Page 38 of Knocked Sideways

“Ridder was Remy’s coach at UVM.” Jed didn’t miss Hal’s side-eye at his use of Remy’s name instead of his nickname.

“Well, Lads didn’t look all that happy about seeing him. He should’ve been going out with Moreau and McBride after a game like that, not having a drink with someone who was making him feel like crap. He kind of stormed off before I could go say hi.”

Jed suspected Hal was looking for a specific response to that, but his mind tripped over that last part. Remy had stormed off? So they probably didn’t sleep together, then.

He felt way too relieved about that.

“Anyway, you know what I’m going to say next, right?” Hal sounded impatient.

“Yeah, yeah.” Jed was still processing what it meant that Remy had been upset, but this time, he managed to get the right words out. “Check in with him. I know.”

“You know how important it is.” Hal sighed. “Look how well he’s played this trip. He keeps that up, and Moreau stays on his hot streak, and we may actually have a shot this year. Which, you know, it’s about damn time. I’m not getting any younger.”

“You’ve got a lot of years left, Cap.” It wasn’t like Hal to talk like that.

“It doesn’t feel like it. Having children ages you,” Hal grumbled.

Then Coach stood up to start the meeting as Remy slipped in the door, and Jed willed himself to focus on what Coach had to say about the upcoming game against New York instead of on the dark circles under Remy’s eyes.

Jed was a little surprised when Remy sat next to him on the plane. Less surprised when Remy didn’t actually say anything, just tilted his head back and closed his eyes.

“Hey,” Jed said, after it seemed clear that Remy really was just going to sit there.

“Hey.” Remy didn’t open his eyes.

“How was the drink with Mike?” Jed asked cautiously, because he knew. Or thought he knew. But he wanted to hear it from Remy.

He was a terrible, terrible person for sure.

“How do you think?” With a big sigh, Remy opened his eyes and stared at the seat in front of him. “It was fine. Whatever. I survived. Mike’s an asshole. You were right.”

“You don’t look fine.” Fuck, had he actually said that out loud? He didn’t want Remy to think he was jealous. Even though yes, he was.

“What d’you mean?”

“You look like you slept like shit,” Jed said bluntly.

“Yeah, well.” Remy looked up the aisle, like he was hoping for a distraction and maybe regretted sitting down next to Jed. “I was angry with myself last night. That never helps. But I’ll be fine for the game.”

“Okay.” Jed wondered if he could get away with asking why Remy was so angry. He hoped Remy meant he was angry for wasting his time on someone who didn’t appreciate him the way he deserved. And that he was now completely over Mike, even happy that they’d broken up.

“I have a question, though,” Remy said, while Jed was telling himself there was no universe in which he could rationally ask about any of that.

“Yeah?”

“I saw you come down to the lobby last night while I was talking to Mike.”

“Yeah?” Jed said again, because what else was he supposed to say?

“But you went right back upstairs. So, like, why did you come down, anyway?”

Fuck. He had no plausible excuse. He should probably tell the truth. Or some version of it that didn’t give away that flash of possessiveness he’d been feeling.

“I guess I wanted to make sure you didn’t need some backup, but you looked like you had it covered.”

“I did have it covered,” Remy said. “But thanks.”

And then he met Jed’s eyes and gave him a brief smile, and Jed found himself smiling back like the fool he was. Remy smiled even bigger, and the pink started flushing in his cheeks before he closed his eyes abruptly and muttered something about needing a nap. And if he slumped against Jed when he fell asleep, well, Jed supposed that didn’t mean anything other than that the seats were too small.