wasn’t awful either.
“That’s the spirit, Benny.” Derek laughed and tipped back his beer. “I’ll be back. Keep an eye on this while I grab the steaks.”
Ben nodded as Derek slipped inside the house. Sipping his beer, he felt his phone vibrate again. He looked at the screen—another text from Chance. Ben pressed the button on the top of his phone, darkening the screen and ignoring Chance’s message. He just wasn’t ready to face the situation. If someone had asked him last week if Chance would ever cheat on him, Ben wouldn’t have hesitated to declare it impossible.
Derek reappeared holding a large platter with two enormous slabs of raw beef on it in one hand and his beer in the other. “What’s with the look?” His expression was puzzled.
“Chance,” Ben said, holding up his phone.
“Pfft,” Derek noised, dismissively. “Ignore him. He’s a dick.”
“I did,” Ben explained.
“Good.” Derek put the plate on a shelf attached to the grill and pulled various spices from a cabinet, administering them on the steaks. “I can’t believe Lucky had the balls to pull something like this. If you would have asked me a week ago?” Derek echoed Ben’s thoughts.
“Tell me about it.” Ben finished off his beer. Almost instantly, Derek offered him another. “His name might be Chance, but I’ve never known him to take one.”
Derek flopped the first steak onto the grill where it made a satisfying sizzle. “Forget him. We’re taking a break from that bullshit.” He placed the second steak next to its brother. “Grab me another beer?” Derek asked, holding up his empty.
“Sure,” Ben said, moving to the cooler. He grabbed a bottle, opened it, and handed it to Derek.
“That fucker doesn’t know how bad he screwed up.” Derek sipped from the new beverage. “You are a catch, my friend. He fucked up.”
“Thanks, Derek,” Ben said and sipped at his own beer. How could he have thought Derek wouldn’t understand? Derek was being super supportive, and Ben was pleasantly surprised.
“You don’t have to thank me, man. That’s the shit that friends do.” Derek flipped the steaks and closed the lid of the grill. He took two long pulls to finish his beer and fished another from the cooler. Ben felt like he was falling behind, so he took a couple of gulps from his bottle and got himself another. He could feel the effects already. Ben flopped back into his lawn chair and inhaled the charcoal scent of the cooking meat.
“That smells great,” Ben told Derek.
“Hell yeah. I learned from the best. My dad might be a huge douche, but he can cook a steak like a motherfucker.” Derek lifted the lid of the grill and flipped the steaks. “Rare? Medium? How do you like it?”
“Rare or medium-rare,” Ben answered. “I’m not too picky.”
“That’s what I like to hear!” Derek barked a laugh. He stabbed a knife into both of the steaks. “I’d say they’re just about done.” He closed the lid for a few more moments before lifting it once again and removing the steaks from the heat. He slapped the slabs onto a pair of plates. The two men wasted little time digging into the hearty meal. Ben had no sooner finished the last of his beer than Derek presented him with another.
“So what are you going to do now?” Derek asked between bites.
Ben finished chewing before he answered. He shrugged. “I don’t know, to be perfectly honest.” He placed his fork and knife on the plate, picked up his beer, and drank. “I don’t feel like I can live there anymore, that’s for sure. But I don’t know where the hell I can go. I guess I could get a hotel.”
“Fuck that,” Derek said around a mouthful of steak. “You can stay here. This isn’t the big house, but with Jennie and the kids gone, I got plenty of room.”
“I couldn’t,” Ben said without thinking. He couldn’t imagine being roommates with Derek.
“Of course you could. The guest bedroom in the basement has a half bath with
“That’s the spirit, Benny.” Derek laughed and tipped back his beer. “I’ll be back. Keep an eye on this while I grab the steaks.”
Ben nodded as Derek slipped inside the house. Sipping his beer, he felt his phone vibrate again. He looked at the screen—another text from Chance. Ben pressed the button on the top of his phone, darkening the screen and ignoring Chance’s message. He just wasn’t ready to face the situation. If someone had asked him last week if Chance would ever cheat on him, Ben wouldn’t have hesitated to declare it impossible.
Derek reappeared holding a large platter with two enormous slabs of raw beef on it in one hand and his beer in the other. “What’s with the look?” His expression was puzzled.
“Chance,” Ben said, holding up his phone.
“Pfft,” Derek noised, dismissively. “Ignore him. He’s a dick.”
“I did,” Ben explained.
“Good.” Derek put the plate on a shelf attached to the grill and pulled various spices from a cabinet, administering them on the steaks. “I can’t believe Lucky had the balls to pull something like this. If you would have asked me a week ago?” Derek echoed Ben’s thoughts.
“Tell me about it.” Ben finished off his beer. Almost instantly, Derek offered him another. “His name might be Chance, but I’ve never known him to take one.”
Derek flopped the first steak onto the grill where it made a satisfying sizzle. “Forget him. We’re taking a break from that bullshit.” He placed the second steak next to its brother. “Grab me another beer?” Derek asked, holding up his empty.
“Sure,” Ben said, moving to the cooler. He grabbed a bottle, opened it, and handed it to Derek.
“That fucker doesn’t know how bad he screwed up.” Derek sipped from the new beverage. “You are a catch, my friend. He fucked up.”
“Thanks, Derek,” Ben said and sipped at his own beer. How could he have thought Derek wouldn’t understand? Derek was being super supportive, and Ben was pleasantly surprised.
“You don’t have to thank me, man. That’s the shit that friends do.” Derek flipped the steaks and closed the lid of the grill. He took two long pulls to finish his beer and fished another from the cooler. Ben felt like he was falling behind, so he took a couple of gulps from his bottle and got himself another. He could feel the effects already. Ben flopped back into his lawn chair and inhaled the charcoal scent of the cooking meat.
“That smells great,” Ben told Derek.
“Hell yeah. I learned from the best. My dad might be a huge douche, but he can cook a steak like a motherfucker.” Derek lifted the lid of the grill and flipped the steaks. “Rare? Medium? How do you like it?”
“Rare or medium-rare,” Ben answered. “I’m not too picky.”
“That’s what I like to hear!” Derek barked a laugh. He stabbed a knife into both of the steaks. “I’d say they’re just about done.” He closed the lid for a few more moments before lifting it once again and removing the steaks from the heat. He slapped the slabs onto a pair of plates. The two men wasted little time digging into the hearty meal. Ben had no sooner finished the last of his beer than Derek presented him with another.
“So what are you going to do now?” Derek asked between bites.
Ben finished chewing before he answered. He shrugged. “I don’t know, to be perfectly honest.” He placed his fork and knife on the plate, picked up his beer, and drank. “I don’t feel like I can live there anymore, that’s for sure. But I don’t know where the hell I can go. I guess I could get a hotel.”
“Fuck that,” Derek said around a mouthful of steak. “You can stay here. This isn’t the big house, but with Jennie and the kids gone, I got plenty of room.”
“I couldn’t,” Ben said without thinking. He couldn’t imagine being roommates with Derek.
“Of course you could. The guest bedroom in the basement has a half bath with
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