The Star (Charleston Condors Book 1) by Beth Bolden

Author:Beth Bolden [Bolden, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: anonymous
Published: 2023-06-06T16:00:00+00:00

They settled back in Landry’s bed, Landry with Riley’s tablet, and Riley with his phone, scrolling through his Instagram feed.

Someday maybe Landry would make a full confession about what had changed his mind about Instagram.

But today was not that day.

He found Aidan’s email in Riley’s trash folder and opened it.

Landry hadn’t known what to expect. He’d had some idea, of course, because of the things Aidan had said over the years and references Riley had made since coming to Charleston.

But still, Landry hadn’t expected this.

“You know, this would almost be nice if you weren’t currently dealing with my brother’s crap,” Riley said, as Landry was reading the email for the third time, trying to tamp down a spike of sudden temper at the patronizing, blunt way Aidan laid out every single mistake—or even slight misstep—Riley had made during the game, starting with the safety he’d given up and even ending with criticism about the way he’d scored the Condors’ last touchdown. Aidan hadn’t liked the route he’d taken. There’d been a better one, or so he claimed.

Personally, Landry thought that was bullshit.

Aidan ended the email by offering scant praise at the win, adding that he shouldn’t get used to relying so heavily on his defense.

Except the Condors had won twenty-four to five.

By nineteen fucking points.

That was hardly relying on the defense.

Landry tossed the tablet down to the bed before he did something stupid, like hurling it at the wall.

“How do you do it?” he asked, or really, quasi-demanded.

Riley just shrugged. Like this was normal. “He was probably worked up about the safety and was worse than usual. That’s not…that’s not unexpected.”

“It is to me,” Landry said, and he slung an arm around Riley’s shoulders, tugging him close. “Why is your brother such a…” He couldn’t think of what exactly Aidan was; that was how angry he was.

“Controlling asshole? Total butthead? Unrepentant jerk?” Riley was actually still smiling. Probably because he hadn’t read the email, but Landry had.

“Yes,” Landry said between clenched teeth.

“So nothing worth reading?” Riley asked the question lightly, but Landry heard the uncertainty in Riley’s voice.

The lack of confidence.

“Riley, you led us to a great win,” Landry said, trying to find his patience. Not that Riley had tested it; it was Aidan who was making it so hard not to totally lose his shit. “You did that. Not Aidan. He wasn’t there. But you were. Just you.”

“He kinda was, though. He’s given me lots of good advice over the years. I mean, terrible advice, too, in that a lot of it made me want to throw in the towel, but I’ve learned with him. You gotta take some of the bad with the good.”

“No,” Landry said. “You don’t. You don’t have to do that.”

“See?” Riley sighed. “This is why I didn’t want you to read it. Now you’re pissed off at him. I didn’t want to fuck up your friendship. You were friends with him first, for a long time, before we even…” He trailed off like he wasn’t sure what they were doing.

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