Page 24 of The Himbo and the Lord
I breathe easier then, and even find myself smirking when he moves on quickly to Kit, who’s adorably clueless about it until Tony tells him while we’re in the water and a good few feet away from them.
Then my friend is all in, and spends the rest of the day flirting his little heart out with the Australian hunk.
Even though we’re clearly not going to be surfing regularly any time soon since we live in New York, Axel’s offer to show us how to take care of the boards after the three-hour lesson is done is met with a bit too much enthusiasm from Kit. We all agree too, so he can get laid.
We’re good friends like that.
While we hear all about the wax, salt water, and everything else, I let myself relax for the first time. None of them are focused on me. Tony’s concentrated frown tells me he’s listening to every word intently, while Kit is staring dreamily at Axel, and Seth...
There’s a sudden ringing coming from the lump of clothes right next to him on the sand, and he looks as confused as I feel.
That’s his mother’s ringtone.
We all have special ringtones for our parents—because they dictate every fucking thing about our lives, though I’m the only one who seems to resent it so much—but Mrs. Wall hasn’t called Seth at all while we’ve been here as far as I know.
He wipes his hands on his discarded shirt, and answers the call as he gets up on his feet and walks away without disturbing any of the other men.
I watch him while I keep wiping down my board, honestly worried.
Seth’s Mom isn’t one to call over any little thing, and if my math is correct, the time of day isn’t too normal either, I don’t think.
The idea that Seth might get called back home and our trip will end prematurely has my heart seizing and stopping for two beats.
I don’t want to lose this time with them, with him.
He’s the person I trust the most in the world.
He understands me better than anyone, even my sister. Even my mother for fuck’s sake. And after this week, I’m not going to see him every day anymore. This is my last shot at having my best friends the way I’ve had them since I’ve known them.
If our time gets cut short, I’m going to throw the biggest tantrum ever.
But then I see Seth smile and nod, and he says a few more quick things with that smile still on his face.
He wouldn’t be smiling like that if he’d just been told he has to go back home, would he?
No.
I know he was looking forward to this trip as much as I was. I know?—
“Hey guys,” he calls out as he jogs back over, and interrupts Axel mid-sentence.
I don’t know what he was just telling Kit, but from his frown you’d think he was explaining how he was planning on sucking his dick later.
He’ll get over it.
I need to hear this, it’s more pressing.
“What’s up?” I ask, trying to mask my anxiety.
“Mom just called,” he says, looking at Tony. Then he turns to me... still smiling. “She told me Chase is here and they were talking. So long story short, we’ve got a yacht party to go to tomorrow.”
I tilt my head, beyond interested in this.
Chase is known for his parties. One on a yacht wouldn’t disappoint, I bet.
He’s a long-time friend of Mrs. Wall, and of my father as well, but I rarely see him since he lives somewhere in Europe... London, I think?
Regardless, it’s been a long time.
