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I rolled my eyes but did as he asked. “You always want attention.”
“Are you pissed at me? For last night?”
I frowned, shook my head, wasn’t sure I trusted myself enough to speak.
“I know it’s not my business, but…”
“I appreciated it. People don’t do that—have my back that way. Don’t apologize for it.”
He looked up at me, my fingers carding through his hair. “Okay.”
“I can take care of myself. I’m used to it. My dad and Asher would always gang up on me. I’d tell Grandma not to get involved, but she did. I can handle it. I’m used to handling it, but…” Fuck, I didn’t know what to say.
Ty smiled at me, upside down because of how he lay. “But it was nice to have your super-sexy, amazing-in-the-sack boyfriend be there for you?”
I cocked a brow, and his pupils blew wide as if he’d just caught on to what he’d called himself. This wasn’t the same as going along with it when Grandma or his mom said it.
“You tryin’ to ask me something, Lacrosse?” I’d never had a boyfriend in my life, and I couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t just telling him to fuck off with that label.
“Do I really have to ask when it’s clearly already true?”
“You wish.”
“Maybe I do.”
“Aww, you’re going sappy on me.”
“Dude, you should see the way you look at me now. You’ve been sappy for a while.”
“Please, I think you’re mistaking me with you. Pet me, love me, you’re the best thing that ever happened to me.” We laughed together, and then I bent over and kissed him. “Get your ass ready for practice.”
Ty sighed, sat up, and with his back to me said, “You know we basically are, though, right?”
I knew he meant together. Ty didn’t elaborate, and I didn’t either. He grumbled, and I watched as he dressed for practice and complained we couldn’t stay in bed all day.
After we said our goodbyes, I realized I didn’t want to go home. Fuck Asher for making me not want to be in my own house.
So I went to chill with Manny before work.
“Hey, bro.” We bumped fists, and Manny pulled me into a half-hug. “What’s up with you? You’ve been more absent than usual.”
I followed him inside. It didn’t seem like anyone else was there. He led me straight into the kitchen because he knew how much I loved his mom’s food. I started loading a plate with green-chili enchiladas. “Been busy.”
“What’s that? You smiled when you said it.”
Fuuuuck. Goddamned Ty, turning me inside out. For a moment, I thought about denying it, but Christ, I didn’t think I wanted to. He had me so messed up, I was stuck between sorta feeling like I wanted to throw up all the time and telling him that yes, I wanted him to be my boyfriend; and then making the announcement to everyone else I knew too. In a way, we’d basically said it earlier. He had, at least, and I didn’t tell him he was wrong.
“Just been with this guy a lot lately, is all.”
Manny crossed his arms, one brow arching. “No shit?”
“No shit.”
“He your boy?”
I shrugged. “I guess so.”
“Then I guess I better meet him.”
I nodded, waiting for the world to implode or the sun to fall out of the sky or some shit like that. I’d admitted to someone that I was with Ty, and nothing bad happened. It maybe even felt a little good.
What in the hell had he done to me?
I hung out with Manny until it was time to head to work.
I was already on the clock when Ty rushed in, five minutes late. “Shit. Sorry. Coach kept us late.”
“It’s okay,” Gwen told him. “We’re not busy yet.”
He clocked in, then came to stand beside me where I leaned against the bar.
“Our dish bitch is here,” I teased, then pressed a kiss to his lips. My whole body tensed because I hadn’t planned on doing that. At all. It had just come naturally.
“Oh shit,” Marshall said, walking in just as we pulled apart.
“About time,” Gwen added.
“You guys know we’ve all been aware you’re fucking for a long time now, right?” Casey chimed in.
“Yeah, but we’re boyfriends now,” Ty replied.
“Gross.” I mean, I had to say it, even though everyone there knew it was a lie.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Ty
“Dude, did your boyfriend move in?” Collins asked early on Saturday morning when we were getting ready to head out for our game.
“Shh.” My gaze darted down the hallway. I wanted to make sure Brax wasn’t coming out and heard him. He hadn’t spent one night at his house all week, and when he did go home to get stuff, he said he and Asher just pretended nothing happened. Apparently, they did that often. I mean, I got it. I wasn’t one to want to talk about how I felt either. Emotions were often pretty fucking annoying. But it pissed me off because Asher took advantage of Brax. He had no respect for him. Brax deserved better, and I wanted him to tell his asshole brother that. Again. “Does it matter if he stays over?”
