Still, it’s his shirt I curl up in when I go to bed, and his face I see when I close my eyes.
Chapter fourteen
Axel
“It’s open,” I call out when a sharp knock rattles the door. Despite being a pretty sweet rig, the trailer is still made of aluminum or some shit, so it doesn’t have a solid echo like wood.
“Want to head into town for a bite?” Jace steps inside, casting me a critical look when he sees me sprawled on the couch still wearing the gear from our earlier ride.
“I thought the point of swinging by the grocery on our way to the campsite was so we didn’t have to go all the way into town.” I hit pause on the TV.
“It’s twenty minutes to town, not twenty hours. And they have actual food, not microwave dinners.”
“I like microwave dinners.”
“You tolerate them, you don’t really like them.” He shakes his head and lets out a frustrated sigh. “Are we gonna talk about this?”
“Talk about what?” I’m being petulant, but my emotions are too raw for a rational conversation.
“Dammit, Axel.” I jolt at his sudden outburst. “I’ve been trying to give you space and let you bring it up when you were ready, but I can barely get you on the bike much less talking, and neither ofthose things is normal. Time’s up.” He crosses his arms and leans a hip against the tiny counter of the kitchenette.
“What do you expect me to say?”
“Whatever’s on your mind. And don’t bother telling me it isn’t the guy.”
“Fine, it’s the guy.” I slouch deeper into the couch, tucking an arm behind my head so I can prop it up just enough to see Jace instead of the ceiling.
“And…” Jace prompts.
“And what? Turns out I like guys now, or him anyway. Can we not dissect it?”
“I’m not trying to dissect it, I’m trying to get to the bottom of why he’s making you ride like shit, which is kind of freaking me out.”
“Because you still love me?” It’s a low blow, a lame attempt to deflect by implying he’s jealous instead of concerned since he’s forcing me to talk. And I use the innocent childhood crush he had on me, the one that helped him realize he was bi, to do it.
God, I’m bastard.
Jace’s eyes grow wide for a fraction of a second before they turn to slits. He grabs a dishtowel off the counter and throws it at me. “Because you’re gonna hurt yourself if you’re not focused on what you’re doing, asshole.”
“So, you don’t love me?” I’m being a world class dick, but that feels safer than admitting he’s right, and being distracted on the bike could cost me my career, or worse.
“Brooding jocks aren’t my type.”
“Yes, they are.”
Jace’s nostrils flare, telling me I’m about two seconds from being on the receiving end of a well-deserved punch. But instead of lunging at me he sinks into an adjacent chair with an audible sigh. “Yeah, theyare. You aren’t though, and I know you know that, so why bring up that shit from when we were kids?”
“I don’t know.” I smoosh the heel of my palms into my eyes with a heavy groan. “I’ve never been this confused before and it’s freaking me the fuck out.”
“Being attracted to a guy has you freaked out? I thought you were more accepting than that.”
“Fuck you. That’s not it and you know it.” I huck a throw pillow at him, hitting him square in the chest. It makes me smile.
“There you are,” Jace grins back. “So, now that we’ve established you aren’t homophobic, what’d your guy do to get you all messed up?”
“Not sure I can call him mine.” I shake my head.
“Then why the fuck are you so moody?”
