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[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] any of them. "What I do need is for you to be alright." Tyler snorted. Lucas could tell he was embarrassed and uncomfortable. "You sound like a chick. I'm fine. I'd be more fine if you got rid of him." "Lucas stays because he's a cool guy and I think he can make things better for us." "You mean better for me." Tyler made a face. "I'm not fucked up, Adam. I don't need someone to come and fix me." "I never said that." Adam leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. "You and I are together. Lucas being here isn't going to affect that. As long as you want me you've got me. I swear on my life, Ty, that it's the truth." The room seemed to warm by a handful of degrees. "All I ask is that you stop fighting his presence here. Ignore him if you want but don't pick fights with him. Don't stir up shit. We made a deal that Lucas wouldn't try anything without my permission. That still holds true. He's not going to put the moves on me whenever you're not around." "But that doesn't stop you from starting something with him." Tyler sounded like a petulant little kid. Lucas would have smiled if he wasn't sure Tyler would see it and leap at him like a spitting cat. "You're right. It doesn't." Adam touched the other man's knee. "But I'm asking you to trust me. I'm asking you to believe that I'm not going to leave you for him, that I'm not going to end what you and I have to ride off into the sunset with Lucas. Not unless you ask me to." "That'll never happen," Tyler insisted passionately. Adam smiled. "Then you and I are together. Having Lucas here isn't going to change that. Is it, Ty?" Tyler mumbled something. "What was that?" Huffing, Tyler said in a louder voice, "No, dickwad isn't going to change things. I'm not letting him." "And you're not going to pick fights with him," Adam said firmly. Tyler sent a sneer Lucas' way. "Not unless he picks one first." "Fair enough," Lucas replied. "I don't want to fight with you. I'd prefer that we be cool with each other." "We'll never be cool," Tyler said with an eye roll. "Ty--" Adam began, frowning. "I'll ignore him, alright? He'll be leaving soon anyway." Adam sighed but Lucas had to chuckle at Tyler's wishful thinking. The guy just never let up. "My omelet's probably trashed." Tyler waved Lucas away. "Make me another one, new guy." Lucas arched an eyebrow. "You trust me with your food?" Tyler smirked back. "If you poison me I've proven my point to Adam." "You're nuts," Lucas said, "but I'll make your omelet. I expect you to return the favor one day." "Depends on how this one tastes, new guy. So don't fuck it up." ~~~~~ Tyler miraculously felt better by early evening. It was coincidentally also after Adam asked him whether he wanted to sit out of that night's show to get better. "It must have been a twenty-four hour bug or something," Tyler said dismissively as he drove a rally car through Switzerland. He'd been playing the game for two hours. Lucas was impressed by his skills. "I'm fine for the show, Adam." Lucas, lounging on another sofa, itched to reach for the second controller and ask Tyler if he could join in but he refrained. He and Tyler were skating around each other for now. He didn't want to antagonize Tyler by pushing the friendship angle too hard. Adam stood beside the coffee table for a moment, watching the onscreen racing. "How about you, Lucas? You in?" Afraid he hadn't heard right, Lucas said carefully, "You mean do I want to be in tonight's show?" Adam looked at him, amused. "It's why you're here, man. The question is are you ready?" "No, the question is will he screw it up?" Tyler said absently as he twisted his body to the side to 'help' his videogame car negotiate a sharp turn. Lucas sat up straighter. "If we're going by the script we rehearsed then yeah, I'm totally ready, Adam." "No, he's not," Tyler muttered, still driving. Lucas glared at him. "You saw me. You know I can handle a live show." "Nope." Infuriated by Tyler's attitude, Lucas started to rise to his feet. "Lucas, wait. I know how we'll decide if you're ready for the show." Adam took a seat on the armrest of Tyler's sofa. He pointed at the television screen. "You and Ty are going to compete in a race. If you can beat Ty's time then you're in the show." Tyler let his rally car drive into a ditch so he could restart the race. "Oh, this is good, Adam. I approve. I vote that all future decisions concerning the new guy be made by video game." "Sounds good to me," Lucas said, not intimidated by Tyler's confidence. He grabbed the second controller and plugged it into the console. "I can finally kick your butt." "Dream on, new guy. Dream on." "Lucas, sit over here next to Ty." Ty grumbled but moved over to allow Lucas to sit on the cushion next to him. The sofa was old, the cushions soft and worn. When Lucas sat, the busted springs in the mattress frame caused him and Tyler to sink towards each other. Lucas tried to scoot over to avoid pressing his thigh and shoulder against Tyler but Adam gave him a look, warning him to keep still. "Don't sabotage me," Tyler growled at having Lucas pressed against him. "I won't need to. I can beat you without it," Lucas retorted. "Pick your car already," Tyler snarled. Lucas took his time going through the available rally car teams just to irritate Tyler. Tyler sighed loudly until it was finally his turn to race. "Now watch and weep," he taunted. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |