Footy, chapter 11

I've just uploaded it to my website, here.

They decided to eat at the Italian pizza place half a block away. They ordered pizzas and beers, and leaned back on their chairs with a sigh.

“Well, that’s over,” said Tom, with a mixture of satisfaction and sadness. “Anita persuaded me to buy the house, and I’ve done well out of it, but it doesn’t have good memories for me.”

“You may feel the same about the flat in a while. After we’ve had our first blazing row, for example.”

“What would we argue about? I’m too relaxed and you never disagree with me.” He took a long swallow of his beer. “Oh, that’s good!”

“You don’t know that. Maybe I just keep quiet.” Adam drank some of his beer too. Beer went well with pizza for some reason.

“Which could be a good reason to quarrel. If we’re going to live together, I want you to tell me about the things that piss you off.”

“Oh yeah. ’Course you do!”

“Adam, I don’t like secrets or hidden things. I don’t like lies. I want to know if there’s something wrong, else how can I fix it?”

As Tom spoke, Adam could feel his heart sinking. If Tom ever found out the truth, he would never forgive him. It would be bad enough when he learned that he’d been sharing a bed with a homo. But when he found out that all Adam’s secrets were connected with this, that Adam had fancied him from day one, and that he’d helped him because of that, their friendship would be over.

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