Page 143 of Cheap Shot

Thad snorted. “Oh, it totally fucking did.”

“But that didn’t screw up shit with Graham?” Luke frowned and took a sip of his drink.

“It came close,” Thad said with a sigh. “It really could have, but I worked my ass off to not let it. I’m still working on it. And he’s been patient with me while I figured my shit out.”

Luke frowned. “So how do you know which one it is? Like, which one is making you screwed up?”

“I mean, therapy has helped a lot.”

Luke made a face. Becausefuck no. The thought of sitting down and talking about his feelings sounded like a nightmare. Hell, sitting down to talk to Thad was bad enough.

“I know,” Thad said with a soft laugh. “It’s not for everyone. But itdidhelp me figure out what I needed to work on and where I was still struggling.”

Luke nodded.

“Can I ask why you’re wondering?” Thad asked.

“Well,” Luke said. “My family was kinda … I dunno, fucked up? Like, my parents were sorta … checked out of their relationship for most of my life. I’m pretty sure my mom got pregnant to keep my dad around. And I fucking get it, she was poor and desperate to get out of a shitty place, but uh, they never really seemed like theywantedto be together, you know?”

Thad winced.

“So I didn’t exactly have a role model for what that shit’s supposed to be like. Like, healthy relationships and all that.”

“Yeah, I get that,” Thad said.

“I was never that surprised when my buddies and teammates were super fucking into dating and shit and in a hurry to get married and I wasn’t. It made sense, you know? Why would I be when all I fuckin’ knew was my parents who didn’t evenlikeeach other by the end.”

“It does make sense that you wouldn’t be excited about relationships after that,” Thad said with a chuckle.

Luke looked down at his drink and swallowed hard. “But I also think I’m just sorta … wired that way?”

“Wired what way?”

“To not be that interested in relationships. To notwantthem the same way other people do.”

“Sure,” Thad said slowly.

“But how do I tell which is which? How do I know if I’m screwed up from my family or this is just the way I am?”

“Well, it sounds to me like you already know that they’re different things. That your screwed-up family isn’t what caused you to be aromantic, or whatever you’d like to call it.”

Luke nodded.

“So for you, it’s probably a little bit of both.”

“Right.”

“And that being ace isn’t something to be fixed, but that youcanwork on the upbringing part of it.”

“Yeah,” Luke said gruffly.

“And you don’t think that all relationships out there are shitty, right?”

“Nah,” Luke said. His Uncle Sonny and Aunt Linda had been together forever and still seemed to really like each other. So … maybe he’d seen one good example. “I can see some other people are really happy in them. I just … I dunno, man. I just never really wanted one? I tried, for about a year and a half when I was younger, but it didn’t work out.”

“Well, lots of people have relationships that don’t work out. Until they find one thatdoes.”

“Sure, like Graham,” Luke offered. “He dated a shitload of women before you two ended up together.”