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“Here’s an idea,” Pop said after he set his cup in the sink. “Why don’t you and Coury drive home together for Beckett’s birthday this weekend? You can talk without being interrupted.”
Stuck in a car together? “That’d mean driving back together too. If it got awkward—”
“No. You’ll ride back with me if the talk goes sideways.”
The chance to talk it out scared the shit out of him, but it made sense. “I guess knowing is better than wondering.”
“The answers might be your dream come true.”
Liam didn’t think the odds of that were high.
Chapter Ten
Liam
“This is great.” Liam turned the screen back to Coury. “It’s a really good start.”
The rough draft of his term paper was better than Liam expected. Coury had said it was a slog, like running in the ocean—or his favorite: eating Jell-O with a fork. Who ate Jell-O anymore?
“Yeah?” Coury smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Did you mark where I need more?”
Liam nodded and reached across the kitchen table to turn the laptop so both could see. “There are a few sections where you need to explain more, but those shouldn’t take long to address. I commented.”
“Awesome!” Coury held out his fist and Liam gave him a lazy bump.
His stomach was a knot of nerves—had been all afternoon. Per Pop’s suggestion, he was going to ask to ride home with Coury for Beckett’s birthday bash.
“When you try your best, you do great.”
“Hey, hey. We have a deal. Don’t bail on me now.”
As if Liam would walk away. He still had no idea how Coury felt, or what the fuck happened the day before in the coffeehouse. Much as he teased Pop about being out of touch with the dating scene and how this wasn’t the ’60s anymore, his grandfather generally gave sound advice.
The problem was if he couldn’t ask Coury for a ride home, how could he ask how he felt about him?
“I’m a man of my word. We have a deal.” His mind whirled with an idea. It was transparent, but it was as good a moment as he’d get. “If you want, I can ride home with you and we can discuss any other issues on the way.”
“I don’t think that’s going to be productive. How will I take notes when I’m driving?”
“Right.” A few days of trying to “talk” and Liam’s brain was firing on all cylinders. “That was a stupid idea.”
“It’s not stupid, it just assumes I’ll remember everything long enough to get it down.” He flipped his computer back to him. “How about you come over Friday for our party? You can stay in Luke’s bed. He’s going out with Nico and won’t be back. That way we can leave together on Saturday?”
Coury spoke so fast, Liam needed a second to process everything.
“Didn’t you say you wanted to ride home with me?”
“Didn’t you say it wasn’t a good idea?”
“Trying to sort out my paper wasn’t a good idea.”
Liam looked over nervously. “Okay.”
Coury smiled, eyes soft in the dim light of the room. “I’ll even promise not to drink, so I won’t be hung over.”
“I wasn’t worried about that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you have more than a beer or two.”
“Observant, are we?” He raised an eyebrow. “I don’t like how it makes me feel the next day. I’m a master of nursing one—or two, max—all night.”
Liam grinned. “Just don’t drink the piss-warm beer.”
“Exactly.” Coury checked his schedule. “I have PT at five. How about I pick you up at your house, we grab some food, and head back in time for me to shower before the party starts.”
“Sounds good.” Better than good.
It sounded like a date.
Again.
* * *
Midnight was getting closer, and still he hadn’t worked up the courage to tell Coury. Two beers had loosened Liam up considerably, and he couldn’t stop grinning, but those words were still trapped behind a nervous lump in his throat.
He looked over at Coury. They had sequestered themselves in a small alcove layered with cushions, just off the throngs of partiers. Liam had seen a couple lazily kissing where they sat under the gridded window, and when it’d freed up, a braver part of him hauled Coury there.
“Can hear you better now,” he’d said.
Coury had stretched out his long legs and stuffed a cushion between his back and the wall, offering one to Liam. Now he smiled lazily toward the crowds, at ease in the room.
The party guests were exactly as Liam expected. A lot of single girls grouped together, and a lot of single guys determined to pry one of them away. Some couples sat around exchanging sugary laughs and tender kisses.
Almost everyone held a red cup or a water bottle. And for this time of year, what some of them were wearing was insane. Far too cold for showing off half their stomachs or going shirtless.
