“I want to make sure Sloan didn’t steal my shit,” Riley lied. “I can stop by tomorrow and hang out if you guys aren’t busy, but I don’t want to intrude on your honeymoon phase.”
“I haven’t said yes yet!” Allen snapped, shoving them both. “Are you two communicating telepathically or something? Jeez.”
Allen didn’t wait for an answer; he grabbed Riley in a hug, shoved them again, and then stomped back to the couch.
Riley had Jake pushed against the wall before Allen disappeared. “Youproposed?!”
Jake did, and Riley knew it. He knew it because Jake’s ears always turned fucking red when he felt guilty, and he would start fidgeting with his hands—like he was doing right now.
“I’m surprised he didn’t get on a ladder and choke the fuck out of you,” Riley hissed. “You take hyper-focusing to a newlevel, Mouse. We need to have a talk about relationships and timing, for sure.”
Jake shrugged, and Riley groaned, bumping his head onto Jake’s chest. “You’re unbelievable.”
Jake shrugged again. “He’s going to say yes.”
“Oh?” Riley lifted his head, grinning up at Jake’s already smirking face. “Wanna make a bet?”
“Within the first half of next year,” said Jake.
The audacity of this motherfucker.
“No way. Allen didn’t even want to be boyfriends,” said Riley. “He’s not saying yes until next Christmas.”
Jake jerked back like Riley had smacked him, knocking his head loudly against the wall. “No way?—”
“Bye, Allen!” Riley called, giving Jake a light punch in the stomach. “Don’t say yes!”
“In his dreams, maybe,” was Allen’s reply.
Jake’s smile flipped into a frown, and Riley chuckled. “See? That’s my boy.”
He left before he could get dragged further into the squabble, and requested an Uber as he got onto the elevator, the day’s cheer fading as soon as the doors closed.
The Uber driver was already on his way, which was great because Riley didn’t feel like awkwardly waiting around in the lobby while people came and went from visiting family. He just wanted to get home, collapse onto his couch, and catch up on any games he had missed—like the Edmonton one that he had heard was wild.
Riley was borderline tipsy, and the alcohol was doing wonders to calm his anxiety about seeing Sloan. Jake’s plan of making them live together so they could become friends didn’t seem possible, and he had a feeling he was going to be dealing with this stress for nothing.
Jake hadn’t been to any of Riley’s practice games to see what an unforgivable douchebag the guy was, barking orders like he was the captain, and pissing off everyone around him.
Hell, Riley had even been around to see Sloan get into a spat with one of the coaches one day, and it hadn’t been pretty. How the moron still had a spot on the team was a mystery to him, but Riley was beginning to think Sloan had connections—like maybe he was engaged to the daughter of someone important.
There were probably other explanations, sure, but Riley got a kick from imagining Sloan paying or sleeping his way onto a team.
Fuck that guy.
It was pushing ten at night, so Riley wasn’t expecting to encounter Sloan until atleastthe next morning, but he’d forgotten that the one shared kitchen was by the front door and impossible to walk by unnoticed if anyone was cooking.
He was greeted by the smell of something delicious frying, and the sound of shitty pop music playing loudly over sizzling food. Riley’s thought processing ground to a halt when he saw Sloan’s half-naked form standing in the kitchen, shoulders hunched as he stared intently at whatever he was making on the stove.
Sensing—or hearing—Riley’s arrival, Sloan spun around and lifted his spatula in greeting.
“Sup, buttercup,” Sloan said with a deceivingly charming grin. “How was your day at work? Need me to rub your feet and fetch you a drink?”
Ugh.
“Ineedyou to not talk to me, jackass,” Riley said, pushing as much loathing into the words as he could. “Why are you making food this late at night? Aren’t you tired from moving all day?”
Riley had to pause to take off his shoes and jacket, giving Sloan the chance to swagger over wearing nothing but a pair oftattered grey sweatpants and a smirk that was already testing his patience.