I took the payment and moved down the bar to get this guy Charlie a drink. He came in from time to time, but I didn’t know him well. Just that he was probably one of the most friendly guys I’d ever met.
The whole time, my gaze kept making an unexpected journey back to Ty and his friends. They were drinking and talking shit to Ty. Fortunately, they didn’t stay long. Ty and I hadn’t officially decided to hook up tonight, so he could have gone with them if he’d wanted.
We finished our shift, dancing around each other when we walked outside.
“So…whatcha doing tonight?” Ty asked as we stepped into the cool February night.
“Eh, I’ll probably head home and crash. You’re not going to meet up with Jessica?” Shit. Why the fuck had I asked that? The stupid question just slipped out.
I leaned against the building, under an overhead light. Ty’s grin grew into an uncontrollable smile as he stepped closer to me. “Hey, remember that time you threw a pitcher of beer because you were jealous someone else wanted a piece of me?”
Here we went. I’d been expecting it. “I wasn’t jealous, and it slipped.”
“Slipped out of your jealous fingers because you want me all to yourself.”
“You wish, Lacrosse.” But I did in a way, at least while we were fucking around. When we ended this, he could do whatever he wanted.
“Should I call you Jelly now? Jelly McJellerson from the house of I Want Tyson Langley?”
“If you don’t want me to answer.” I grabbed onto his hips, pulled him close so his groin met mine. “You could have gone. I don’t own you.”
The curl of his lips turned downward. “I know, but I didn’t want to go.”
“You heading straight home too, then?”
He cocked his head slightly before shaking it. “Shut up.”
“You shut up.”
“Did you bring my helmet?” He pulled back and headed for my bike.
“That’s not shutting up.”
“If it wasn’t for my mouth, your life would be boring, Sunshine.”
“Nah, I could find someone else to suck me off.” I laughed when Ty pushed me.
“I meant because I make you laugh. You think I’m funny. You have a good time with me. It’s why you hate Jessica. Oh, and Tim for trying to kiss me.”
So that was the jock’s name. Fuck Tim.
I scoffed. “I don’t hate Jessica. I don’t even know who she is.” But I didn’t want her hands on Ty any more than I did Tim’s, so there was that.
“But you like me. I knew it. You didn’t deny how much you enjoy my company. I feel like we’re turning over a new leaf in our relationship.”
I tossed him the helmet. “You’re still not shutting up.”
“Don’t plan on it either.”
No, he wouldn’t, and I was secretly glad of that.
It was a short ride back to my house. Luckily, it was blissfully quiet. I didn’t know where Asher was, but there was no party, so that was all I cared about. We’d basically ignored our fight from a couple of weeks back. That was the way we worked: one day pissed at each other, the next pretending it never happened. Basically, we were great communicators.
I let Ty inside, and he headed straight for my bedroom, only moving for me to unlock the door. Once inside, he opened the cabinet by my mini-fridge. “Thank fuck.” He tugged out the sea-salt-and-cracked-black-pepper chips he’d brought over the other day, took his shoes off, then sat beside my laptop on my bed, like he was at home, like he’d done this a million times in the past. “Want some?”
“Nah, I’m good.” I took my shoes off too, trying to ignore the comfort of this, how natural it now felt to spend time with him.
I headed into the bathroom for a quick piss and to wash my hands, and when I came back into my room, he was looking at my laptop. The screen had been black before, but he must have touched it and woken it up, my search from earlier right there for him to see. My stomach flip-flopped like a dying fish.
“Brax?”
“I was bored and just looking out of curiosity. It’s not a thing.”
“You planning on going to nursing school?”
I pulled my tee off, trying to act normal. “No, dumbass. Clearly, I was looking at it for you. I was curious what you’d need to do.” I shrugged. “You should know what your options are if you decide to follow your dream instead of your dad’s.”
I grabbed my laptop, closed the search, and plopped onto the bed beside him. He was sitting up, but I lay down, head on the pillows, legs crossed at the ankles. We were both quiet, Ty’s gaze on me, then on his chips, before coming back to me again.
“Jesus Christ, Ty. Why are you looking at me like that?” His stare was softer than it had ever been and annoying.