Left alone with Alexander’s cousin, Christian hesitated, but he knew a golden opportunity when he saw one.
“Can I ask you something?” he said.
Jared inclined his head, looking at him curiously.
“What’s made Alexander so…” Christian paused, unsure how to put it. “Emotionally repressed?”
Jared sighed, his brows drawing together. He looked hesitant for a moment before saying quietly, “His parents messed him up. Long story short, his father is a chronic cheater. He cheats on his wife with men, and then lies that it’s the last time, my aunt becomes hysterical, they fight for days, but eventually she forgives him—until the next time. And it’s been going on for decades.”
Christian frowned. “They’re still together?”
“Yes.” Jared grimaced. “She should have kicked him out years ago, but she can’t. My aunt is a total wreck, to be honest. Last time I visited her, she was completely drunk, the house looked like pigs lived in it, and my uncle was nowhere to be seen. But they’re still together.”
“And Alexander…?”
“I convinced my parents to take him in when he was fourteen, but the damage was already done. He was just a kid. Kids are impressionable.”
Christian’s eyebrows furrowed. That explained why Alexander hated disorder and chaos, but it didn’t explain why he repressed his emotions so much—repressed them to the point he didn’t even seem to be aware of them.
When he said that aloud, Jared frowned. “I’m not sure. He doesn’t really talk about it, but my guess is it’s because of his mother. He despises her, maybe even more than his father.”
“Because she neglected him?”
Jared pressed his lips together. “Because she loves her husband too much. Her emotions basically turned her from a young, confident woman to a clingy, drunken doormat obsessed with an asshole.” Jared shook his head. “I once saw her sobbing on my mother’s shoulder and telling her that she loved her husband more than anything, that she would forgive him anything, that she couldn’t live without him—because she loved him so much. I barely recognized her, she looked so pitiful.” Jared averted his gaze. “Alexander must have heard stuff like that a thousand times when he was a kid. I don’t blame him for disliking strong emotions.”
Christian nodded slowly and chewed on his lip, pondering what he had learned.
“So what’s going on between you and my cousin?”
Christian froze and looked back at Jared. The guy was studying him calmly, blue eyes sharp and assessing.
“I don’t know what you mean,” Christian tried.
Jared just gave him a flat stare, looking so like Alexander at the moment it weirded Christian out.
“Nothing is going on. He has a girlfriend, remember?” Nope, Christian didn’t sound bitter at all.
“I know he has a girlfriend,” Jared said. “And until today, I thought Alexander was straight. But since you entered my house, my cousin’s been all over you. He’s been acting like you’re his girlfriend.”
Christian laughed awkwardly, his face warm. “I don’t know, okay? I don’t think he even notices what he’s doing.”
“Alexander is far from unobservant,” Jared said.
“I know,” Christian said, stroking his forehead and running his hand through his hair. “But I think he’s good at ignoring things that he doesn’t want to notice.”
Christian thought that for an instant a shadow of sadness crossed Jared’s features.
“You’re right,” Jared murmured. “People can be astonishingly good at ignoring things they don’t want to see or know about.” He glanced at the door before looking at Christian. A smile curved his lips, and Christian was reminded how handsome this man was. “Let’s do something that he will definitely see.”
“What?”
Glancing at the door again, Jared stood up and took the seat Alexander vacated. He put his fingers on Christian’s chin and tipped it up.
Christian laughed a little. “Uh, you’re not into me, right?”
Something flickered in Jared’s eyes. Before he could reply, there was the sound of footsteps approaching, and Jared leaned in to kiss Christian.
His lips were soft, and the kiss was pleasant enough. Christian liked it—Jared knew how to kiss, he was an extremely attractive man, and Christian liked him—but something was missing. There was no spark, no fierce need, no hunger. Christian didn’t get all warm and tingly, and didn’t want to devour him—
Christian yelped as he was yanked off the couch by a very angry-looking Alexander. He actually looked pissed: his jaw was working, his eyes were blazing with anger, and rage was coming off him in waves.
“What the fuck?” Alexander growled, looking between them, his grip on Christian’s arm painful.
Christian was stunned. Even Jared seemed taken aback by the force of his cousin’s reaction.
Jared was the first to recover from his surprise. “What’s the problem?” he said calmly. “I’m gay. Christian’s bi. We’re both adults and we’re both single.”
That gave Alexander pause. But not for long.
“He’s twenty,” he bit out. “He’s ten years younger than you. He’s too young for you.”