Read Online Accidentally in Love by Jane Davitt, Alexa Snow - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jane Davitt, Alexa Snow
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himself admitting it.
“Idiot,” Tom said. “There’s a reason they give a dosage on that stuff, you know.”
“I didn’t want to hurt.” Cal moved the ice pack off his face so he could see Tom clearly, and the movement kept going until the ice pack slipped from his hand and onto the floor. “Oops. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got it.” Tom bent and picked up the ice pack, and Cal reached out and caught at Tom’s hand.
“No, I mean for this morning. And last night.”
“I get it,” Tom said. “It’s okay. I know I’m kind of touchy about some things. If I think I’m being laughed at, I just…I don’t like it.”
“No one does. I promise you…wasn’t laughing.” Cal could feel his words slipping away from him even as he tried to say them. “Wouldn’t laugh at you. Who laughs at you? Boyfriend? He’s an idiot.”
“Just people.” Tom gave an indifferent shrug. “And, no, not a boyfriend. I’ve never really had one of those.”
He made a boyfriend sound like an exotic food, something freaky like fried worms.
“Never?” Never couldn’t really mean not ever.
Tom sighed. “Don’t look at me like I’m some kind of endangered species because I’ve never dated anyone.”
Cal blinked and frowned. “I’m not. You’re not. I’m just surprised because, well, there’s nothing wrong with you. I mean, there isn’t, is there?”
“I think we’re getting dangerously close to too-personal territory,” Tom said, going cold like a switch had been thrown.
“Hey, no,” Cal said. “Don’t do that. I can be your friend, you know. Friends aren’t supposed to have TMI territory.”
“I have to be able to trust my friends.”
“You can trust me,” Cal told him. “I know it might not seem like it, considering, but you can. I just—I want to be your friend.”
Tom shook his head. “It’s not that simple. We’re not in first grade. We don’t just declare that we’re going to be friends and it happens like magic.”
“Why not?” Cal asked. “Why can’t we?”
Tom held out his hands helplessly. “Because?”
“Look, don’t act like no one’s your friend,” Cal said. “Marianne and Greg wouldn’t have invited you over if they thought you were boring or whatever label you’ve put on yourself.”
“They’re nice,” Tom agreed. “They know me from work, and I’m good at what I do. I kind of doubt they’ll invite me the next time they throw a party. I don’t fit into their pattern.”
Cal was starting to drift away now, the room retreating. “I’m a friendly guy,” he said. “Don’t go thinking you’re something special. I’m friends with everyone. There’s no escape.”
With sleep rushing in like the tide to claim him, he wasn’t sure if Tom replied.
Chapter Six
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Tom said, knowing that there was doubt written all over him.
“Of course it is,” Cal told him. “It’s a great idea, just like it was the first time I suggested it, and the hundred times since then that I’ve reassured you.”
Tom felt his face flush. “If you—”
“Look,” Cal said, turning to him and putting a hand on each of his shoulders, a touch that felt more intimate than Tom would have expected. “I’m doing this because I want to. We’re going to have a good time. So take a deep breath and decide you’re going to have fun. Okay? Fun. I know you know what fun is.”
Cal had come up with the idea that he was going to repay Tom for helping him the night he’d been beaten up by not only taking him out to dinner but for drinks and dancing at some club afterward. Tom hadn’t been to a club since college, and he’d been a reluctant participant in the whole scene, accompanying his dorm mates because they’d needed a designated driver who wasn’t likely to go off with someone and leave them stranded. They’d made it clear that a refusal would result in a lot of negative consequences, and
“Idiot,” Tom said. “There’s a reason they give a dosage on that stuff, you know.”
“I didn’t want to hurt.” Cal moved the ice pack off his face so he could see Tom clearly, and the movement kept going until the ice pack slipped from his hand and onto the floor. “Oops. Sorry.”
“It’s okay. I’ve got it.” Tom bent and picked up the ice pack, and Cal reached out and caught at Tom’s hand.
“No, I mean for this morning. And last night.”
“I get it,” Tom said. “It’s okay. I know I’m kind of touchy about some things. If I think I’m being laughed at, I just…I don’t like it.”
“No one does. I promise you…wasn’t laughing.” Cal could feel his words slipping away from him even as he tried to say them. “Wouldn’t laugh at you. Who laughs at you? Boyfriend? He’s an idiot.”
“Just people.” Tom gave an indifferent shrug. “And, no, not a boyfriend. I’ve never really had one of those.”
He made a boyfriend sound like an exotic food, something freaky like fried worms.
“Never?” Never couldn’t really mean not ever.
Tom sighed. “Don’t look at me like I’m some kind of endangered species because I’ve never dated anyone.”
Cal blinked and frowned. “I’m not. You’re not. I’m just surprised because, well, there’s nothing wrong with you. I mean, there isn’t, is there?”
“I think we’re getting dangerously close to too-personal territory,” Tom said, going cold like a switch had been thrown.
“Hey, no,” Cal said. “Don’t do that. I can be your friend, you know. Friends aren’t supposed to have TMI territory.”
“I have to be able to trust my friends.”
“You can trust me,” Cal told him. “I know it might not seem like it, considering, but you can. I just—I want to be your friend.”
Tom shook his head. “It’s not that simple. We’re not in first grade. We don’t just declare that we’re going to be friends and it happens like magic.”
“Why not?” Cal asked. “Why can’t we?”
Tom held out his hands helplessly. “Because?”
“Look, don’t act like no one’s your friend,” Cal said. “Marianne and Greg wouldn’t have invited you over if they thought you were boring or whatever label you’ve put on yourself.”
“They’re nice,” Tom agreed. “They know me from work, and I’m good at what I do. I kind of doubt they’ll invite me the next time they throw a party. I don’t fit into their pattern.”
Cal was starting to drift away now, the room retreating. “I’m a friendly guy,” he said. “Don’t go thinking you’re something special. I’m friends with everyone. There’s no escape.”
With sleep rushing in like the tide to claim him, he wasn’t sure if Tom replied.
Chapter Six
“I don’t know if this is a good idea,” Tom said, knowing that there was doubt written all over him.
“Of course it is,” Cal told him. “It’s a great idea, just like it was the first time I suggested it, and the hundred times since then that I’ve reassured you.”
Tom felt his face flush. “If you—”
“Look,” Cal said, turning to him and putting a hand on each of his shoulders, a touch that felt more intimate than Tom would have expected. “I’m doing this because I want to. We’re going to have a good time. So take a deep breath and decide you’re going to have fun. Okay? Fun. I know you know what fun is.”
Cal had come up with the idea that he was going to repay Tom for helping him the night he’d been beaten up by not only taking him out to dinner but for drinks and dancing at some club afterward. Tom hadn’t been to a club since college, and he’d been a reluctant participant in the whole scene, accompanying his dorm mates because they’d needed a designated driver who wasn’t likely to go off with someone and leave them stranded. They’d made it clear that a refusal would result in a lot of negative consequences, and
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