Slider pulled over to relieve himself. “Why would you say he doesn’t like you?”
“If he’d liked the kiss or been glad to hear I had a crush on him, he’d have told me what I did. Instead, he let it slide.”
“Telling someone you don’t remember is the classic sign you regret what happened. Unless you were so drunk you passed out, everyone knows you don’t forget. Including Coury.”
Fuck.“Which means not only did he not like it, he knows I lied.”
“No, Liam. What it means is, Coury is a very nice young man. He respects you regret what you did and is not going to embarrass you by calling bullshit.”
“But Idon’tregret it.”
“Then tell him. Explain you were embarrassed and had hoped he would bring it up so you two could talk about it.” Pop pulled a bag from his coat pocket and cleaned up after Slider. “If Coury didn’t like the fact you kissed him, he’d have told you, politely.”
Liam replayed the day’s events. “Shit.”
“What?”
“I screwed this up for real.”
Pop used his free hand to hug Liam. “I don’t think you screwed up. It’s not too late to tell him the truth.”
It scared the hell out of him, but Pops was right. Coury would have told Liam what happened, even if it was in a joking way, if he hadn’t liked it. But Coury had also brought up a good point in the car.
“I need to talk to Becks first.”
Pop laughed. “Clearly you don’t know your brother if you’re asking him for advice on how to talk to Coury.”
“I know better than to ask himthat.” He bumped shoulders with his grandfather. “Coury is his best friend. If Coury and I start dating, Beckett won’t be happy finding out from someone else. I need to tell him first.”
“I stand corrected,” Pop said. “Youdoknow Beckett.”
It was the right decision, but Liam didn’t know which talk he dreaded more.
Chapter Thirteen
Coury
Coury had driven by the Elk Lodge a million times but never been inside. He didn’t know you could rent the place for parties.
Beckett’s family obviously did.
The party room wasn’t fancy, but it worked for the Wright Family party. Plenty of tables where people could eat, lots of open space to congregate and talk, and easy access to outdoors if you needed a break.
Growing up, Coury had been to dozens of Wright family events; there weren’t many people in the room he didn’t know. Most recognized him, and he spent a bit of time being social and polite. Time he’d hoped to use to corner Beckett and talk to him about Liam.
Telling him was the right thing to do. If Coury and Liam dated, it would change his relationship with Beckett.
Becks had always been Coury’s go-to person when he had relationship issues. He’d spent hours talking about his girlfriends, and to a lesser—but significant—degree, his boyfriends, too. No way could he have those conversations if he dated Liam. Cutting Beckett outwouldalter their relationship. He just didn’t know if it would destroy seventeen years of friendship.
His stomach crunched as he wound his way toward Beckett under glittering streamers near the back wall.
Getting his friend alone had been harder than he thought. The party was in his honor, and Beckett had an obligation to be social. He could have worked with Beckett’s family obligations. The bigger problem was Liam.
Every time Coury thought he had an opening, Liam beat him to Beckett’s side. He and Liam would look at each other and then the three of them would end up chatting about something trivial.
He was about to give up and talk to him the next day, when Beckett grabbed him by the arm, asking to be saved. Coury saw Liam start toward his brother, then stop when Beckett tugged Coury toward the bar.
Coury got two beers and they headed for the back patio. No one wanted to brave the cold, so they had privacy.
