“Knowing and feeling it are two different things, though.”
“Do you even care, Wes? Honestly, do you give a shit that I’m leaving? I can’t be in a relationship where the other person won’t let me in. Not anymore.”
He ignored those memories of Alexander. “Thanks for keeping Jess tonight. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She shook her head and he gave her a hug before walking out. He ran home real quick to change before heading out again. When he put his hand on the doorknob to open the door, someone knocked.
Wes found himself smiling. Fucking Braden. The man never gave up. He pulled the door open.
“You look a little disappointed to see me,” Noah told him.
“Just surprised.”
“I came to drag your ass out of the house. Maybe you didn’t realize it, but they have dollar beers.”
Wes laughed, and it felt good. Braden was right. He needed a night with his friends. “Where do you think I’m going?”
Wes grabbed his jacket and stepped outside.
“Ride with me.” Noah headed toward Coop’s truck and Wes followed.
He knew Braden must have said something to him. If not, Noah wouldn’t have been here. If he’d been sitting with his sister, she would have been throwing questions at him too fast for him to answer. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about that with Noah.
It didn’t take them long to get to the bar. The parking lot was packed, music thumping through the building.
“Looks like opening weekend is going well,” Wes told him.
“Yeah, it looks great inside. The owner’s some guy named Mason. He was flirting with Braden and the man didn’t even realize it.”
Wes got a foreign, tight feeling in his gut. “Yeah.”
Noah chuckled. The bastard. He knew exactly what he was doing. He might not come out and ask questions like Lydia would, but he definitely played the game. “Good to know. Maybe I can plan a threesome with them tonight.”
Noah let out a loud laugh. “Point taken. I’m minding my own business. Be glad I don’t try and get under his skin like you did the first night you met Coop.”
He’d been pretty drunk that night. Wes had a beer or two sometimes, but he wasn’t much of a drinker, so it didn’t take him much to get drunk. “Blame the alcohol. And I’ve fucked Braden twice. That’s all there is. It’s not the same thing as you and Cooper.”
“Twice?” Noah cocked a brow.
“Have you always been so nosey?”
“Again, point taken.” Noah parked the truck and they got out. They made it to the door before he said, “But I’m here. If you ever need to talk, I’m here.”
Wes nodded. He knew that, and appreciated it.
Chapter Thirteen
“Do you play any better when you haven’t had an arm injury?” Braden poked Coop in the side with his pool stick.
“Funny. You’re a regular comedian. Oh look. Noah got your boyfriend to come out tonight.”
Braden turned to look behind him as Wes and Noah headed their way, each with a beer in hand. There had been laughter in Cooper’s voice. He’d said something that Braden himself would have said but it still rubbed him the wrong way. He crossed his arms, taking Wes in. Those muscular legs wrapped up in denim that, if he had it his way, he’d remove.
He wore a long-sleeved shirt with the sleeves pushed up his arms. Damn it, he’d always had a thing for forearms. Loved the muscles there, the masculinity of them, the brushing of dark hair.
The asshole of course had to look good tonight.
“So it just takes Noah to get you out of the house, huh? I’ll have to remember that.” Braden leaned against the pool table. Wes stopped right in front of him.
“Jealous?”
“Maybe a little.” He made an inch with his finger and thumb.
Wes’s brows drew together as though he didn’t expect that reply. “I was on my way here when he showed.”
Braden grinned and held out the cue for him. “I knew there had to be a reasonable explanation. I’m Braden Roth, remember?” Wes took the stick from him and Braden continued, “Wanna play?
Wes moved closer to the table. “Yeah, yeah I do.”
They played a few games of pool, sometimes Wes and Braden against Noah and Coop, and one game with just Wes and himself. Braden stopped drinking as soon as Wes arrived, because two things became very clear.
First, Wes was in the mood to drink.
Second, the man couldn’t handle his alcohol for shit.
He wasn’t a sloppy, crazy drunk, but...hell, it was almost like it just unlocked him a little. As though he didn’t keep himself so closed off when he had a little drink in him. He kept close to Braden and laughed a lot, and made the rest of them laugh, too.