Between the Pipes

by Stephanin Hecht

  Part of Trey just wanted to slunk out of the house before Wade woke up. In fact, his empty gut clenched at the thought of having to talk to the handsome man. But Trey knew he couldn’t do that. Wade wasn’t just another one of his normal bar hookups. So the least Trey owed him was a goodbye and thanks for the fun. Taking a deep breath, he reached out and shook Wade on the shoulder.

  He instantly came awake, his lids fluttering open to reveal his brown eyes. He smiled before glancing at the nightstand clock. “Hey, what are you doing up so early?”

  “We have an AM practice today and I need to get the gear from my truck,” Trey explained, playing nervously with the hem of his t-shirt. While it’d seemed like the perfect thing to wear out the night before, it now became painfully obvious how cheap and easy it made him look.

  Who are you kidding? You are cheap and easy. Why do you think you’ve never had a serious relationship in your life? When guys want a real boyfriend, they look for someone like Devon or Saul. They sure as hell don’t want you.

  “Right, and your car is back at Peacocks,” Wade said as he sat up, the blankets pooling in his lap. “Just give me a second and I’ll give you a ride.”

  “Oh, there’s no need. My brother is already on his way,” Trey interjected. The last thing he needed was for Wade to feel obligated to do him any favors. “I just wanted to say goodbye before I took off on you.”

  “Are you sure? It wouldn’t be a bother.”

  Trey ducked his head as he felt that damn blush grow. Why in the hell did it have to feel so good that Wade made that offer? It’s not like he was making any real grand gesture or anything. He’d probably do the same for any other trick. The man was a cop after all so it no doubt came natural for him to want to take care of others.

  “Thanks, but Devon should be here any minute.”

  Wade got out of bed, seemingly oblivious to his nudity.

  Trey peered up from under his lashes, desire pooling in his body as he recalled how good it’d felt to have all those hard muscles under him.

  “Wait right here,” Wade ordered before he went into the bathroom.

  Trey remained rooted in place as he heard water running and other morning ritual sounds. He began to feel awkward and wanted to retreat to the comfort of the front foray, but he found he couldn’t bring himself to disobey Wade’s command. So instead he waited, all the while still worrying his bottom lip.

  Finally the door opened and Wade came out. He’d thrown on a pair of sweats, but his chest and feet were still bare. He padded over to Trey. Tucking his knuckles under Trey’s chin, Wade forced him to look up.

  “You keep biting your lip like that and you’re going to make it chapped,” Wade admonished.

  “Sorry,” Trey whispered.

  “What happened to the flirty brat I brought home last night?”

  Trey averted his gaze as shame flooded his body. “Sorry about that. Alcohol tends to loosen me up a little too much.”

  “You told me you weren’t drunk.”

  “I wasn’t,” Trey assured, not wanting Wade to think he was a lair as well as a slut. “I only had a couple drinks and they were the girly, fruity kinds that don’t have that much booze in them. Unfortunately that’s all it takes for me to be…well, you know.”

  Wade didn’t reply at first and Trey kept his gaze directed away, not wanting to see the disgust on the other man’s face. Wade still had his fingers under Trey’s chin and he used them to give another gentle nudge.

  “Trey, look at me,” Wade whispered.

  Even though Trey wanted to disobey, he found it impossible not to do whatever Wade commanded. He forced himself to slide his eyes in Wade’s direction. When he found himself locked in the man’s concerned, dark-eyed gaze, a tightness built in Trey’s chest.

  “Do you regret what happened between us last night? I want you to be truthful with me,” Wade said as he fanned his thumb over Trey’s jaw.

  “I don’t regret what we did, I just regret the way I acted,” Trey replied honestly.

  “Don’t be ashamed. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “How can you even say that? I basically threw myself at you and then did acrobats on your body.”

  Wade gave him a smile so tender that it made Trey’s toes curl. “And I enjoyed every moment of it. In fact, I can’t wait to do it again.”

  “You don’t have to say that just to save my feelings. I know how encounters like last night always end and I don’t expect anything from you. I promise to keep coaching Andy and to be Amy’s friend, so you don’t have to worry about that.”

  “And what if I expect something from you?” Wade demanded as he continued to run his thumb over Trey’s skin.

  “Huh?” Trey didn’t even try to hide his confusion.

  “What if I want to see you again? And I don’t mean just for sex. What if I want to get to know you better?”

  “Why would you wish to do that?” Trey shook his head. All the guys in his past either wanted a fast hookup or to be with him because he was a hockey star. Since Trey’s career was at rock bottom and they’d already fucked, he couldn’t see what further use Wade would have for him.

  “I’ll pick you up at six,” Wade said, further perplexing Trey.

  “If you want, I can just drive myself here,” Trey floundered, deciding that Wade just wanted another round of sex.

  “No, I’ll pick you up at your place. Wear something nice because I plan to take you someplace special for dinner.”

  “Why?”

  Wade gifted him with a soft smile. “You really don’t have any idea how special you are, do you?”

  Trey shrugged. “I’m just a hockey player.”

  “You’re so much more than that. I’m only amazed that nobody else has noticed before now.”

  How Trey wanted to believe that. To be safe in the knowledge that he could actually be worthy of someone’s attention. Past experience had taught him two things—one, that the only thing he was good at was stopping pucks and the other, that he was nothing more than a pretty face. He knew it would be just a matter of time before Wade figured that out, too.

  “If you actually think I’m a catch, then you really need to get out more,” Trey said lightly, hoping to tease himself out of the uncomfortable situation.

  Unfortunately, that tactic didn’t seem to work with Wade. He leaned in to give Trey a soft kiss. “Whoever made you think so little of yourself should be shot.”

  Trey’s heart jerked in fear as Wade came way too close to the truth for Trey’s liking. Luck was finally with him, however, because the sound of a car horn broke through the tense silence. “That’s Devon, I have to get going.” Trey tried to pull away.

  Wade grabbed onto his shoulders. “You’re not leaving until you promise to go out with me tonight.”

  “Now you’re being ridiculous. We just fucked, that’s all.”

  “It was more than that and you know it,” Wade persisted.

  Trey made a big show of rolling his eyes. Since teasing and arguing hadn’t gotten the point across, maybe some good old fashioned disdain would do the trick. “Please, next you’ll be declaring your love or something. Sorry, but you’re not the first guy who’s become addicted to my tight ass.”

  “Don’t demean yourself like that,” Wade snapped.

  “Why not?” Trey replied, his voice raising in panic and anger. “Don’t believe for a minute that I think I’m anything more than a piece of ass to you.”

  Wade gave him a slight shake. “Look, I’m not saying that it’s love. We’ve just met. But I will say that you mean a lot more to me than just some one-night fuck. You can try to deny it all you want, but I know it meant more to you, too. Look me in the eye and tell me differently.”

  As Trey found himself locked into Wade’s gaze, he realized there was no way he could lie to the man. “What I think doesn’t matter,” Trey finally conceded.

  “I happen to disagree. I think everything about you is very important.”


  The horn beeped again and Trey realized he only had moments before Devon grew impatient enough to come to the door. Since his brother was probably already pissed at being awakened extra early, Trey didn’t want to add in having to watch his brother facing off against a stubborn cop on top of it.

  “Fine, I’ll go tonight,” Trey relented.

  “Good, I knew you’d see things my way,” Wade replied with a smug smile.

  Trey shot him a dirty look. “Just give me a second to write down my phone number and address.”

  “Don’t worry, I can get them from Amy. You better get out to your brother.”

  Wade finally released Trey, but not before giving him a hot, carnal kiss that left them both slightly breathless. Trey dashed from the room, pausing once to shoot a look of confusion back at Wade.

  As he shut he front door behind him, Trey still couldn’t shake the surprise that he’d agreed to go out on an actual date with someone. That had to be first for him. He couldn’t remember another time where he’d gone anywhere with another man besides the backseat of a car, a bed or a hotel.

  Devon scowled as Trey approached the truck. His brother’s boyfriend, Saul, sat in the passenger seat and he didn’t look much happier. Trey gave them a halfhearted wave before he slid into the backseat.

  “Thanks for coming to get me,” Trey mumbled as he buckled up.

  Saul squinted at the house. “Isn’t this Amy’s brother’s place?”

  Trey slunked down in the seat. Saul would have to pick up on that. “Kind of.”

  Devon glared into the review mirror. “As in the cop?”

  Saul shrugged. “Yeah, she only has one brother.”

  “You went home with a cop?” Devon demanded, his voice sharp with anger.

  As always, whenever one of his brothers became upset with him, Trey’s stomach curdled. “We first met at the rink yesterday and when we ran into each other at the bar again—”

  Devon cut him off. “You decided to go home with him for a fuck-fest?”

  “That’s not how it happened.” Trey paused, then amended, “Or rather, that’s not how I meant for it to go down.”

  “Let me guess, you were drinking last night.”

  Devon’s spot-on assumption made Trey cringe. “Just a couple.”

  “That’s all it takes for you to get frisky. You would have thought you would have remembered that from the last time you got drunk,” Devon replied darkly.

  Trey ducked his head as more shame flooded him. They all knew that last time had ended with Trey throwing himself at Saul. That’d been before Trey had all but blabbed about what really happened the night his father had died. If it hadn’t been for Saul and Kip dragging Trey out of the bar, things could have been a disaster.

  “I didn’t get drunk this time, just a little buzzed,” Trey defended in a small voice.

  “Obviously you were out of it enough to think it was a good idea to go home with a fricking cop,” Devon shot back.

  And you’re fucking a reporter. Trey wanted to reply, but he didn’t. Because in the end, he realized it was all his fault they were on this pit of a team and fighting to make a living. It’d been Trey who’d been careless enough to let the truth about his homosexuality get out. He was the one who pissed their dad off so much that he thought he had to teach Trey a lesson. It’d been because of him that Mom had to risk so much to protect her youngest son. And after it was all over, while Trey huddled under the table, all bruised and bloody, it’d been Devon and Chad who cleaned up him and the mess he caused.

  In short, he owed his brothers everything.

  “Do you ever use that pretty, blond head for thinking?” Devon continued.

  “Sometimes,” Trey whispered, fiddling with the zipper of his coat.

  “Just because we can trust Saul and Amy to keep our secret, doesn’t mean we can let our guard down around the rest of the world.”

  “What’s the big deal? Mom’s dead now, so it’s not like they can arrest her for Dad’s murder anymore.”

  As soon as he saw the fury in Devon’s face, Trey realized he should have just kept his yap shut. While Devon got ticked at him often, he rarely got angry like he was at that moment.

  “Yeah, but they could still go after Chad and I for covering it up and telling the police it was a suicide or maybe that doesn’t concern you anymore.”

  “Of course it does. You know I would never want to see you guys get into trouble because of me.”

  “You sure could have fooled me.”

  “Devon! Enough!” Saul yelled, surprising Trey when he rose to his defense.

  For a moment, Devon looked as if he were going to transfer some of his anger to his boyfriend, then Saul gave a slight shake of his head. “He’s had enough.”

  God, at that moment Trey would have given anything to become invisible. Or better yet, to go someplace where nobody knew who he was. Where they didn’t mock him for fucking up a golden career. Or where they didn’t mutter slurs under their breaths in one moment and in the next try to be his friend. Something Wade said the night before came back to Trey No, I know the Trey that all the other public gets to see. Tell me something that I couldn’t find out from the papers. Trey never wished more that he could be that that non-public self.

  For a brief time, he’d felt normal, too. When he’d been with Wade, for the first time ever it was as if it didn’t matter that he was a professional hockey player, or just another cute face. Wade had actually acted as if he wanted Trey just for being himself.

  It’d felt damn good, too.

  Nobody spoke the rest of the drive there—Saul and Devon sitting in tense silence, Trey resting his head against the cool glass of the backseat window. When they finally reached Peacocks, Trey wanted to cheer with relief. At least he’d be able to get a few minutes free of Devon’s anger. Trey knew the respite would only be temporary, since once practice started, he’d be facing a double dose of it. There would be no way that Devon wouldn’t share with his twin all the details of their baby brother’s latest fuck up.

  Trey muttered a thanks before slipping from the back seat. He slowly walked to his own beat-up, nearly-at-death’s-door truck.

  Devon yelled, “Wait a second.”

  Devon hopped from his vehicle and trotted over to Trey. A heavy sigh jerked from Trey’s chest as he waited for yet another lecture. When Devon reached out and grabbed him in a tight embrace instead, Trey nearly fainted in shock.

  “I’m sorry for being such an ass,” Devon apologized.

  Wow, while Devon usually did the whole my-bad thing whenever he lashed out at Trey, it usually took him at least an hour or so to calm down. Trey decided it must be Saul’s influence. The reporter had a way of soothing Devon’s edges.

  “You were right. I should be more careful. I promise not to see Wade again,” Trey conceded.

  “I just worry so much about you. I think I lose more sleep over you than I do Brock.”

  “Ouch,” Trey said with a wince. To know that his issues took precedence over a drug addict had to be an all-time low.

  “Don’t take that the wrong way.”

  “What other way is there to take that you just said I’m more of a loser than our family’s version of Lindsey and Charlie rolled into one?”

  “It’s just sometimes it concerns me that the reason you hook up with all these random guys is that you’re looking for love in the wrong places.”

  What?

  Trey broke away so Devon could fully appreciate the look of disbelief that was no doubt stamped on his face. “What the fuck was that?”

  Devon gave a slight shake of his head. “I’m sorry if that upset you, but it’s true.”

  “True or not, it doesn’t give you the right to start talking like you’re a Lifetime movie or chick flick come to life. Love in the wrong places.” Trey gave a snort of derision. “Seriously, who spouts off that kind of crap?”

  “I am trying to be serious,” Devon seethed. “I just wish that for once you could be, to
o.”

  Trey gave a bitter laugh. “You really don’t get it do you?”

  “Get what?”

  “All this—” Trey waved toward the bar to indicate what he spoke of— “has nothing to do with seriousness or finding that someone special in my life. I hook-up with all those guys because it feels good to fuck. It’s nothing more and it never will be.”

  All the anger drained from Devon’s face along with most of his color. “So this is all you want from life?”

  “Why not? If I have nothing then I can’t screw it up, now can I?”

  “So instead you just want to satisfy yourself with a string of one-night stands?”

  “Did you honestly expect differently from me? That I would find the one of my dreams like you and Chad? That I’d move into some neat house and have the ideal life?” Trey ducked his head so Devon wouldn’t see the tears lingering in his eyes. “Any hope of that stuff happening for me died the same night Dad did and it’s never coming back. No matter how much you and Chad try to clean it up, make it better and protect me from it, that pain is still there and it can’t be fixed.”

  Chapter Five

  Later on that day, Trey held back a groan of pain as he walked up the steps to his apartment. Like the rest of the building, the stairwell smelled of urine and centuries of cooked food. Wrinkling his nose at the stench, his toe caught a tear in the threadbare, industrial green carpet. He only saved himself by bracing a hand on the dingy wall. His stomach rolled as his fingers encountered some sticky substance. Gross! He didn’t even want to hazard a guess to what it may be.

  Crap, this really hadn’t been his day. First the awkward encounter with Wade, then his fight with Devon, followed by one of the hardest practices in his life. Not only had his mind not been in it, but both Devon and Chad had pounded him with pucks. Trey realized they were doing it so he’d get his head out of his ass, but the numerous bruises covering his body made it hard for him to feel grateful. His goalie equipment only covered so much of his body and his brothers were pros at finding the chinks in his armor so to speak.