“No, I was just curious. You’ve never been one to get serious enough to have someone in your bed every night.”
Brax wasn’t like anyone else, but I didn’t want to sit around and explain that to Collins. They’d told me more than once that they didn’t think Brax and I made sense. And Brax was kind of a dick to them sometimes, but that was just him. I loved it when he was an asshole. It got me hard. What could I say? So I just shrugged. “Well, I do with him.” Which I guessed was basically the same as saying he was special.
“Damn, you’re really feelin’ this guy, huh?”
“Yep.” I tossed my lacrosse shoes in my bag. Brax was… I didn’t even know how to explain it. He made everything feel different. He made me feel different. He made me better.
“Well, I’m happy for you, bro. Your dad’s gonna shit a brick, though. You know that, right?”
I groaned because I did. He would hate everything about Brax. “I don’t give a shit what he says.”
Collins frowned, but it wasn’t him who spoke. Ford walked into the room and said, “That from the guy who spent the past three years—and probably his whole life—doing everything to make his father happy.”
I…wasn’t sure what to say to that. My pulse thudded against my skin, my stomach feeling a little wobbly. How the hell did Ford know? Was it obvious to everyone? “What do you mean?”
“I don’t know. You’ve just always been up his ass. You’re not the same Ty when your dad comes out to visit. You don’t act like Ty. You act like a mini him.” Ford grabbed a doughnut from the box on the counter and shoved half of it into his mouth. “One of the reasons we were shocked you took the job at the bar. Pretty sure he would think that’s beneath you,” he said around chewed-up food, which was gross as shit, but I didn’t call him on it.
I hated that they’d seen this in me and that no one had said anything. I hated that I let myself become exactly who my dad molded me into. Then why aren’t you doing anything to change it?
My bedroom door opened, and Brax came out. He rubbed a hand over his face as he walked toward me. “You should have woken me up.”
“You can stay while we’re gone.”
He frowned, looked from me, to Collins, to Ford, who went back to shoving the rest of the doughnut into his mouth. “Whass up, rude?” his question came out instead of What’s up, dude.
Brax shook his head and mumbled, “Fucking jocks.”
“Yes, you’re fucking a jock,” I replied, trying to joke so my friends didn’t make a comment about what he said.
“Yep,” Watty said as he joined us. “My room is near yours, so I can vouch for that fact. Fuck me, Sunshine. Oh yeah, right there. You gonna give me your load?”
My face got hot at Watty’s talking shit. Yeah, I’d gotten into the habit of pretending we went at it raw because it was hot.
“What the—did he say that?” Collins asked.
“More than once. Apparently, Brax dicks him down good. I need to invest in earplugs.”
“You’re just jealous.” I tugged Brax to me, but really, I was a little embarrassed. I wrapped my arms around his waist. “Wanna make out before I go?”
“So your friends will get even more jealous that we’re having better sex than them?”
“Hey, I get mine,” Collins huffed.
Brax grinned. “Go win your stupid game. I’m outta here.” I wasn’t surprised he wouldn’t stay without me there. That wasn’t really Brax’s style. Hell, I was still surprised he slept over at all.
“Um…did he just call lacrosse stupid?” Ford asked.
“Dude, I think your boyfriend’s broken,” Watty added.
“Catch you jockholes later.” Brax kissed me, then headed for the door.
“You coming to the party tonight? It’s kinda fun to see Ty in L-O-V-E,” Collins sang.
“You can spell?” Brax teased, my friends laughing, which made me a little mushy inside. I liked to see him joke around with my boys. “Unlike you guys, I have to work to pay my bills.”
Brax’s gaze caught mine, and I answered, “He’ll be here afterward, though.” For once in his life, he didn’t argue with me.
The beer was flowing freely. Music pumped through the speakers, and the living room and kitchen were packed with people. I had an empty red Solo cup in one hand and my phone in the other, waiting for Brax to get off at Shenanigans so he could come here and hang out with us.
I went to the kitchen for a refill, hoping time would speed up. Why weren’t parties fun without Brax anymore?
When I heard a familiar laugh, I glanced over to see some guy trying to talk to Marshall. He got to be off tonight. Why couldn’t Brax? Whoever the guy with him was, he was definitely interested, but it didn’t look like Marshall realized that.