Iced Out (Leighton U #1)(71)

He arches a brow. “You think I have time to be fucking someone? I’m already going on no sleep between my parents and my course load. I don’t have time to add another human to this shit.”

Yeah, that’s true. His parents have been going through an awfully messy divorce, dragging him through the middle of it, and now with the season about to start for him, I wouldn’t doubt he goes with only a few hours of sleep at a time.

“Fair enough,” I say, continuing down the line to my goalie. “And what about you, Cam? What’s the name of your current flavor of the week?”

“This is fucking stupid.”

You’re telling me, man.

“Too shy to share? You know that’s not gonna do for Holden.”

Tongue in cheek, he sighs and offers up a name. “Her name’s Rachel. Wanna know her favorite position too?”

A small smirk plays on my lips at his snarkiness—not something that comes from him often—but I’m quick to hide it before turning to Holden.

“Well, Hold? Do we need to hear what Rachel’s favorite position is while Cam fucks her into next week?”

“Okay, you’re making your point,” Holden says, shaking his head.

“No, no. I don’t think I am. And don’t think you’re getting out of this without fessing up to your own shit,” I snap, almost seething. “So tell me, how’re things going? You and Kason still sucking each other off in the locker room after practice?”

It’s a low blow and I know it, especially considering all the filthy shit I’ve done with Quinn in our own locker room. But I need to drive this home for him, let him see how absurd he’s being, and finally put a rest to this shit.

“Kason and I are done.”

Just like that, another pang of guilt hits me. Because even though I haven’t been around, I still know Holden. I know he’s not the monogamous type, at least not long term. But he and Kason were seeing each other more than I’ve ever seen him with any previous hook-ups, and I’m talking months longer.

So it’s no surprise my stomach drops when I hear him say that. And now, of all times.

“What happened?” I ask slowly, my temper and irritation with him immediately subsiding into concern. “I thought you guys were good.”

“We were,” Holden mutters before blowing out a long breath. “But I fucked it up, just like I always do. Nothing new there.”

A scoff comes from Braxton as he looks between us. “Yeah, I’m not sticking around for this. Y’all have fun braiding your hair and shit, but I’m out.”

With that, he rises from the couch and heads up the stairs.

My eyes fall to Camden and Theo before I arch a brow at them. “You in or you out?”

“No, don’t come in here acting like you give a shit now, Oak. It doesn’t fucking work that way,” Holden says, sinking back into the couch.

But I do give a shit.

Yeah, maybe I haven’t been around. And yeah, maybe I’ve been a shitty best friend to Holden the past few months, not keeping up or checking in the way I probably should’ve been. Still doesn’t change that he’s my number one, and if he needs me to be here for him, that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.

“Except I do care, and I’m sorry I made you feel like I didn’t.”

Holden shakes his head, but there’s a smile hinting at the corner of his mouth when he says, “Fucking dick.”

“Aw, look at that. Mom and Dad made up,” Camden points out with a laugh, playing off Braxton’s earlier dig.

“Which one of them is Mom?” Theo asks, his attention flicking between me and Holden.

Before anyone can jump on that debate—because we all know it’s Holden—I turn us back to the topic at hand.

“So what happened?”

The smile that was working its way onto Holden’s face quickly disappears. “Like I said, I fucked up. All there really is to it.”

“But how?”

“Does this have anything to do with what’s going on with Phoenix and Kason?” Theo chimes in. “Because those two are thick as thieves, and they haven’t spoken in weeks.”

I recognize Phoenix as one of Theo’s teammates—maybe their center fielder—but I honestly can’t be sure. Keeping track of my own is hard enough, let alone everyone on the football and baseball teams too.

Holden’s head drops to his hands, shoulders slumping in defeat at Theo’s comment, repeating himself again. “Like I said. I. Fucked. Up.”

“Well, now I’m intrigued,” Cam says, leaning back into the cushion like he’s settling in to binge watch his favorite television show. “Theo, go grab the popcorn. We might be here a while.”

Rolling his eyes, Theo rises and heads to the kitchen where I hear him digging through the pantry. Which is kind of hilarious, minus the part where Holden still looks like he’d rather lick a rusty pair of scissors than talk about this.

“Guys, seriously,” he tries reasoning. “It’s a saga, and not a good one.”

“But Theo’s already getting the popcorn,” Cam counters. “And besides, I’ve got some time to kill, so might as well get it off your chest.”

Holden’s head drops back against the couch before he turns it toward me. “How much time you got?”