Read Online Coda Books 01 - Promises (MM) by Marie Sexton - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Marie Sexton
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looking at me like I was crazy.
“Rub some dirt on it. It’ll help stop the bleeding.”
“Is that out of the masochist handbook too?”
“I think it’s a baseball thing.”
“Okay, but if I end up with a raging infection and have to get my leg amputated, I’m holding you responsible.”
“I’ll pay for your prosthetic.”
We made it to the top and stood looking down at the valley below us. He turned to me with that brilliant smile—that made twice I had seen it, and it took my breath away—and said, “The bike was definitely a good idea.”
We spent the rest of the summer together. I couldn’t remember ever being happier. It was so nice to have a friend to hang out with. At times I couldn’t help but wish that it was more, but it was never enough to dampen my enthusiasm for spending time with him. Finally,
I wasn’t alone. It was the best feeling in the world.
We went camping and mountain biking and geo-caching. We went out to dinner or had dinner with Brian and Lizzy or just sat on my couch drinking beer and watching bad TV. Some nights we even cooked dinner at my house, and then he would help me do the dishes afterward. It felt strangely domestic.
One afternoon I found an old Battleship game in the closet, and we spent several days challenging each other until he caught me cheating. In my family, cheating was always part of the fun, but he was appalled by my blatant disregard for the rules and wouldn’t play again after that.
Most of his evenings and days off, he spent with me. I knew he occasionally went to
Cherie’s house after leaving mine, but true to his word, he did not seem to be interested in pursuing anything else with her. He never mentioned her at all. The couple of times that I half- heartedly suggested he invite her to join us, he looked at me like I had suggested the unthinkable. I didn’t mind.
Chapter 13
“I BROUGHT stuff to make nachos,” Matt said as he came in from the kitchen and handed me a beer.
“You’re making nachos?”
He gave me the pseudo-grin. “I thought you were making nachos.” I threw my bottle cap at him. He ignored it and looked over at the TV. “Pre-season football? What’s the point?”
“It’s better than no football at all.”
“You know,” he said teasingly, “I don’t think gay guys are supposed to like football.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. But so far, nobody’s come by to revoke my ‘Gay Guys’ membership card.”
He laughed and then turned back to the TV. “The Cowboys and the Broncos? Damn, I might actually have to cheer for your Broncs on this one.”
I laughed in surprise. “Really? I’m amazed.”
“I always root against the Cowboys just to piss my dad off.”
“I forgot he was a Cowboys fan. I’ll have to cheer against them from now on, too, just on general principle.”
“Only one more week,” he said, and I knew exactly what he was talking about. We were counting down the days until regular season started. He was the first person I had ever met, not counting my father and Brian, who was as excited about pro football as I was. “And the week after that, we’ll be watching my Chiefs kicking ass all over your Broncos,” he said. As division rivals, our teams would play each other twice in the season.
“We’ll see.”
“Loser buys dinner for a week.”
“Deal.”
He held up his beer, like a toast, but winced a little as he did.
“Are you still sore from that bike crash last week?”
“Yes. Which wouldn’t be so bad, except now I can’t sleep right. This morning I woke up with a huge knot in my shoulder. I think it’s a sign of impending old age.”
I said, without really thinking about it, “I can help you with that, you know.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners, which meant he was almost laughing. “With old age?”
“No, smartass, with your shoulder.”
“How?”
He was sitting forward on the edge of the couch, so it was easy for me to get up and
“Rub some dirt on it. It’ll help stop the bleeding.”
“Is that out of the masochist handbook too?”
“I think it’s a baseball thing.”
“Okay, but if I end up with a raging infection and have to get my leg amputated, I’m holding you responsible.”
“I’ll pay for your prosthetic.”
We made it to the top and stood looking down at the valley below us. He turned to me with that brilliant smile—that made twice I had seen it, and it took my breath away—and said, “The bike was definitely a good idea.”
We spent the rest of the summer together. I couldn’t remember ever being happier. It was so nice to have a friend to hang out with. At times I couldn’t help but wish that it was more, but it was never enough to dampen my enthusiasm for spending time with him. Finally,
I wasn’t alone. It was the best feeling in the world.
We went camping and mountain biking and geo-caching. We went out to dinner or had dinner with Brian and Lizzy or just sat on my couch drinking beer and watching bad TV. Some nights we even cooked dinner at my house, and then he would help me do the dishes afterward. It felt strangely domestic.
One afternoon I found an old Battleship game in the closet, and we spent several days challenging each other until he caught me cheating. In my family, cheating was always part of the fun, but he was appalled by my blatant disregard for the rules and wouldn’t play again after that.
Most of his evenings and days off, he spent with me. I knew he occasionally went to
Cherie’s house after leaving mine, but true to his word, he did not seem to be interested in pursuing anything else with her. He never mentioned her at all. The couple of times that I half- heartedly suggested he invite her to join us, he looked at me like I had suggested the unthinkable. I didn’t mind.
Chapter 13
“I BROUGHT stuff to make nachos,” Matt said as he came in from the kitchen and handed me a beer.
“You’re making nachos?”
He gave me the pseudo-grin. “I thought you were making nachos.” I threw my bottle cap at him. He ignored it and looked over at the TV. “Pre-season football? What’s the point?”
“It’s better than no football at all.”
“You know,” he said teasingly, “I don’t think gay guys are supposed to like football.”
I rolled my eyes at him. “Yeah, I’ve heard that before. But so far, nobody’s come by to revoke my ‘Gay Guys’ membership card.”
He laughed and then turned back to the TV. “The Cowboys and the Broncos? Damn, I might actually have to cheer for your Broncs on this one.”
I laughed in surprise. “Really? I’m amazed.”
“I always root against the Cowboys just to piss my dad off.”
“I forgot he was a Cowboys fan. I’ll have to cheer against them from now on, too, just on general principle.”
“Only one more week,” he said, and I knew exactly what he was talking about. We were counting down the days until regular season started. He was the first person I had ever met, not counting my father and Brian, who was as excited about pro football as I was. “And the week after that, we’ll be watching my Chiefs kicking ass all over your Broncos,” he said. As division rivals, our teams would play each other twice in the season.
“We’ll see.”
“Loser buys dinner for a week.”
“Deal.”
He held up his beer, like a toast, but winced a little as he did.
“Are you still sore from that bike crash last week?”
“Yes. Which wouldn’t be so bad, except now I can’t sleep right. This morning I woke up with a huge knot in my shoulder. I think it’s a sign of impending old age.”
I said, without really thinking about it, “I can help you with that, you know.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners, which meant he was almost laughing. “With old age?”
“No, smartass, with your shoulder.”
“How?”
He was sitting forward on the edge of the couch, so it was easy for me to get up and
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