In a Rush (Friendship, Rhode Island #2)

by Kate Canterbary

“Wanna know why?” “My girl does not need to hear that story,” Ryan said. He curled his thick arm over my shoulder, his palm flat on my chest while his thumb and forefinger bracketed the base of my throat like he could deflect the silly filth of locker room talk. “No, actually, I’d love to hear that,” I said, beckoning to McKerry to hit me with the dirt. I glanced up at Ryan. “I won’t be able to leave here without getting that story. I’m in it now, and so are you.” “I hope you know what you’re asking for,” he said. “I have no idea and that’s the best part.” To McKerry, I rolled my hand, saying, “Lemme have it.” “Here we go,” Bigelow said under his breath, slapping a hand on Hersberler’s chest. “Fuckin’ love this,” Wilcox said, bouncing on the balls of his feet like he was ready to get in the game. McKerry said through halting giggles, “My boy here accidentally jerked off with a bottle of self-tanner.” Bigelow and Wilcox dissolved into hysterical, wheezing laughter. Hersberler crossed his arms and glared up at the ceiling. “Fuck you all,” he muttered. “Let’s clarify which part of this was the accident,” I said. “Was it the jerking off or was it the self-tanner? Because I have some questions if it was an accidental jerk-off. Like, how? Just how? I mean, I’m going to have questions either way, but I want to get to the root”—Bigelow clutched his side and barked out a laugh as he crashed into Wilcox so hard they hit the floor—“of the issue here.”