Shane and Trey[ Enemies to Lovers 01 ]

by Anyta Sunday

  Trey wriggled—or maybe jerked. He felt all clammy, and he was sleep talking, mumbling something. I fothi sleep tagripped his arm so he wouldn’t elbow me again. “Hey, Trey. It’s okay. It’s just a dream.”

  But he didn’t hear me, only thrashed harder. I climbed on top of him to pin him down, gently telling him over and over it was just a dream. Soon he calmed. Enough that I could let go and continue holding him. It was as I entwined my foot around his, that he whimpered something that had me holding my breath. “Didn’t mean…push her.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  TREY DIDN’T WAKE up, and I didn’t get back to sleep. My mind ran in circles ofwhat had happened? Didn’t mean… push her.Of course it could just be a dream. It might not have any relevance. So why couldn’t I stop thinking about it then? Images of Trey pushing his aunt filled my mind, but no matter what angle I looked at it, I just couldn’t believe it. I didn’t. But, maybe I should ask? No! Like Syd said, if he had something important to tell me, he would in his own time.

  I swept a gaze over his soft facial features in the early morning light. I skimmed my finger a millimeter over his profile. This face had looked me in the eye and confessed his feelings for me, apologized to me, made sure I was okay after falling.I trust you.

  With that thought, I bit down on my curiosity and headed into my day. Another we’d spend apart until I picked him up for work. So, of course it dragged something rotten. When I finally finished my lectures for the day I dashed to the Math’s department.

  Crowds of people started piling into the amphitheater, and I scanned the tops of them, soon spotting Trey (hehe, not too hard considering his height) taking his earphones out. Snaking around people, I reached my Trey,my Trey!and grabbed the iPod from his unsuspecting hands.

  In total surprise someone had swiped his gear his head whipped up. A truly scary look morphed into its opposite in the blink of an eye. His smile kept growing as I beckoned him down the hall a bit, away from the hazard of being stampeded on.

  “You left this morning,” Trey said, suddenly scowling as if he just remembered he was upset with me. “Should have woken me.”

  “Sorry. You got my note, right?” “I did,” he pulled it from his pocket. I gulped, he carried it with him!“And since you must have sprinted over here to catch me before class, I forgive you.” Then in a hushed tone, “But I really wanted to kiss you good-bye, wish you a nice day.”

  There was underlying warmth to those words that pooled in my stomach, and a feeling of comfort, of being at home came over me. I wished to lean into him right there and kiss him. Trey must have sensed it, because he did a quick scan of the hall, dragged me to a nook and pressed his lips to mine. Tantalizing and—no, no stay don’t go! Want more.

  “Sorry babe, attendance counts. Gotta go.” He took back his iPod, and started off down the hall, twisting to wave at me. “Two o’clock at your car.”

  Okay, it was only a couple of hours, but was time playing tricks on me? Why did it feel like seven? In my car, I watched the dashboard clock. Five minutes to go. I slapped my English Literature book shut. What was the point? I wasn’t really reading it. Or I’d start, but drift off after the first couple of sentences. Reaching over to the backseat, I stuffed the book into my bag.

  Just before I turned, I caught sight of Trey out the rear window, trudging across the parking lot. My heart quickened. I’d been waiting for this all day (actually two since we’d barely had time to be together during the day), but now I felt nervous. Shoot, it’d beentwo dayssince we really were together. Conversing. Getting to know one another…

  Where did these jitters come from? A little voice in my head answered,because this is actually happening, no hiding feeling f.d it withs, June knows, it’s the start…Yeah, the start. Which was followed by a middle, and then a—my stomach lurched.No. Don’t think about it.

  I wiped my hands on my jeans, and managed to throw Trey a weak smile as he plopped himself into the car. “Fuck I felt like ditching that last one.” He dumped his bag between his feet, and looked at me. “Shit, you all right?”

  “Nhuh?” I frowned, until I saw a pale face staring back at me in the rearview mirror. Oh. “I’m sweet. Let’s go.” We began driving and Trey gave a run-down of his day, ending with: “So it seems I gave you a minute by minute update. I don’t know what’s got into me.” Well, considering how fast he was talking, I’d guess he was nervous too. Which made me feel a little better.

  “Anyway, that must have been boring as hell. What was your day like?”

  So I gave him a detailed, and even more boring, account of mine. Somehow though, talking about the mundane was great. Because it was with him, and we were both being… um, real. I took the next exit off the highway. “Say let’s make up for such a lame day, okay?”

  “Hmmm, let’s.” Trey lightly rested his hand on my thigh, gently stroking. “I was hoping we could go out tonight, after we’ve had dinner with our folks.”

  “Date number two?” I asked, raising a brow, and then gasped as Trey’s hand wandered to the crease in my jeans. “Stop that.” Although my voice, husky, didn’t match the words. Nope, not at all. I might as well have thrust myself into him and saidkeep going.“You’re making me hard.”

  “Don’t like that?” Duh? Of course I did, just these jeans, sitting this way… “Darn it.” I quickly fished a hand under the waistband and rearranged myself. “Your fault.”

  I glanced at him, his eyes rooted to my crotch, his fingers twitching on my leg as if contemplating. In that brief second, his lust radiated, making my blood boil and, yeah, head faster down there. Man he turned me on. Was I lucky or what?

  “No mistake, no fault,” he finally choked out. “You trying to make me jizz in my pants again? ‘Cause, baby, as much as I like what you do to me, I don’t have a spare pair.”

  He grinned and, reluctantly, removed his hand. “Now tell me more about this date,” I said. Just the thought of one unleashed butterflies. Trey reddened a touch. “Okay, see this would be another great reason to be able to drive. Well, I won’t be picking you up, but meet me at Zebrini? Say eight-thirty?” “Sure. Do you want me to pickyouup?” I thought the offer made sense, but one look at his face told me I shouldn’t have said a word.

  “Ah, no. I will get there my own way.” We remained quiet for a moment. Then both of us spoke at once. We looked at each other a second, confused, then broke out grinning at each other, effectively melting any tension. “Ah, you go,” he said.

  Hmmm… “Umm…” I indicated and turned into the last street before we reached Treewok Elementary, “so… nothing. You?”

  “Had nothing either.”

  We chuckled. Weird. This was weird and good. I breathed deeply. Oh yeah. Within ten minutes we’d parked and made it to the office, picked up the key and met the kids in the gym. As soon as the doors closed behind us Trey and I acted like strangers. We kept an unusual distance (and a whole heap of kids) between us, overly sensitive someone would clue on to us.

  The entire few hours messing about in the gym, and even out on the field where we tried to teach the kids some hockey, I was super aware of my physicality. The way I moved, held myself, gestured—nothing felt natural anymore. I’d notice I slouched a bit, and would straighten myself, stopping halfway thinkingdoes it look like I’m trying too hard?Ha-ha, which I was.

  “L-l-leave m-me a-l-l-one.” At the sound of Paul, I honed my atten nned tion in on him, Jessie and Karl, by the fence under an Oak tree.

  I stalked over, motioned Jessie and Karl to follow me a few steps away, and crouched to their level to look them all in the eye. “What’s going on here?”

  Jessie shrugged, and Karl spat on the grass. “Nothing. Just… talking to Paulie.”

  “Is that what he’d say?” I asked, knowing the answer. Jessie snickered. “Of c-c-course.” Karl laughed, but stopped when he looked at me. And I wasn’t surprised. I took bullying seriously.

  “Karl, Jessie,” I looked them both in the eye, “picki
ng on others is not okay. I will be talking to your teacher about this. I want you to apologize to Paul.”

  “Can’t make me,” Karl said, glaring back at me. I felt uncomfortable, and wasn’t entirely sure what to say to that. He was right; I couldn’t make him do anything. I held his eye, but felt myself starting to sweat. I wasn’t going to back down though, I was the authority here at the moment, and he had to learn there were boundaries.

  Jessie nudged him. “I don’t want to get in trouble with Mrs. Treale. Come on.” But Karl didn’t move while Jessie ran to Paul and said a quick half-sincere sorry.

  “If you want to take part in the games we play,” I said slowly, “you have to show me you can work with others in a team. And that means showing respect and being kind to them.”

  He looked over my shoulder at others playing a bit of hockey, a light shone in his eyes. I could see how much he wanted to participate. Then he narrowed his eyes and shrugged it off. “Whatever. But with Paul I was only saying what’s true. He speaks funny. Everyone knows it.”

  “Karl, can you do something for me? Can you imagine being Paul for a second? Imagine speaking is hard for you. Imagine how much you want to speak like others. Now, how would you feel if someone came up and made fun of you?”

  He didn’t answer, he was too stubborn to, but I could see something change in his expression. It was a start. “Now, if you want to continue playing with us, apologize to Paul. If you don’t, I will take you to Principle Rollins, and you can spend the rest of the afternoon with her.”

  Stamping his foot, he gave in. He waltzed up to Paul and without looking at him said, “Sorry.” And that was it, but it was a start. I’d make sure to talk to Mrs. Treale about it, though.

  I nodded as Karl ran off, and went over to make sure Paul was okay.

  “I’m g-good.” I rubbed his head with my knuckles, a little thing we did. He smiled. Tough kid.

  “Now come and show me what you can do with a hockey stick. I can show you a few tricks, if you like.” He nodded and we turned back toward the others. My breath hitched, as I saw Trey a couple of feet away, kids around him, but he was looking at me with something… hmmmsomethingin his gaze. Whatever it was it made the heat rush to my face, and I had to turn away from it.

  For the rest of the afternoon, I was back to that physical over-awareness. Only once we were back in the car, alone, did I relax.Somewhat.

  One of Trey’s large hands gripped the back of my neck. He squeezed and moved to my shoulders massaging them too. Oh boy did that feel good. I dropped my neck forward encouraging him to continue.

  “Jeez, you’re tense.”

  “Mmmm.” He chuckled. “There’s more where that came from. Later. I want to get back to help Ma as much as I can before we meet up at Zebrini.”

  I rolled my neck, feeling so much better. Double—triple-so, because yay, yay, yay tonight we were going on a date.

  *** After parking my car (I scored a spot right outside Zebrini’s), I headed inside. We hadn’t made it clear exactly where we were meeting, so I hoped I wouldn’t look too much like a dork wandering around the large room. Maybe because it was a Tuesday evening, I wasn’t sure, but only a few billiard ns wiok tables were occupied. A good thing, I supposed. There’d be enough tables that we wouldn’t have to wait, or worse, play with others.

  About to turn around and head back to the entrance, a long shadow crept over me and I knew—could sense it was Trey. I spun around before he could say anything. “You’re late.”

  Trey gently picked up my wrist and looked at my watch. “Fashionably, I’d say.”

  “Humpf!” I held back the grin, although it was doing its best to break free. “Does that make me on time, or eager?” He motioned me to a table in the far corner, tucked away from view thanks to the back of the bar. Leaning to my ear he spoke. It was like his voice had fingers and specialized in tickling my spine. “Eager, I hope.”

  There was no holding that grin back any longer. It erupted from me and with it a chuckle. “Then you’re lucky. Now teach me how to play some pool.”

  “First let’s get a coke.” At the bar we drank a refreshing soda and shared what we’d had for dinner. Trey shook his head when I told him Mom and I had microwave bolognaise, and promised to make it fresh for me ‘one of these days’. My nerves doubled at that point for about a half minute, and then either they toned themselves down, or I got used to it.

  “Now,” Trey said after insisting to pay for my drink, “let’s find you a cue.” He dragged me past the green table, over to the cue stand. Pulled one out and checked the tip before handing it to me. “Hold it in your right hand.”

  I grabbed it, doing as he said.

  He came closer and moved my hand to the thick end. “Does it feel too heavy?” “No!” Well, it wasn’t thatheavy, but weren’t there lighter ones? Another cue was placed in my hand. Much better. How did he know? Better not think I was weak or anything. Rrrr. “This is fine too.”

  Trey’s eyes twinkled as if laughing. Minx! Then he grabbed a cue for himself and some chalk. “So,” he said, as we moved to the billiard table well lit up with suspended lights, “you said you know the rules, right?”

  He took the plastic triangle off the set up balls. “Um, yeah. I mean, I know the basics. Sink all the colors of your balls, either solids or stripes and—ah—go for the black one last.”

  A cute smile. “The eight ball.” “Right.”

  Trey rested his cue on a side trolley, took mine and carefully painted chalk on the tip, not taking his eyes off me. “Well, I don’t think we’ll play a game today.” He maneuvered behind me, taking my right hand and clasping it around the cue. “I think we’ll just practice your stroke.”

  I shivered, pleasant, intense. Could he feel it? My guess was yes, as he pressed himself closer showing me where to place my other hand.

  “The most important thing in the beginning is to feel comfortable.” At that I wanted to turn around and tell him I got the subtext, kiss him and suggest we leave to be a little more explicit about it. But, ah, I wasn’t quite gutsy enough to do it, because I was so freaking nervous. And he had to know, too, because the wood was all sweaty where I held it.

  For over an hour Trey tortured me, giving me little mischievous looks now and then that confirmed he knew what he was doing. And I went with it, because crap it was hot, and I knew I wasn’t the only one almost in pain here. Trey was doing it to himself too. That thought held me out, until—“Okay, enough of this.” He stole my cue, putting his and mine away. Coming back, he gripped my elbow, leading me around the corner before letting go. “Let’s get to your car, now.”

  The urgency in his voice spurred me on, because it was exactly how I felt. I quickened my step, and then stopped. Cold. Without thinking I jumped behind Trey and ducked my head.

  “What the—” Trey began and I shushed him. “Oh, God. It’s Ryan. Fuck.”

  Trey’s muscles tensed, I could f nsomeesteel them where I pressed into his back. I peeked around his arm and gulped. Yup, that was Ryan all right. Same lazy grin, blonde hair. He had an arm wrapped around a petite girl and laughed at something she said. But, what was he doing here? Hometown here? Did he have some type of special holiday? Or did he drop out of college? The last thing he said to me drifted into mind.Part fag.I gritted my teeth, and hoped he’d failed.

  Trey turned around, still blocking me from Ryan’s view, a hard expression on his face. I sobered at the look. A warning blared through me,careful now.Careful what? I must say, I didn’t understand it.

  “Outside, now!” he said, and stomped out of Zebrini’s. What? Damn! I started to go after him when Ryan caught sight of me. I thought to make a dash for it, but couldn’t.

  “Shane?” His voice sounded just the same. But it didn’t thrill me like it used to.

  “Hey, Ryan.” “What’s up?” He was talking to me now? “Ah, nothing much. College, work.” And then, “You?” Why did I ask? I didn’t care. I just wanted to get to my Trey. I eyed the
exit.

  “Oh, here with Tiffany.” He gestured to the petite girl, a content smile passing his face. “Introducing her to Mom and Dad.”

  I looked at Ryan hard. Trying to figure out what I’d seen in him. Sure he was still attractive, but—nope—zilch. Didn’t feel a thing. “Nice. Um, look, I’ve got to go. Someone’s waiting for me outside.”

  “Oh. Wasn’t that Trey I saw just before?” He scanned the room. “Is June here too?” “No. It’s just me and him.” And suddenly I didn’t care what he thought. He didn’t mean enough to me now for that. To prove it, I added, “He’s my boyfriend.”Boyfriend.Yeah, that felt so good to say.

  Ryan flinched and I watched him struggle not to shudder or say anything. His restraint at least had grown over the months. “Hmm. Well.” His eyes looked sad, looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn’t bring himself to. “I’d better get back, too.”

  I nodded and stepped away from him. As I turned I heard him mutter softly, “Sorry, man.”

  Glancing over my shoulder, I saw him retreat. Memories of the old days panged in my gut. Yeah, I was sorry our friendship was ruined, because there’d been some good— more than good times. Kayaking trips, hiking, misadventures on road trips. One time we’d camped out and a fellow camper broke his leg really bad and together we’d piled him into his old campervan and drove him to the nearest hospital. “Me too,” I whispered.

  Outside, Trey paced the pavement, hands dug into his pockets, kicking at a cola can. He looked up at me, but when I caught his eye moved away. I went to speak, but he shook his head and motioned to the car. “Get in.”

  The hurt sound in his tone startled me, I opened the doors and waited until we both buckled up. “Sorry, Trey, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

  “I’m not upset.” “Really?” If that wasn’t upset, what was? “You seem like it.”