Chapter 64
J.D. and I were leaning against the panels, waiting for Tanner to get done with the closing ceremony when we heard the crowd go dead silent. A moment later, they all whooped out something like "yeehaw," so I hoped it was just something Cletus had going on.
The other riders were packing up and heading out for the night. I couldn't say home, since it sounded like most of them were going to the bar. Slowly but surely, the warm-up area emptied out. When Ty and Jake sauntered past to grab their stuff, Jake paused.
"Hey, tell Tanner that was supposed to be ally shit?" His words seemed for both me and J.D.
"What was?" I asked.
He waved that off. "Just tell him? And if he wants to say shit, we can talk at the bar?"
"Can do," J.D. said before I could poke at that more. "We shouldn't be too far behind you."
"Hope not." And Jake's eyes shifted to me before he smiled.
That was it. All he did was smile, and yet I felt my guts flip. I couldn't tell if that was supposed to be butterflies or my anxiety over what he'd supposedly done, but either way, I didn't like it. I was starting to get a real big aversion to surprises lately.
Jake was long gone before Tanner finally made it out. He'd also changed. His shorts and padding were gone, but he'd kept the rainbow shirt. It went well with his jeans and purple shoes. The smile twisting his mouth was the best part, though. It made that twisting in my gut vanish.
"So!" he announced, heading over to grab J.D.'s bag and yank his head toward the exit. "Let's get out of here, because that was not the closing ceremony I expected."
"Ok?" J.D. asked, reaching for his bag. "Carry Cody's."
"She's not recovering from breaking half her body," Tanner said. "She's also able to carry her own, and I can only manage two."
"Yep," I agreed, wrapping my arm around J.D.'s waist. "Suck it up, buttercup. This is what you wanted, right?"
"Kinda, yeah," he admitted - and for the first time tonight, the smallest little smile claimed his mouth.
That was what I'd been hoping for. All day, he'd been sullen and cranky because of Jaxon. He said it was fine, and from him? Well, I had a theory that if he knew how to say it, he would've. So that meant he was still trying to figure it out.
But I could guess. Jaxon had said shit. Jaxon had been his friend.
J.D. had mentioned both of those things earlier, and if it had been me, I knew my feelings would be hurt.
I was pretty sure J.D. wasn't used to that feeling, though.
He didn't give a shit about many people, so when he did and it hurt him? Yeah, he was fumbling through it.
And it pissed me off.
But the moment we were outside, Tanner said the one thing that could make me stop dwelling on that. "So, Jake kissed Ty."
"What?!" I demanded.
J.D. chuckled. "Yeah? How'd that go?"
"Crowd went dead silent," Tanner admitted. "Then Jake pretty much called out Merrill. Made it clear he was done being fucked with and would drop his secret if he had to."
"Ouch," I muttered.
"Oh yeah," J.D. said. "But good for him for stepping up. Wonder if that's what Jake meant about telling Tanner it was supposed to be ally shit?"
"He said what?" Tanner asked.
"That's pretty much it," J.D. assured him. "Well, and that you could talk about it at the bar. Not sure why I don't get to, but that's what he said."
"Because I saw," Tanner realized. "Because I had to stand there and be pretty while he shoved his tongue down Ty's throat."
"What?!" I asked again. "No. Seriously?"
"Seriously," Tanner assured me. "And it wasn't that great.
Clearly not their thing, but it did make a point.
If the judges are going to be dicks about me and J.D.
, then those two are going to muddy the waters.
I kinda got the impression they were trying to imply more riders would, but that's a big leap. "
"Unless they'd planned it already," I pointed out.
Tanner just made a noise. "Not sure, don't care, but I'm not pissed about it. You, J.D.?"
"Naw," J.D. said. "Just makes me think those two are better men than I realized."
The talk paused as we climbed into the truck. This time, J.D. was driving, and when he started tapping at his phone, I realized he knew where we were going. Well, good, because I didn't. It also didn't matter.
On the way over, Tanner kept the conversation light. He mentioned a few of his saves, how nice it was to be back, and that sort of thing. Oddly, it felt like the comfortable "I just got home from work" conversation my dad had always had with me growing up.
When we got there, everyone began cheering. Confused, I looked behind us, but they were all looking at Tanner.
Then Ty called out, "Matadors!" and I finally understood.
"Deviant Rescue Squad now!" Tanner yelled back.
"Get those men a drink!" Renato bellowed.
"And the woman," Ty added.
But J.D. was barely in the door before his feet stalled out. For a moment, he simply stood there. His eyes were locked on the far side of the room, and it was as if he couldn't shake it off. I looked around, trying to see what was bothering him - and saw Jaxon.
"Let's get a drink," I told him, turning him to the bar. "We'll stay over here."
"What did I miss?" Tanner asked, holding up three fingers to the bartender.
"Some shit was said today," I explained. "Pretty much the type you'd expect."
"From someone I thought was a friend," J.D. mumbled.
"Thought you didn't have many of those," Tanner pointed out. "So, Ty had his head up his ass again?"
"Weren't Ty," J.D. grumbled.
But Ty reached our side at that moment and heard his name. "What'd I do? I mean, besides kissing the shit out of Jake?"
Which made Tanner chuckle. "Pretty much that," he said, saving J.D.'s pride. "And why did you kiss Jake, anyway?"
"Well, he kinda kissed me," Ty corrected, sounding oddly smug about it. "Oh, and you know that's gonna be on all the press. First you two, now us two? Maybe we'll even get some others into it. Gustavo and Renato were talking about making a scene tomorrow at the opening ceremony."
"No," J.D. said.
Which made Ty stop hard. "What? But then they can't just single you out."
"And they know it's bullshit," J.D. said.
"Look, I appreciate it and all, and I know you two are helping how you can, but naw.
Ty, that shit? It's gonna ruin the Pbr. Gonna chase off the fans, they won't get the joke, and it'll become a big gay thing.
Next thing you know, someone will want us to wear drag when riding. Just naw."
"Yeah, but J.D..." Ty tried. "They can't fuck up all of our scores!"
"They can," he said. "I also ain't got nothin' to lose, and you do. Jake really does."
"What do I?" Jake asked, moving in behind me to join the conversation.
"You got a whole fuckin' career ahead of ya," J.D. repeated. "Look. It's real sweet that you're doing this. And I get it. I ain't pissed or nothing, but I'm the one who needs to burn it down. I'm the one who needs to make it clear I'm as much a man as everyone else."
"No," Ty said, "you don't."
"I'm with him," I said, pointed at Ty. "J.D., you shouldn't have to prove you're manly enough! I mean, how can I keep up with that? I'll never be a man."
"Oh."
"And this shit?" Jake said. "It's bullshit. We're done with bullshit, J.D. I don't care if these guys approve of where you stick your dick or not. That's not the point!"
"What is?" I asked. "Because to me, that's kinda the point."
"Cody," Tanner said, "the point is that fair is pretty cut and dry. If the judging isn't fair, then it's pointless to even try."
"And kissing each other ain't gonna clear that up," J.D. told them. "All it's gonna do is muddy the waters. It'll make this about gay, and leave the shit against Cody out of it. Naw, what we need to be pushing for is our private lives being our own, and our scores being fair."
"Now that," Jake said, "I can get behind." Then he leaned in a little closer to my ear. "And you still wanted to talk?"
I bit my lower lip and turned to see him better, but before I could answer, J.D. took over. "She does. Kinda why we're here, because I knew you'd wanna, and I knew she'd wanna, and I know Ty fucked up when she tried that."
Right on cue, Ty groaned. "Yeah, I did. Also, don't ever pick a fight with Tanner. He'll win."
"Noted," Jake said.
But Tanner reached over and caught my hand. "Hey? If you can get a ride back, I'm gonna get him home, make sure he takes his meds..."
"I think my room key's in your truck," I told him. "I left it in my gear bag."
So Tanner pulled his out. "Put that in your pocket."
"And we're leaving?" J.D. asked.
Tanner made a point of running his eyes over J.D. "Yeah. You need to be spoiled. I need a long soak in a real tub, and that room has two of them."
J.D. just nodded, then turned to Jake. "Shoot your shot. I dare ya." Then he looked at Ty. "If she says no, you bring her ass home or I'll cut your balls off."
"Yes, sir," Ty said, sounding like he was nothing but serious.
Then J.D. grabbed the beer that had only arrived a few seconds before, tilted the bottle up, and chugged it all. Tanner pushed his at Ty, then thrust out his hand for the keys. J.D. passed those over, but as they shuffled past us, he stopped by Jake.
"That woman you're real busy chasin'? Yeah, she's my best fuckin' friend. She's my goddamn rookie, Jake. She's also one of the loves of my life, but she still ain't mine, get me?"
"Yeah," Jake breathed. "I think I actually do."
"Good. Cody, second bedroom's gonna be empty if you need to use it. If not, my bed always has room." Then he winked.
The fucker actually winked at me before leaving.
It was so over the top that all I could do was laugh - and try to ignore how very weird all of this was.
Mostly because Ty was right there, heard all of that, and simply took the leftover beer Tanner had given him and lifted it for a drink like he didn't give a shit at all.
"Yeah..." I breathed once my guys had left just as quickly as they'd arrived. "I need to talk to Jaxon."
"Jaxon?" Ty asked, suddenly paying attention.
"Because he hurt J.D.'s feelings," I said. "And J.D. might not know how to tell him that, but me? Oh, I do, and I have a whole lot to say."
"Then let's go," Ty said. "We're your backup tonight, Cody. Pretty sure my friend just asked me to be a bouncer, and while I might be a shitty boyfriend, I'm working on becoming a damned good man. Means I got a whole lot of making up to do."
But that? It was enough to make me relax. I wasn't fucking this up. I wasn't making this weird. Granted, J.D. was, but he made everything weird. He also deserved to have a few real friends on his side, and these two men? I was starting to think they counted.
I just wasn't sure what was in it for Jake, except me. Oddly, that made the flipping thing come back. This time, however, I didn't try to ignore it.