Chapter 2 Hummers under the Hemingway
HUMMERS UNDER THE HEMINGWAY
ARTEMIS
My body and brain were buzzing with some renewed energy while I walked back to the dorms. Only Gryff would think up something wackadoodle enough to pull me from my self-imposed study psychosis. I really had needed that.
I was ready for my finals. I already knew it.
I just wanted to pull off this one last semester with straight As so my mom didn't have to worry that I wouldn't be able to get a job when I headed off to LA to train with my new rugby club and the USA Olympic Elite. Or if I got injured and couldn't play.
Like my dad had.
Before I could even contemplate hitting the books again, Olivia's name lit up the screen like a warning I should have seen coming.
I'd been putting off returning her calls for two days, telling myself she was just busy with end-of-semester stuff.
But the tight knot in my stomach suggested I already knew what this conversation was going to be about.
“Hey,” I said, dropping onto my bed among the scattered practice tests. “Sorry I missed your calls yesterday. Finals prep has been—“
“Artie.” The way she said my name cut me off mid-sentence. She sounded both excited and like there was something wrong. Like she'd been rehearsing something she wanted to tell me but knew I wasn't going to like it. “We need to talk.”
And there it was. Four words that had preceded every major upheaval in my life.
We need to talk. Dad had said it before telling us he was taking a coaching position in Scotland.
Mom had said it before announcing we were moving to Colorado without him.
Now Olivia was saying it, and I already knew how this story ended.
“Okay,” I said carefully, settling back against my pillows. “What's going on?”
“I got it.” The squeal in her voice was obviously too hard to contain.
And I already knew what was coming.
“I got the call.” Her voice had that barely contained excitement that people tried to hide when they were delivering bad news disguised as good news. “Rugby Australia wants me for their development program.”
“Olivia, that's incredible.” And it was. She'd been dreaming about playing for Australia since before I'd met her a couple of months ago. I'd fully admit I'd fallen for the accent. Wouldn't be the first time, probably wouldn't be the last. “I knew you'd get it.”
“But...” She trailed off, and I stared up at the ceiling, just breathing through the all too familiar feelings. “I know we talked about maybe spending the summer together, but this opportunity... Artie, this could change everything for me.”
Change everything for her. Not for us. The distinction wasn't lost on me.
“It's an amazing opportunity. You'd be crazy not to head out the second you graduate.” I heard myself saying the words, my voice sounding weirdly calm considering the way my chest was tightening. The ache would go away soon enough. “Australia's lucky to have you.”
The weight settled in my chest, that hollow recognition that even though I wasn't about to be the one doing the leaving for once, I'd be letting go of another relationship.
I'd gotten good at this over the years. All those childhood moves had taught me how to read the signs, how to start pulling back before the official goodbye came.
“You mean that? Even though we might end up playing against each other in the Olympics in a couple years?”
“Absolutely.” The words came easily, practiced from years of being the one who had to give the “I'm moving” speech, trying to make things as easy as possible. “I'm so proud of you.”
“God, I was so worried about how to tell you. I've been agonizing over this call for days.”
Days. She'd known for days and hadn't said anything. Had probably already started planning her new life on the other side of the world. Just like I'd learned to do when Dad got a new contract. Start the mental packing before anyone else knew we were leaving.
“Thank you for understanding. I was so afraid you'd be upset.”
Upset. Like that covered the complex mix of emotions currently churning in my chest. This was the part I'd always been good at, being understanding, being supportive, making the transition easier for everyone involved. I'd had plenty of practice.
Saying goodbye was a skill I'd perfected.
“I should probably let you go,” she said. “I'm sure you have studying to do, and I have a million things to figure out before I leave.”
I should have seen this coming. The end of college meant everyone moving on. Maybe that's why I'd been holding back a little with Olivia, even if I did really like her.
My life had always been full of temporary relationships. What was one more?
I was better at saying goodbye than I was at building anything worth staying for.
The last six years were an anomaly in my life. Being in one place for that long, having the same friends for more than a year or two at a time wasn't how my life worked, and I'd stupidly gotten used to it.
And I had only myself to blame. Well... and Gryffen Kingman. He was the one who'd charmed me into being his friend when he noticed we were checking out the same guy in class, and then later when we were checking out the same girl. Who he'd asked out... for me.
We'd been practically connected at the hip since that day.
So really, all this mess of being comfortable for the first time in my life was his fault.
Twenty minutes later, I was climbing the stairs to the third floor of the library.
Up here it was always quiet, with row after row of dusty stacks housing books that hadn't been checked out since before I was born, old storage rooms that held mysteries untold, and the occasional hidden alcove perfect for private conversations.
Or other much more fun activities.
I heard voices before I saw anything, low and hushed coming from somewhere deeper in the stacks. Following the sound, I turned a corner and stopped.
Gryff was pressed against the end of a bookshelf, his eyes closed and his hands tangled in the dark hair of someone kneeling in front of him.
Oops.
I definitely should look away.
I was going to. In three...two...what the fuck?
It took my brain a moment to process who the other person was. Xander Rosemount, looking nothing like his cocky teammate who'd just been drafted to the Miami Sharks.
I wasn't shocked Gryff was getting his rocks off with Xan. They'd been pretty good at sneaking around to the casual observer. But I knew Gryff better than anyone at this point, besides his twin brother Flynn.
I saw the way Xander's eyes had followed Gryff, the way one of them would disappear at a party, then the other, only to see Xan return with some beard burn and Gryff with a lazy, satisfied grin on his face. What surprised me was I thought they'd broken it off during spring break.
He’d been a wreck that week and only his trip to LA had distracted him from the depths of breakup despair.
Guess I was wrong.
My first instinct was to back away quietly and pretend I'd never been here. This was clearly private, and something Gryff hadn't shared with me yet, and I should respect that and leave them alone.
But I couldn't seem to look away.
I already knew Gryff was a hottie with a body. Football players and those butts in tight pants were half of what continued to confirm to me that I was well and truly bi. Even if most of my attempts to date men were duds.
But seeing my bestie with his pants open, slung low around his hips, Xan's hand pushing his shirt up to caress abs that didn't quit, all while Gryff had his dick pumping in and out of Xan's mouth in a way that had them both groaning.
.. well, damn if that didn't give me tingles in all the right places.
Until Gryff dragged his eyes open and looked right at me down the row of bookshelves.
Then he winked at me, bit his bottom lip, closed his eyes tight, and let out a muffled groan that clearly indicated he was coming.
My brain finally caught up with my body, or vice versa, because I spun around the corner and clasped the far edge of the end cap.
What the hell was wrong with me? I would never, ever put my friendship with Gryff in jeopardy by even considering dirty thoughts about him.
Now I was going to have the image of him coming seared into my brain.
Nope. No. Not acceptable. I'd need to cram my head full of numbers, math, accounting, statistics, anything else. Where was Principles of Managerial Accounting when you needed it?
I was about to make the world's fastest sprint back to my dorm to take a cold shower and scrub out my eyes and brain, but then I heard footsteps on the stairs, voices getting closer, and my protective best friend call of duty kicked in.
If someone found them like this, college was a monster for gossip and Xander wasn't out, as far as I knew. And while Gryff had never hidden his sexuality, this was still his teammate.
Without thinking, I positioned myself to stand with my back at the entrance to the row they were in, keeping watch for anyone who might wander into this section and blocking the view.
I grabbed a dusty book from the shelf and flipped it open just to look like I actually belonged there.
I could hear hushed voices, movement, the sound of someone being pressed against a bookshelf.
“Someone's coming,” I whispered urgently as I heard footsteps approaching.
The sounds behind me went silent immediately. A few seconds later, a group of freshman-looking girls rounded the corner, chattering about their psychology final. I smiled and nodded as they passed, waiting until their voices faded before giving the all-clear.
“Coast is clear,” I said quietly and stepped back out of the aisle.
A moment later, Gryff appeared around the corner of the stacks, his hair disheveled and his face flushed. Behind him, Xander looked like he'd rather disappear into the floor, his expression a mix of panic and embarrassment.