10. King
10
KING
It was a new day and with it, good times. Yesterday was a roller coaster of emotions, one I wasn’t ready to replicate yet. So I decided Hayes and I were doing something fun. We were bringing Knox with us because if I got one more drunk text from him about how much he wanted to find love, I was going to go over there and throw his phone under my tire. I understood how he wanted to have what others did, but drinking the problem away wasn’t the solution.
Last night, when I was lying in bed, I kept staring at my phone, debating on texting Jamie. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t handle hearing who he was well. The problem became what would happen when Jamie and I went public with our relationship? I couldn’t see how it would work. He didn’t want the limelight. I thrived in it. Even if I was in it less, like Devon, it would still pull Jamie front and center for a bit like it did Lincoln. No one comes away unscathed when you date a public figure.
“You should call him,” Hayes said when he walked into the living room. I was sitting on the couch staring at my phone again. I didn’t know what to do.
“I’m not sure what to say.”
“You care about him, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then you’ll figure it out.”
I looked at my best friend. Gone were the tears I saw in his eyes last night, but he didn’t seem back to himself yet. I hoped going out today helped.
That was another part of my issue, one I didn’t voice to Hayes. I didn’t know how to juggle my best friend and my potential boyfriend, if Jamie even wanted to be that. I couldn’t let my friendship with Hayes go, not that I thought Jamie would suggest it. I didn’t know how to balance it though.
For all Hayes’s serious demeanor, he had a big heart. Most never got to see it. It took a lot of trust on his part to reveal who he was to others. Maybe if I could work things out with Jamie so we were both happy, he would become friends with Hayes too.
“Where are we going?” Hayes asked, pulling me from my thoughts.
I stood. “Out on the boat.”
A slow smile formed on his lips. “Really?”
“Yeah. We’re meeting Knox there. His ass needs to get out of his house. He needs a distraction.”
“You got texts from him too?”
“Yup, and we need to talk to him.”
Hayes nodded. “Let me grab my stuff and we’ll go.”
Now that he knew what we were doing, he’d need something to swim in. I already had lunch packed in a cooler and sunblock.
He came back a few minutes later with sunglasses on, an Emperors cap, and his board shorts in his hand. I grabbed them and put them in the bag on my shoulder. We locked up and made our way down to my car. With everything in the trunk, we got in and started the drive to the marina with the music blasting and the bass thumping. We didn’t need to talk. Not when we lived together. Plus, Hayes knew how much I loved to crank up the music when I drove.
We pulled into the marina and parked beside Knox’s silver Corvette. He was leaning against the side of it, sunglasses on, a Jetties hat pulled down low to block even more sun from his eyes.
“Hungover?” I asked when I got out of the car.
“If you’re going to lecture me, I’m heading back home.”
I shook my head and walked over to give him a big hug. “We need a day of relaxation.”
“So, you’re not going to ask me about my life?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Knox cursed under his breath but grabbed his bag while we got ours. We walked through the marina to the slip where my family’s boat was held. It wasn’t a yacht or anything fancy. It was big enough for our family to spend a day on the water. I could have used the money I made and bought something bigger, nicer, but there were too many memories with this one. I couldn’t replace it. We used to come out on it a lot until my parents divorced. Now there was a shared calendar where we put in if we wanted to use it so we didn’t have to fight over it. My parents didn’t take it out as much as my siblings and me. Luckily, no one was using it today.
It wasn’t long before we were moving through the water, on our way to a quiet spot with not a lot of other boats around. Sure, there were times when I took the boat out and found others having parties. I never drank while I was driving, but that didn’t mean I wasn’t having fun.
Today, I needed to pay attention to my friends. When I got home later, I could obsess over Jamie and how to handle things.
Once we found a spot, I got us situated so we could stay here for a bit. I was going to bring up what was going on with Knox whether he liked it or not. And he definitely wouldn’t like it. Out here he couldn’t run away and avoid what was happening. I also didn’t bring any beer unless he did, which was a distinct possibility.
Knox reached into his bag and pulled out a small cooler. Sneaky. A cooler inside his duffle. He grabbed a can, but Hayes quickly swiped it. Knox pulled out another. I grabbed that one. Knox sighed dramatically. The third one he pulled out both Hayes and I lunged for.
“I get it!” he yelled. Luckily there was no one out here to hear him.
“Then stop fucking drinking!” Hayes shouted back. “Jesus, Knox, enough.”
Knox growled and threw the beer in his hand as far as he could until it dropped down into the sea.
“Now you’re littering?” I shook my head. “Just when you think you know someone.”
“You’re a dick,” he replied.
“Takes one to know one.”
“And childish.”
“How rude! I mean, a dick yes. I have a glorious one. But childish? Tsk tsk tsk. There’s no need for that kind of talk.” Reaching into my cooler, I grabbed bottles of water and handed one to Hayes and another to Knox. “That’s all you’re drinking today.”
“Whatever,” he grumbled.
“I didn’t bring you out here just to piss you off, even though I’m sure you think that.”
“I do.”
“You’ve been drunk texting us. You need to get your shit together. I know D has talked to you about this before. You were doing good for a while there and now you’re going downhill again.”
“He’s right,” Hayes added. “Talk to us.”
I moved to sit next to him so I could put my arm around his shoulders, comforting him any way I could. He didn’t shove me off. He leaned into it a little.
Knox took his hat off, running his fingers through his hair before putting it back in place. He glanced out at the water. It was a solid minute before he spoke. His eyes never settled on Hayes or me, just stared out to sea. “I’m going back to Pittsburgh for the summer. I leave on Friday.”
“Did something else happen?” I asked. There was no sense in avoiding the topic. We knew Knox was going through some shit and it was weighing him down.
“No. I just think I need to head home. Spend some time with my family too.” His parents didn’t live too far from the city. Knox had a place in Pittsburgh.
“It’s a good idea,” Hayes said. “Maybe being with your family will help.”
I nodded. “But don’t go there to try and find someone to jump into bed with in hopes they’ll be your forever.”
“I…” Knox let out a breath. “I’d like to say I won’t do that. I mean, I won’t actively look for someone but if it happens…” He shrugged. Knox really wanted what Devon had. What Kasper and Marcus had. What Coach did as well as others on the team. I also wondered if everything ran deep with him, and he was only letting us see the surface.
Hayes reached over and took Knox’s hand. It did something funny to me. I wasn’t sure if it was jealousy exactly, but I wasn’t loving him touching Knox the way he was. “Promise me you won’t drink yourself into oblivion. We’ll be too far away to come get you.”
“I’ve got stuff lined up. Training. I’m not going to let myself go to shit. Don’t want Coach replacing me come preseason.”
“Good. That will keep you busy.” What Hayes didn’t say was most of the time. Knox would probably train five or six days a week, but that still left time for him to fuck off and do whatever. We didn’t train all day every day.
“We just want you happy, Knox,” I told him.
“I know. I want me to be too. I wish I knew how to get there. Everyone I’ve been with feels so empty. Nothing of substance. I’m tired of being alone.”
I understood exactly how he felt. No matter how many people I slept with, it was always fun. A good time. Until I met Jamie. Everything changed with him. There was just something about him. To think I might have fucked it up, I really needed to talk to him. I wasn’t sure what to say though. How to mesh our lives together so it worked. That was if he wanted to date me. Be a couple.
Knox’s foot nudged mine. “What’s up with you?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Come on. Give me something else to think about.”
“Fine. I met someone.” I didn’t sound too enthusiastic about it. I couldn’t when Knox was so down. I didn’t want to rub it in his face that I had someone and he didn’t. That would be shitty as hell.
“Tell me about him.” When I looked up, Knox was staring right at me. He had a small smile showing he was genuinely interested. He was such a good guy. I really wanted him to find someone of his own.
“You can’t say anything, at least not yet. We’re not exactly out as a couple.”
“Is he in the closet?”
“No, not that I know anyway. We met at a gay club and had drinks at Barrel Lounge too.” I shook my head. “No, definitely not in the closet.”
“I won’t breathe a word.”
“You know who Tim Deary is, right?”
He scoffed. “Who doesn’t?”
“Did you know he has a brother?”
“I don’t think so. I mean, I don’t follow the Emperors closely but Tim’s in the news often enough. I don’t remember him mentioning anyone.”
“His brother is who I’ve been seeing. But he didn’t tell me who he was until Marcus and Kasper tipped me off. Jamie, that’s his name, told me who he was after we ran into the others.”
“Okay, so what’s the problem?”
“He’s not interested in any publicity,” Hayes said. “If you search for him on the internet, you can’t find anything. It’s like he’s a ghost.” Hayes actually looked him up after he told me not to? Interesting.
Knox sat up straighter. “Do you think he’s in witness protection or some shit? Maybe he’s part of the FBI?”
I looked him dead in the eyes. “Yes, that’s exactly it. He was scoping someone out at Twist and Turn. The gay community is harboring a fugitive. Keep a lookout for tight pants and mesh tops. You never know if it’s their dick they’re packing or something far more dangerous.”
Hayes laughed and Knox chuckled. It was good seeing them both happy, even if it was only for a moment.
“Can you imagine that though?” Hayes asked. “King dating someone who’s a super-secret spy?”
“Hey, I could date an agent. I’d be a helluva good boyfriend. I’d keep their secrets.”
Hayes snorted. “Until you had to go to an event and your boyfriend skulked around in the shadows because he couldn’t show his face. Maybe he’d press himself up against the wall, gun in hand, ready to take out anyone who came near you.” Hayes brought his hands up like they were a gun and looked from side to side.
“You’re an asshole.” I laughed and shoved his leg with my foot. “And besides, Jamie’s in IT.”
“He’s smarter than you.” Knox grinned.
I kicked his leg next. “You’re an asshole too.”
He shrugged. “I’ve been called worse.”
“Yeah, but only I can say it with love.”
He tipped his water in my direction. “True.”
The sun peeked out from behind a cloud, making it hotter. I dug out the sunscreen from my bag and tossed it to Hayes. “Lather up Knox before he burns.”
“Why don’t you do it?”
“Because I’m going slick you up while you do him.”
Knox cocked an eyebrow. “Are we talking about sunblock or something else? Because I have to say, to get you two in bed would be a dream for a night.”
“Fuck off,” Hayes said with a chuckle. “You couldn’t handle me.”
“You never know unless you try,” I chimed in. Both of them swiveled their attention my way. “What?”
Hayes’s eyes were wide. “You want to have a threesome on your parents’ boat?”
I simply blinked at him for a few seconds then said, “I can’t believe you thought I was serious. I’d never fuck Knox.”
Knox threw his water at me, lid off, soaking the front of my shirt. “I’m amazing in bed. Your loss, fucker.”
“Whatever.” I rolled my eyes. “Come on. I don’t want to burn out here.”
And that was how I ended up rubbing lotion into Hayes’s skin while he rubbed Knox and Knox let out an obscenely long moan like we were truly fucking on my parents’ boat.