Aras shoved his free hand into his pocket and tightened up his fist around the edges of his wallet. They walked a bit longer in silence, but before they made it down the next block to the corner, he finally decided he should just talk. Bunny was right to step in and would have been within her rights to slap the shit out of him, the way he was acting, so this was a more elegant solution.
“How much has the fucking rumor mill kept up with my romantic nonsense?”
Bunny loosened her grip around his arm a little. Not enough that he could reasonably pull away, but they weren’t smashed against each other. “Well, I know you’ve been shacking up with that skinny little redhead.”
“That’s one way to put it.” They rounded another corner and Aras looked up at the sky. Gray, but not raining. “We were trying out being a couple so we could see if it was worth trying something long-distance after we got done filming. And then…he’s moving to another job. Better money, better opportunities, and in a completely different fucking state. And he leaves tomorrow.”
Bunny nodded. “So it’s a shit situation, huh?”
“Pretty concise summary.” Aras finally released his wallet and ran his hand back through his hair. When he was done, his fingers balled straight back into a fist at his side. “It doesn’t functionally change anything, but I hate it. I don’t want him to go.” That stung his chest to say. “Which is stupid.”
“Oh, you’re doing the macho bro thing. I thought you were better than that.” Finally, Bunny pulled her arm away from his, then stepped in front and turned to face him. “If you feel bad about it, feel bad about it. It sucks ass. And not even in the way you like. But don’t pull this stoic crap and box up your feelings.”
“If I was boxing my feelings, you wouldn’t have noticed and we wouldn’t have needed to take a walk and save everyone from my sour attitude.”
“So you’re bad at it. All the more reason not to bother.” She reached up and grabbed his face, pulling him into a slight crouch so she was looking him dead in the eye. “I’m sorry you’re dealing with this, but we can work it out tonight over several bottles of booze. Not on the job site over…what was the last thing you yelled at Evander about?”
Aras rolled his eyes, fighting back the shame that rose up to join all the other swirling emotions. “He asked me about the chip in the base on the butter dish. Wanted to know if we should swap them out for something without damage.”
“And that led to you shouting?”
“I may have told him to shove the entire breakfast set up his ass.”
“Right. So maybe handle this differently.” Bunny released his face. “Or keep doing it and turn everyone away from you until you finally get your shit together. It’s your call.”
“I guess that’s not the best method.” Some of his rage deflated…and a bit more when he finally felt the first raindrops hit his cheek. “Sorry.”
“You haven’t screamed at me yet. But you might want to apologize to the boys.” She looped her arm through his again, but not so tightly as before. “Now get me back so my hair doesn’t get wet.”
Aras managed to keep his emotions in check right up until Dane approached him. His screwdriver almost slipped and gouged into his thumb, but he managed to save himself, then stand up from the plate he was attaching. Changing out the face plates on electrical outlets only barely qualified as electrician’s work, but it was the closest he was getting as they drew closer to the end of the project.
Dane slapped his hands down on his thighs and sighed, and Aras’s whole body tensed. He didn’t need the words to know what that meant. The words came anyway. “This is my last day on the job. Although I’m barely on the job at this point.” He jabbed a thumb over his shoulder. “Kyle’s basically sidelined me already, so I’m just taking up space and getting paid.”
“I can think of worse jobs.” Aras slid the screwdriver into his pocket as he straightened up. “You’re okay?”
Dane rolled his eyes. “God no. But the only way to walk is to put one foot in front of the other. And I’m the idiot who decided to start walking.”
“You’re not an idiot, and I don’t want to hear that talk from you.” Aras hated it, but he didn’t need Dane getting cold feet over this. “So when exactly are you starting walking?”
“Relax. We’ve got tonight to get through a few more episodes.” Dane patted him on the cheek. “But I have to head bright and early tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow. Okay.” Aras didn’t want to make it about himself, but he knew his expression was probably giving away where his thoughts were. So he spoke, heading off anything that Dane might assume. “I’m really happy for you. Don’t get anything twisted.”
“Nothing twisted here.” Dane shrugged. “I’ve been of two minds on this the entire time. I want to do it. And I want to stay here and give up on it so I can spend more time with you. At the same time.”
Aras almost lost his shit right there and just broke down, but he pulled himself under control as quickly as he could. No reason to make this harder than necessary. “I feel the same way. So we should just…make the best of the time we’ve got.”
Dane nodded, then he pulled closer and whispered in Aras’s ear. “I’m hoping we can make time for…one last roll in the hay? Or I guess a first roll in the hay, if you don’t count oral.”
Aras’s body tingled. “Sounds great.” Which was true.
But it also sounded like goodbye.
Chapter thirty-five
Dane
Danedidn’tbothertoget dinner, and there was no sign, when he walked into Aras’s hotel room, that he’d eaten either. Aras sat shirtless on the bed, but somehow, that only carried Dane’s attention for a few seconds. Then his gaze drifted to the box of condoms on the nightstand. It wasn’t anything out of the ordinary, of course, but seeing them so prominently placed was obviously meant as a signal: they were doing this. His mind raced and swirled, even as his body reacted to his own expectations. He wanted to be close to Aras, so close there was literally no space between them.
