“Yeah, it didn’t end well after that.”
“He seems to be trying to be friendly,” Aidan said cautiously.
“That’s just his way. He doesn’t like that I don’t like him.” Nate wasn’t going to go into Ramsey’s whole ridiculously charming facade or how it was as flimsy as those old film sets they’d built on Hollywood back lots. Nothing behind them. Or even worse, a bunch of bullshit that Ramsey didn’t want to be seen.
“You haven’t considered trying to bury the hatchet and becoming friends?”
Friends. That was fucking rich.
Nate didn’t dignify that with a response and Aidan winced. “Okay, yeah, I know it sounds stupid.”
“It’s fucking ridiculous,” Nate corrected in a hard voice. “I can’t be his friend. I couldn’t ever be his friend.”
He wanted him too much for that, the desire tearing through him with claws.
“But I want you to come around, and I want him to keep coming around,” Aidan said, like he was just going to pretend Nate hadn’t said that at all.
“Nothing stopping either of us,” Nate argued.
Aidan shot him a look. “You know it makes things difficult when you’re not even trying to pretend to be nice.”
“Is that what you’re asking me to do? Pretend?”
“Fake it til you make it? Maybe he’ll surprise you?” Aidan pretended false positivity it was obvious he didn’t feel.
And Nate shouldn’t feel guilty. He was allowed to not like a guy. He was allowed to show it, if he wanted to.
“Doubtful but I’ll think about it,” Nate agreed, finally.
“Was it serious?” Aidan asked. The one question Nate didn’t want to answer.
“Nah,” he lied. Or did he? Nate wasn’t even sure if he even knew the truth anymore.
Aidan sighed. “You know why I’m asking this.”
“Because he’s alone. And his team’s basically left him behind. Maybe we’re not his team, but we could be.”
“I thought you might,” Aidan said. “You do get it.”
“I’d be fucking blind not to,” Nate muttered.
“But, despite all that, if you . . .if it was a real problem, a significant issue, I would be willing to discuss it. Like, if you had feelings for him. If you loved him.”
Aidan had preached to him as the consummate leader before Nate had ever been traded to the Thunder. He’d seen it up close and personal lots of times since then. But he didn’t think he’d ever seen it done as deftly as Aidan was doing it now. Being there for Ramsey, while also reminding Nate that he was most important. That he was still,always, one of theirs.
He could lie; he could tell the truth.
Nate hesitated.
If he said he had feelings for Ramsey, Aidan would let it go.
If he said he loved Ramsey, if he actually said the shit out loud that haunted him deep into the night, then how would he ever get over it?
Besides, he didn’t love Ramsey. He didn’tknowRamsey.
But he might’ve, if Ramsey had ever let him.
“No,” Nate said. “No feelings, other than a bruised ego.” He didn’t say theLword out loud, because he wasn’t sure he could.
