CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO #2
Damn it, Thad was supposed to be the one making them brunch.
Graham had earbuds in, Thad realized as he walked closer, intending to wrap an arm around Graham’s waist and kiss his shoulder when he abruptly realized there was a pretty blonde woman on the screen.
It wasn’t a phone call but a video chat.
Fuck! Thad veered off, quickly stepping out of view of the camera.
Graham flinched before he schooled his expression into something more neutral. He laughed nervously. “Uh, no one. Just one of my buddies.”
Thad tried not to wince at being called that. Graham had to lie about it. That was what they’d agreed on. And yet … it stung more than Thad would have expected.
Graham continued. “Yeah. He works for the Harriers. We, um, we sometimes play basketball in the park near me and he uses my uh, my shower after.”
Graham’s gaze darted toward Thad before looking away again, clearly uneasy. “What? I mean, he had underwear on. Dude, he’s a former hockey player. It’s, uh, a locker room thing. You know we don’t even think about shit like that.”
He fell silent for a moment. “Shut the hell up and stop checking out my—my friend! He’s … you have a fiancé, remember, Corine?”
You want me to leave? Thad mouthed. Where exactly he was going to go in nothing but his underwear, he wasn’t sure, but asking felt like the right choice.
Graham made a slashing motion with his hand off camera, so Thad stayed put.
“Look, I’ve gotta go, Cory. I was in the middle of making lunch when you called. We’ll talk more about the wedding soon, okay? Love you. Bye.”
Graham ended the call and ripped out his earbuds, slumping against the counter across from Thad. “Fuck!”
Thad winced. “I’m sorry. I heard you talking but I had no idea it was a video call.”
“No.” Graham waved it off. “I’m not mad at you. I was talking to my sister, and I had the earbuds in, so I didn’t hear you get up. It’s my fault.”
“I guess we’ll have to be more careful in the future,” Thad said, hoping this hadn’t spooked Graham so much he freaked out and ended their relationship.
“Yeah.”
Well, that wasn’t exactly promising sounding.
Graham tipped his head back and closed his eyes for a moment.
Thad smiled at the faint cleft in Graham’s jaw that became more apparent from this angle. He really was gorgeous. And kind.
But God, Thad was gripped with an overwhelming fear he would change his mind. He’d realize all of this was too much for him to deal with. He’d want to go back to the way things had been before.
When his life had been easy.
“I feel awful,” Graham whispered.
“Yeah? At having to lie to your family?” Thad swallowed thickly. That was it then. Graham was an honest person. He would hate having to be dishonest like this.
“What?” Graham lowered his chin and gave him a puzzled look. “No. At having to deny what we are. I hate you had to hear me call you my buddy. Like you aren’t the best thing that’s happened to me in a long time.”
“Graham,” Thad croaked, overcome by his words.
“I’m sorry, okay?” Graham looked miserable. “I didn’t know what else to do. We agreed we were going to keep this under wraps, and I couldn’t tell my sister, so I didn’t know how else to explain why I had a mostly naked man wandering around my apartment at this hour of the day.”
“It’s not that early,” Thad pointed out because that was easier than telling him why he felt overwhelmed by Graham’s words.
“It’s …” He glanced at the clock. “Okay, it is pretty late. I guess it took longer at HCI than I expected. Looks like you got some sleep though.”
“Yeah, I guess I crashed after you left.” Thad rubbed a hand over his face.
“Good. But I mean it,” Graham said. “I’m sorry. I panicked and—”
“No.” Thad stepped forward, crowding into Graham’s space and settling his hands on either side of his hips. He had on sweats and no shirt and, God, it was a good look on him. “Hey. You did what you had to do. I’m not upset.”
Sure, it had stung a little at first to be called his buddy. But Thad understood it. Graham had done what he had to. Thad would never blame him.
And shit. He’d been a mess too lately. They were both figuring this relationship out.
“You sure?” Graham looped his arms around Thad’s neck, looking him in the eye.
“Yeah, I’m sure.” Thad pulled him closer.
For a moment, they stood there, holding each other before Graham sighed, gently pushing him away. “You want breakfast?”
“I think it’s at least brunch time,” Thad pointed out drily. “But sure. Let’s do this together.”
After they’d eaten and cleaned up a little, Graham sidled closer to Thad. “You wanna do something?”
Thad lifted an eyebrow. “Like go on a date like we talked about?”
“I meant heading back into the bedroom,” Graham said, sliding his hand down Thad’s chest.
He’d put on clothes, unfortunately. But Graham still liked the firmness of his pecs under the soft cotton of his shirt.
Thad shot him a crooked grin. “You are insatiable.”
“Well,” Graham countered. “I wouldn’t be if you weren’t so hot.”
Thad scoffed. “And if you weren’t in your twenties.”
Graham ignored that, dipping a finger into the waistband of his jeans instead. “You definitely are hot.”
“Look,” Thad said. “Believe me, when I woke up, I was getting hard thinking about everything we could do together. And I still want that. But I also want to take you out.”
Graham let out a little grumble of annoyance.
Thad gave him another smile, this time, something smaller and softer.
More private. “Give me this, baby?” he asked as he wrapped a hand around the back of Graham’s neck, gently tilting his head so they looked each other in the eye.
“We haven’t had a lot of time to go out.
And I feel bad for bailing on our date last night. ”
Ugh. How could Graham deny him anything when he looked at him like that?
“Okay. What do you want to do today?” he asked.
Thad dropped his hand and shrugged. “I have no idea. What do people do on dates?”
Graham laughed, thinking of the ideas he’d tossed around before settling on the movie night. “Hmm. How do you feel about mini golf?”
Thad laughed. “Shit, I don’t know. I don’t think I’ve done it since I was like twelve or thirteen. I think the last time we went as a family, Gav and I nearly got kicked out for fighting.”
“What were you fighting about?”
“I don’t remember. I think we were just being competitive assholes as usual. Probably one of us accused the other of cheating and it devolved from there. You know what siblings are like.”
Graham shrugged. “I guess. Cory and I get along pretty well.”
“That’s who you were on the phone with earlier?” Thad frowned.
“Uhh, yeah.” Graham shifted away, walking toward the living room.
“Touchy subject?” Thad asked, following him.
Graham shook his head, taking a seat on the sectional beside Murphy. He was sleeping on his favorite blanket, legs twitching a little like he was dreaming. “No. Like I said, we get along well.”
“She’s … getting married?”
“Yeah.” Graham glanced up to see Thad standing there, hands shoved in his pockets. He patted the cushion on the other side of him. “This winter. She had to work around my schedule, so it’s been crammed in the weekend between Christmas and New Year’s, when we have the games in Pennsylvania.”
Thad took a seat beside him. “That was nice of her to make sure you could come.”
“Well, I am her man of honor.”
Thad grinned. “Nice. Didn’t know that was a thing but …”
Graham shrugged. “I mean, we’re close. She has female friends standing up for her too, but we’ve always … I don’t know. Our parents can be a little … high-strung, I guess? So we kinda banded together and stuck up for each other when they were being a little over-the-top.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I mean, my mom’s a lawyer and she’s very …
very Type A. Dad’s a lawyer too, though it’s corporate shit for him.
She’s a prosecuting attorney. They’re both overachievers and had super high expectations for Cory and me.
Honors classes, summer programs, learning enrichment activities …
that sort of stuff. They didn’t always understand we needed time to be … kids. Have fun.”
“How’d they feel about you going pro for hockey?”
Graham shrugged. “It definitely wouldn’t have been their pick.
But they’re proud of me. They come to games when we play in Pittsburgh.
Dad and a few of his friends usually take a trip out to Boston once a year to take in a couple of games.
It’s harder for my mom with her schedule but she does what she can. ”
“It’s just as well we’re keeping this under the radar. Prosecutors aren’t my favorite people.”
Graham reached out and squeezed his thigh. “Yeah. I’d imagine not.”
“So, mini golf,” Thad said firmly. “Do you know of a place to go?”
There was more they should probably talk about, but Graham took Thad’s change of subject as strong hint he wasn’t in the mood. They’d have more time to talk in the future.
“I don’t, but I have the internet, you old geezer.” Graham waved his phone.
“Hey!” Thad protested but he was laughing. “Don’t call me that.”
They wrestled for the phone and when Graham ended up under Thad on the couch, his body pressed down over him, heavy and warm, as he cupped Graham’s cheek and kissed his mouth … well, things had worked out fine as far as he was concerned.