“Man, had I known you batted for our team, I could’ve told you how great dick was a long-ass time ago.”
Chuckling, I reply honestly, “I didn’t know. You know how I am. Sex is the furthest thing from my mind most of the time, so it never even occurred to me that I may not be completely straight.”
“And you aren’t freaking out about that?”
Shaking my head, I exhale a cloud of smoke. “I think if it were anybody else, I probably would. But I don’t know…he feels different. I probably sound ridiculous.”
“Sooo ridiculous,” he teases, rolling his eyes and smirking. “No, but for real, you don’t. Sometimes people just click. There’s no explanation or reason for it, it just happens.”
“Yeah, but I don’t know what to do. Eventually, he’ll head back to Washington. He’s only here temporarily. And then what? Just forget about him?”
“Not if you don’t want to,” he murmurs. “Have you talked to him about it?”
“No, and you barged in this morning. When would I have had the chance?”
“Oh, fuck off.” He laughs. “You two werenottalking when I walked in. You both looked frazzled, like you just got caught with your hand in the cookie jar.”
My face heats, which gives everything away. Shooter chuckles, taking another drag before putting out the cigarette with his boot.
“Talk when you guys get home. If you both don’t want it to end, then don’t, but you never know until you talk.”
“Since fucking when are you so wise?”
“I’ve always been wise, my friend. You’ve just been blind to all my awesomeness.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” I bark out a laugh as we head back inside to join the rest of our group. As ridiculous as he can be, Shooter’s right. We need to talk. I just hope we’re on the same page, because I don’t know how I’m supposed to go on living life after experiencing something as incredible as what we did last night.
After we finish eating, we all head up to our rooms to pack before heading to the airport. We’re all on the same flight, which is nice. As soon as Xander and I get back into our room, I’m hit with an urge to finish what we started earlier, but I know we don’t have the time. Based on the flirty looks Xander is sending my way, I’d say he probably wants to as well.
Thankfully—but also, unfortunately—before I can try to talk myself into thinking we do, in fact, have time, my phone rings. Grabbing it off the bed, a grin spreads on my face when I see it’s my parents calling. I hit accept, putting the call on speaker and setting it back on the bed so I can continue to pack while I talk.
“Hey, guys!”
“There’s our world championship winning son,” my dad’s deep, gruff voice booms through the speaker. I turn my gaze to Xander and find him smiling over at me.
“Honey, we are so proud of you!” my mom gushes. “And we’re so sorry that we couldn’t be there to watch you in person.”
“Thank you, and it’s more than okay, Mom. There will be other ones you can come to.”
“You’re darn right there will be.” I can hear the pride in her tone, and it makes my chest squeeze.
“You back home yet?” my dad asks.
“Not yet, we’re getting ready to head to the airport now.”
“We?” my mom asks. “Are you rooming with Shooter again?”
I can’t help the laugh that bubbles up as my eyes find Xander’s again from across the bed. “Nah, actually, my, uh, friend, Xander, came to watch me compete. We shared a room.”
“Is he there now?” she asks. “Can he hear us?”
“Yup, he can hear you.”
“Hi, Xander,” my mom coos through the speaker, the smile evident in her tone.
His cheeks pinken. “Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Murphy. It’s nice to, er, meet you.”
“Oh, please, call me Pearl,” my mom corrects before my dad adds, “And you can call me Clint. It’s nice to meet you, Xander.”
