Jake’s eyes shot open at the mention of Riley’s rival. “What about him?”
Riley’s cheeks were flushed, and Jake could tell he was truly upset about the new guy who had been harassing him. At least now Jake knew why Riley was so worked up.
“He’s pretty and sweet, and I really like him, but?—”
Jake kicked his feet and swung his arms, trying to get Riley off him so he could sit up, but all he could manage was to roll onto his back and blink at his friend in shock.
“You like him?” Jake asked, unable to hide his disbelief.
Riley’s brows pinched, and he readjusted his hands on Jake’s wrists to make sure he was securely pinned. “Yeah? What’s not to like? I know he has an attitude problem, but I can tell he’s a sweetheart, and you guys look good together.”
Oh.
Oh.
“Fuck,” Jake grunted, squeezing his eyes shut to stave off his growing migraine. “I thought you were talking about Sloan, not Allen.”
Riley made an awful choking sound and jumped to his feet, freeing Jake from his confines. “No! What the fuck? No wonder you were making a face. Sloan is an ugly bastard, and nowhere near as pretty as Allen.”
Jake sighed and pushed into a sitting position, rearranging himself with his back against the couch. “Sloan is attractive for a guy. He’s not as soft as Allen, but he’s still pretty.”
Riley folded his arms. “Pretty for a dick, I guess. I still wouldn’t fuck him. You couldn’t pay me enough?—”
“Five million,” Jake said, smirking.
Riley paused and muttered a curse. “Nope.”
“Ten Million.”
Jake waited, holding his breath as Riley glared at him.
“You know what?” Riley flipped him off and then dug his phone out of his pocket, ignoring Jake’s questioning look while he tapped the screen and then held it to his ear. “Hey, Allen? Jake’s parents are having their annual Christmas Eve party tonight, and he’s trying to get out of it. Do you want to be my plus one and help me eat through an entire table of homemade food?”
“Hey!” Jake lunged to his feet, aiming to tackle his stupid best friend, but he wasn’t fast enough.
“Uh-huh. Okay, I’ll pick you up in an hour. In Jake’s car. He’ll be driving.”
“Riles—”
“Don’t worry about it, Ally.” Riley had moved behind the couch, keeping the piece of furniture between them for protection. “I still say you chose the wrong friend. We could have been so good together.”
Motherfucker. Jake was going to strangle him once he caught him.
He had been looking forward to spending time with Allen—to maybe ask him to be his boyfriend while they sat in the glow of the Christmas lights. To give him his damn gift, the purple lacy object he had been dying to see against Allen’s beautiful, soft skin.
“See you later, baby.” Riley made kissy noises at the phone, and then Allen was gone, leaving him alone with Jake and his soon-to-be consequences. “So, he’s mad that you were willing to disappoint your family to be with him.”
“Fuck you,” Jake spat. “Why did you do that? Allen doesn’t want to meet my family, but you made him feel guilty and forced him into it.”
Riley’s grin immediately triggered the urge to punch him in the face. “You’re looking at this backwards, Mousey. If you bring your boyfriend, and your parents like him, then it will make things more official.”
Jake didn’t understand the reasoning, so he held off on killing Riley until he explained.
Riley sighed and smacked his hands onto the couch, making eye contact to keep Jake fully engaged. “You said Allen was hesitating because he doesn’t think you’re being serious. Dude, there is nothing more serious than introducing a boyfriend to your family.”
The tension in Jake’s shoulders gave out, and he crossed his arms, taking a deep breath. “I’ve never introduced a girl to my parents. They think I’m asexual.”
“Exactly,” said Riley. “And that means you’re even more serious about Allen.” He paused, and his grin faltered. “You are…serious about him, right?”