it also stung that Jed didn’t seem to think Mike could be here because he missed Remy, and that made it easier to say, “I don’t have a problem seeing Mike. He wants to buy me a drink, and I guess I deserve one tonight.”

Jed was silent for a minute. “You should have a drink to celebrate, if you want,” he said finally. “You played a great game tonight. You’re going to have a real future in Colorado if you can keep that up. But you don’t have to have a drink alone with Mike if you don’t want to.”

“What do you mean? Are you gonna come have a drink with us?” That idea was far too appealing, and Remy started to heat right back up again. “I mean, you two are friends. And you and I are friends. So it wouldn’t be weird.”

Jed gave Remy a sideways look. “I’m not so sure about that. What I meant was, you can change your mind. I don’t know what Mike thinks he’s doing, but he had you tied up in knots a week ago.”

Right. Remy needed to cool himself down.

“It’s not a big deal. I’ll be fine.” He leaned into the window and turned away so that he couldn’t feel Jed’s arm anymore. He could tell that Jed was looking at him, but he was damned if he was going to look back. He didn’t need Jed and he didn’t need Mike and he was going to have a drink and put this whole exhausting emotional roller coaster of a night behind him.

Remy spotted Mike as soon as he entered the lobby and headed over to him after grabbing his room key.

“You finally looked like yourself out there tonight, Remy,” Mike said in greeting, pushing a beer his way. That’s what Remy had always ordered the few times he and Mike went out somewhere together. By unspoken agreement, they’d played it in public like they were just a couple of guys out for a drink.

At the time, Remy told himself it made it that much hotter when they got back to his apartment and Mike started undoing his clothes piece by piece like he’d been holding back all night. Now, it just made him feel kind of sad that he’d let himself get worked up over someone who’d never touch him in front of other people.

“Thanks.” Remy perched on the stool next to Mike’s and took a big sip, trying not to make a face. He’d managed to forget that Mike always ordered him a light beer.

“You’re probably wondering why I didn’t tell you I was coming.”

Actually, he was wondering why Mike was there at all. But he wasn’t sure how to say that without sounding like it mattered more than it did, so he went with, “Yeah, I guess. You’ve kind of been ghosting me.”

“I thought it would make things easier.”

“For who?” Remy shot back, as the hurt started to bubble up again. So much for getting off the emotional roller coaster. “For me, or for you? Because it kind of sucked, at first.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t think, I guess.”

“No kidding.”

“You looked like you were settling in fine in Denver, though. And I knew Monty would make sure the team was taking good care of you.”

“Even if we weren’t, like, in a relationship, I think I deserved better than that. I thought we were at least friends now.”

“We are. Look, I’m here now. Let me make it up to you.”

Mike touched his thigh briefly, and damn it, Remy didn’t hate the feel of Mike’s hand, but it wasn’t what he wanted. He bit his lip and looked Mike in the eye, trying to gauge where Mike’s head was really at.

Mike didn’t look like he had a doubt in the world about what was going to happen next. Had Remy really been that easy?

“I know you’re needy, Remy, but you’re not gonna make me grovel, are you?” Mike asked. “I came all this way, didn’t I?”

Needy? Of course that’s how Mike saw him. Well, fuck that. But before Remy could say anything, a loud burst of laughter from behind them had Mike leaning away, and they both turned to look. Petey, Jake, and a bunch of other guys were heading out. And Jed was there, too, but he wasn’t dressed to go out. He was standing still, looking straight at them.

Remy’s heart started beating faster. Had Jed come down so that Remy wouldn’t have to be alone with Mike after all? Remy started to wave him over, but Mike grabbed his arm.

“Hey. We good now?”

Remy looked at him and then at Jed, who had turned and was getting on the elevator to go back upstairs. And that was pretty much the last straw. Time to stop being such a damn fool, Remy told himself. He could start by making it clear to Mike that Remy was well and truly over him.