got some painkillers for you”
Jayden eyed them, feeling tempted, but then he shook his head. “Nah,” he said slowly, with an easy drawl. “I just forgot to move carefully. I’ll be fine in a second.”
Matt gave him a long, lingering look, but in the end he pocketed the pills. “If you change your mind…,” he offered.
Jayden sent him a soft smile. “Thanks.”
He couldn’t recall the last person, apart from Danny, who had taken a moment to consider Jayden’s welfare, and even though they were only pretend boyfriends, it still warmed his heart to know that Matt cared just a little bit.
The waitress returned, and with a flirty smile directed at Matt, she placed the two beers on the table. “If you need anything else, just let me know. The food should be with you shortly.”
She didn’t wait for an answer, and she had been right in doing so, since Matt only grunted in response, lifting the beer up to his lips almost instantly.
Jayden congratulated himself on not having taken the pills, because while you were sitting in the sun, nothing tasted better than a cold beer, and if he had taken those meds, he would’ve had to let the drink go to waste. He knew some people didn’t mind mixing alcohol with pills, but he liked to be cautious. If a warning label cautioned you about something, then there was probably a good reason for it.
Even though they had already discussed the topic, Jayden felt it necessary to bringing it up again. “You sure you don’t want to agree on some backstory?” His voice was wary, since he was mindful of angering the blond, but he was convinced they couldn’t just move ahead with nothing. Maybe he should drop the subject because this was Matt’s problem and not his, but he couldn’t quite ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He couldn’t let it rest. So he brought it up again.
“Just smile like you do, flutter your eyelashes, and play stupid; I’m sure you can manage,” Matt answered.
This time, Jayden reacted before his common sense could intervene. He shoved the beer away, liquid sloshing over the table, and his sunglasses hit the table with a loud thump. “I’m not some idiot who you can order around,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “I owe you my life, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like shit.”
Matt blinked, his body moving away slightly, as though he were surprised by Jayden’s outburst. “I do pay you…,” he said tentatively, almost unsure how Jayden was going to react next.
A thrill of something foreign jolted through Jayden. Could it be he liked keeping Matt on his toes? Jayden’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Paying me doesn’t give you the right to insult me.”
Thankfully, he had been aware enough to keep his voice low, and when Matt leaned forward, blue eyes sparkling for once instead of shining ice-cold, Jayden almost scooted backward, shocked by the sudden change.
“You’re feisty,” Matt drawled. He definitely seemed to appreciate Jayden’s outburst. “I like it. It’s good you have a temper. No one would believe I would fall in love with someone who has no backbone.”
The comment left Jayden staring, unsure how to respond. Had he just gotten insulted or complimented?
“Look,” Matt surprised him by saying, “I’m sorry if I was out of line. If it makes you happy, we can say something like this.”
Jayden actually eagerly leaned forward, and after giving him a funny look, Matt did the same.
“We could say we met a few months ago at some random party. We kept in touch and I invited you to visit. We fell in love, the end.”
“Not very romantic, is it?” Jayden complained, but he did it with a smile, which Matt returned.
“Most stories aren’t romantic; I leave such nonsense to fairy tales.”
Matt had a point there, so Jayden simply nodded, agreeing with him. Most fairy tales tended to give him nightmares anyway. Just consider the one where a wolf ate the grandma
Jayden eyed them, feeling tempted, but then he shook his head. “Nah,” he said slowly, with an easy drawl. “I just forgot to move carefully. I’ll be fine in a second.”
Matt gave him a long, lingering look, but in the end he pocketed the pills. “If you change your mind…,” he offered.
Jayden sent him a soft smile. “Thanks.”
He couldn’t recall the last person, apart from Danny, who had taken a moment to consider Jayden’s welfare, and even though they were only pretend boyfriends, it still warmed his heart to know that Matt cared just a little bit.
The waitress returned, and with a flirty smile directed at Matt, she placed the two beers on the table. “If you need anything else, just let me know. The food should be with you shortly.”
She didn’t wait for an answer, and she had been right in doing so, since Matt only grunted in response, lifting the beer up to his lips almost instantly.
Jayden congratulated himself on not having taken the pills, because while you were sitting in the sun, nothing tasted better than a cold beer, and if he had taken those meds, he would’ve had to let the drink go to waste. He knew some people didn’t mind mixing alcohol with pills, but he liked to be cautious. If a warning label cautioned you about something, then there was probably a good reason for it.
Even though they had already discussed the topic, Jayden felt it necessary to bringing it up again. “You sure you don’t want to agree on some backstory?” His voice was wary, since he was mindful of angering the blond, but he was convinced they couldn’t just move ahead with nothing. Maybe he should drop the subject because this was Matt’s problem and not his, but he couldn’t quite ignore the nagging feeling in the back of his mind. He couldn’t let it rest. So he brought it up again.
“Just smile like you do, flutter your eyelashes, and play stupid; I’m sure you can manage,” Matt answered.
This time, Jayden reacted before his common sense could intervene. He shoved the beer away, liquid sloshing over the table, and his sunglasses hit the table with a loud thump. “I’m not some idiot who you can order around,” he hissed through clenched teeth. “I owe you my life, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like shit.”
Matt blinked, his body moving away slightly, as though he were surprised by Jayden’s outburst. “I do pay you…,” he said tentatively, almost unsure how Jayden was going to react next.
A thrill of something foreign jolted through Jayden. Could it be he liked keeping Matt on his toes? Jayden’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Paying me doesn’t give you the right to insult me.”
Thankfully, he had been aware enough to keep his voice low, and when Matt leaned forward, blue eyes sparkling for once instead of shining ice-cold, Jayden almost scooted backward, shocked by the sudden change.
“You’re feisty,” Matt drawled. He definitely seemed to appreciate Jayden’s outburst. “I like it. It’s good you have a temper. No one would believe I would fall in love with someone who has no backbone.”
The comment left Jayden staring, unsure how to respond. Had he just gotten insulted or complimented?
“Look,” Matt surprised him by saying, “I’m sorry if I was out of line. If it makes you happy, we can say something like this.”
Jayden actually eagerly leaned forward, and after giving him a funny look, Matt did the same.
“We could say we met a few months ago at some random party. We kept in touch and I invited you to visit. We fell in love, the end.”
“Not very romantic, is it?” Jayden complained, but he did it with a smile, which Matt returned.
“Most stories aren’t romantic; I leave such nonsense to fairy tales.”
Matt had a point there, so Jayden simply nodded, agreeing with him. Most fairy tales tended to give him nightmares anyway. Just consider the one where a wolf ate the grandma
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