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“I want to check out Matty’s bedroom. I’ve heard he has an amazing walk-in closet with a gigantic safe.” He turned back to me. “What’s in it, do you know?”
Jason tried the sliding door and it slid open with no resistance.
“Jason,” I hissed, trying to grab his arm. He shook me off. “What the fuck, man, you can’t go in there.”
With a wicked grin, he said, “You don’t have to come in with me if you’ll get into trouble, Ciaran. I won’t tell if you won’t.”
I couldn’t in good conscience allow him to go into Matty’s room, so I followed him.
Jason flicked on lights, found the closet, and darted inside.
“Oh, my God,” he breathed out. “Look at everything. Watches. Designer suits. A hundred pair of shoes for two feet. Amazing. The guy has everything, but all the money in the world can’t prevent Coach from benching him. Karma, right?” Jason crowed, obviously pleased with Matty’s slowing swim pace.
I didn’t know Matty had been benched. That might explain the contemplation I saw on his face earlier.
Jason walked right up to the large gray safe, and started spinning the dial and trying the handle as if it would magically spring open. Anger burned in my belly at his audacity.
“Jason, you need leave now.” With a vice grip, I squeezed his forearm and yanked back, catching him off balance, which surprised me.
We fell to the floor, but Jason’s arm flung out, hitting a tray full of ties, rolled-up belts, and cufflinks, all of which clattered to the wooden floor.
I pushed Jason off me, pinned him down with my knees, and attempted to slug him in the jaw. He moved at the last second and my knuckles smashed into the floor.
Pain threaded up my arm and the force of the jolt stunned my senses for a brief second.
“Dammit.” I checked my knuckles for blood. In my distracted state, Jason bucked upward, sending me backward, and my shoulder blade struck the corner of the safe. A poof of air escaped my lungs. That was going to leave a mark.
“What the fuck is going on in here?” Matty yelled from the bedroom. As if he had the ability to stop time, everything halted as he inspected the disheveled state of his closet. “Did you think you’d have a little fuck in my bedroom or were you trying to rob me?”
“Is this what fucking looks like to you, Matty?” I shouted as I came to a standing position. Jason, still on the floor, was between us. “He came in here and I was trying to make him leave.”
“Did you let him in, Ciaran?” Matty asked. His face went extremely dark and I wasn’t sure who he was angrier with, me or Jason.
“Don’t be an idiot,” I said. But then I amended, “I invited him to my room, but he came over here when, um…”
Jason started laughing. He was sitting in unraveled ties and a small pile of clothing that had come off hangers.
“Relax, I didn’t take anything.” Jason’s gaze shot up to mine with fairly clear meaning. My face felt hot. “Pretty boy Ciaran here ended our tête-à-tête early. Can’t blame me for administering my own self-guided tour as consolation.”
“Bastard,” Matty growled.
Matty’s eyes glittered as he pulled Jason by the arm and roughly shoved him out of his room, out into the hallway, and then down the stairs. As I watched from the top of the steps, Jason shoved Matty, who instantly reared back and punched Jason in the face.
The swim captain went down, but he wore a smug expression even as he rubbed his jaw.
“I don’t want to see your face again,” Matty seethed.
Where was everyone? I thought people would gather to witness the commotion, but it was strangely quiet.
“That won’t be difficult,” Jason said with a sharp laugh as he got to his feet, “considering Coach benched you. Hope the shoulder heals, Matty. But don’t worry, Olympic Trials will come around again in four years. Maybe you’ll be less of an asshole by then.”
Flipping him the bird with both hands, Jason pivoted and walked away.
Matty slammed the front door, spun around and glared at me from the bottom of the stairs. Even in the dim light I could see the dark glint in his eye.
He was like a Greek god hell-bent on vengeance. I didn’t know if I should be scared or excited. I felt a combination of both.
Without a word, he sprinted up the stairs, two steps at a time, grabbed my shoulders, and pushed me into his bedroom.
