“Seriously, do they? I bet Leni and I could make good use of a bed that big.” Lennon rolls his eyes at his boyfriend. “What?” Axel shrugs innocently. “Tell me you wouldn’t have fun breaking that in.”
That earns him a swat on the arm, and unfortunately, I don’t miss the flare of heat in his gaze that comes with it.
We sip our beers and make small talk for the next hour or so, mostly about the work projects we all have going on. Since we all consider our jobs to be more like play, it's less of a bitchfest and more of a brag session. I’m so engrossed, I totally forget about this being ourbig revealuntil I hear Deacon’s voice echoing through the room as he orders a round of shots.
“When are they ever gonna get tired of that game?” Lennon groans.
“Itispretty funny.” Jace faces me, waggling his eyebrows. “How come you didn’t try to pick me up with some sexy shots the first time I came through town?”
“Because I tried to pick you up with an offer for a massage instead, which you didn’t take me up on by the way.”
“I would’ve if we’d stayed in town.” He bites the corner of his lip suggestively. “Did you buy Kane a sexy shot?”
“Actually, I picked him up.” Kane gives Jace a little half-shrug when he gapes at him.
“You both picked me up in that bar. Best two nights of my life, until you both moved here permanently.” I sip my beer while astonished looks zing around the table.
“Wait – are you saying we picked you up back-to-back? As in the three of us narrowly missed each other in Utah?” Jace’s mouth drops open.
I press my lips in a straight line to hold in my grin.
Kane leans forward to see Jace. “Did you know he was that easy?”
Jace looks me up and down slyly. “Manwhore. Are we sure we want to claim this guy as ours, Kane?”
He taps a finger on the corner of his lip as he pretends to mull that over. “I’m sure.” He leans in to give me a shy kiss on the lips.
“Okay, fine. Me, too.” Jace tugs my head towards him and presses his lips to mine, soft and reassuring. Before we break away a hand slams down on the table, shaking the glasses and causing us to jump apart.
“So, it’s true?” Ryder half-shouts, half-slurs. “What other secrets are you keeping from me, Blake? You’re the one who broke Chase’s heart and forced him to move away, aren’t you?”
My jaw hangs open as I blink my eyes, trying like hell to make sense of what he’s saying. “What?”
“Admit it. You preyed on him then screwed him over. He moved away so he wouldn’t have to see you everywhere.”
Holding my hands up in surrender, I hold Ryder’s cloudy gaze. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Ryder. I’ve never been with Chase. He was like a brother…”
“Don’t you say that,” he sneers. “He wasmybrother, not yours. And you drove him away. It took years, Blake. Years for him to get over you. But he did. He found someone and he was finally happy. I backed out of that trip so he could take his new boyfriend. Now he’s dead. He never would have moved from Katah Vista ifyouhadn’t screwed him over.” He thrusts a shaky finger in my face.
I know how messed up Ryder’s been since his brother died in that plane crash, so part of me just wants to ignore this rant and chalk it up to his drunken grief. The other part of me wants to defend myself against his totally insane accusations.
“I didn’t hook up with Chase, man. I wouldn’t. I’m sorry he got his heart broken, but don’t put that on me because I like dudes.”
“Then why didn’t you help him? You’re just like him and you didn’t help him. He felt so alone. You should’ve been there.” Ryder’s voice loses some of its heat as he starts to ramble.
“I would’ve if I’d known, Ryder.”
“How could you not know?”
My hand cramps from how tight I’m fisting it. “Just because I like guys doesn’t mean I have some special skill at picking out other guys who feel the same way, especially if they want to keep that private.”
“What’s up, bro?” Deacon slings an arm around Ryder’s shoulder, eyes searching the stunned faces around the table for a clue about what’s going on.
“If it wasn’t you then who was it? Who broke him and drove him away from his home? If you’ve been gay this whole time it had to be you.”
Deacon’s playful expression turns somber, as he leans his head toward Ryder and talks to him in a level tone. “Ryder, think about this man. Blake wasn’t with your brother. He isn’t who you’re mad at.”
“He has to be,” Ryder slurs. “He has to be.” He points a finger at me before spinning from Deacon’s hold and bolting for the door.
