“And why shouldn’t you?” Lane said knowingly. He came up and slapped Nate on the back. “Congrats, man. You deserve it.”
Like Ramsey was a fucking trophy, to be passed around to the most deserving.
Nate tucked his desire to bare his teeth away. It would be so obvious how he felt, that his feelings ran deeper, if he said what he was thinking.
He shouldn’t have worried though, because there was another person in this locker room who gave a shit about Ramsey.
“Maybe it’s Nate who deserves him,” Wes said quietly.
Nate glanced up and met Wes’ interested gaze. Tilted his head, acknowledging Wes’ comment but not saying anything.
Wes must have seen what he was looking for in his expression because he just nodded back, approval blooming across his face.
He wasn’t surprised when halfway through practice, Aidan cornered him.
He’d known that wouldn’t be all of it. Not after Aidan had taken an especial interest in tucking Ramsey into the Thunder family. And especially after that conversation they’d had a few weeks ago.
“Hey,” Aidan said, approaching him on the sideline.
Nate was over here because the linebackers were working against the offensive line and he was keeping an eye on Jordan, because it wouldn’t be the first or last time he pulled a shitty move, even against a teammate.
Wes was in, taking the snap, because nobody wanted Aidan to get accidentally demolished in practice.
“Hey,” Nate said, trying to match Aidan’s easy tone, but not sure he did it. He knew what this was about, and it was difficult not to brace himself for it.
“So you’re dating Ramsey, now, huh?”
“Is that what we’re calling it?” Nate asked, despite knowing perfectly well what they were calling it. He and Ramsey had even gone out of their way to define what it was, just so they knew what to tell everybody.
“Why don’t you tell me?” Aidan still sounded perfectly friendly, but there was an edge to his tone now. Like he really thought he needed to defend Ramsey against Nate. Like Nate might fuck up Ramsey.
Well, news fucking flash, if anyone was getting fucked up here, it was Nate.
“We’re dating,” Nate said and if it came out a bit more bluntly than he’d intended, well, sue him.
Even after the charade was over, he’d know what it felt like to touch Ramsey. To hold his hand. To feel his lips against his cheek. Every single time he sat on his couch, he’d be able to look over and remember what it was like to have him right there, exactly where he wanted him.
“Ah.” Aidan looked like he had something he wanted to say, but he wasn’t saying it.
Nate sighed. “You can say it, you know.”
“Well, I had trouble getting you to even admit youlikedthe guy,” Aidan said. “And I know you two have a . . .well, ahistory.”
“Yeah.” Nate was not surprised that Aidan was going to tiptoe around the truth, even though it was just the two of them standing there.
“I don’t know which I’m more surprised about, that you got out of your own way, or that you managed to convince Ramsey to change his mind.”
“I’m not an idiot. Or incapable of charming anyone.” Nate knew how gruff he sounded.
Except I’m totally an idiot, because I stupidly agreed to his plan. The plan he had to come up with, because Icouldn’tcharm him.
“Of course not,” Aidan said and gave him an awkward pat on the arm. “Clearly you pulled it off.”
Nate decided he was done with this. He’d played really nice, before this. And helikedAidan, but he couldn’t tolerate another moment of this. He’d only admitted the truth to Aidan to begin with because he thought it might get him off his back about Ramsey. But that had backfired, spectacularly.
“Kind of the way you pulled off Levi?” he questioned innocently.
Aidan made a disgruntled face. “I think the whole team knows I nearly fucked that up.”
