Like Real People Do (Breakaway #1)

by E.L. Massey

Price runs a hand through his damp hair, which does nothing to dissuade the cowlick right above his left eyebrow.

“Listen. Hockey asses are a thing, and they are glorious. Except when you have to share a locker room with them.”

Did you watch?? Alex responds less than a minute later, though the game has only just finished. Nope Alex sends a range of distressed emojis. I got an assist, Alex texts a while later when Eli still hasn’t responded. You want a gold star? Yes plz.

When Eli returns a minute later, he settles on the couch closer to Alex than he was before.

Kuzy sets the screencaps to a terrible techno Russian song with smiling emojis, three Russian flags, and the caption: Eli best.

He squirms, making discontented noises, until Eli moves his free hand to Alex’s hair.

Alex stands, his hair an absolute riot, and stretches before he heads in the direction of his bedroom, absently scratching his stomach. Dios, dame fuerzas, Eli thinks.

“Oh, it’s James’s. I was going to borrow Muzz’s car, but it’s a coupe, and James thought there’d be more room for Hawk if I took his truck instead.” “Did he.”

SOMETIMES ALEX WANTS Eli so badly it’s like resisting a physical confrontation. Like a fight on the ice in the third period of a playoff game. Like someone has a hand in his jersey and is dragging him forward and he knows it’s going to end in a fist to the face, gloves off and bloody, but there’s nothing he can do to stop it, just maybe delay it a little. Because it’s going to fucking hurt when it’s over.

“I think I could be ready by then. I’m not now. But I could be, eventually. For a good reason.” “I’m a good reason?” “Best one I’ve found.”

“I’m dating Alexander Price.” Cody doesn’t say anything for several seconds. “Are you serious?” “I am so serious.” Cody screams. Just. Straight up. Screams.

“And on the eighth day,” Cody intones, eerily similar to the pastor at Cody’s church back home, “the Lord made hockey asses. And Eli felt one. And it was good.” “Hallelujah,” Eli agrees.

“It’s your underwear though,” Eli says. “If that matters.” Alex makes an aggrieved noise, knocking their foreheads together, and Eli laughs at him.

With both of them, however, this turns into a not-so-friendly competition that results in Alex getting his own basket when Abuela refuses to let him pay for anything in the cart she’s pushing. Alex fills said basket with things he knows Eli likes, while Abuela sneaks looks into his basket and adds the same products to her cart.

“I was so lonely before you. Except I didn’t even realize I was lonely. I thought that was the way I was supposed to be.”