“Are we close though?” he asked, letting some resentment leak into his question.
Hux blinked, brows creasing. “What’s that supposed to mean? Things are going really well with Tamsyn, but we still haven’t known each other very long. I thought I’d let her get used to the idea of being a little for me before I brought you into the equation.”
“Well, that’s fucking great for you, Hux, getting to play with a gorgeous woman a few times a week and taking things slow. I can see you’re really enjoying yourself. Meanwhile, I’m sitting here twiddling my thumbs while you have your sleepovers and get your kink on. What if I don’t feel like waiting anymore?”
“I didn’t realize—”
“You didn’t realize I might have feelings about this? I know most everyone thinks I’m some sort of thick-skinned robot but you should know better than that. It’s fucking frustrating to be sitting on the sidelines and watching you take your sweet time. To have my future in your hands instead of mine.”
Hux’s eyes narrowed and for a second Lowell thought his brother might chuck the paperweight at him. But no, his twin put the glass ball down where he’d picked it up from.
“You asked for this. You wanted me to find someone and bring you in. You said yourself you’e good at finding women to fuck but not much else. And now you’re ticked off that I’m not doing it fast enough? You can’t ask me to deliver a perfect woman on a silver platter and then be mad that it’s taking longer than you’d like.”
“You underestimate my capacity for anger,” he muttered, feeling churlish but also embarrassed for being called out like that.
Hux was right. But he, Lowell, was also right. Patience wasn’t his strong suit. And besides, what was the point of laying all this groundwork with Tamsyn if the building was going to collapse once they added the weight of his third?
“I’m not going to pressure her, that’s not cool.”
“No, it’s not, and I’m not asking you to drag her over here by her hair—although given what you’ve said about her, she might be into that.”
They exchanged a laugh that broke some of the tension. But most of it was still there.
Had Hux really not realized what this must be like for him? Sounded like maybe he hadn’t. That sucked coming from the one person he could usually rely on to remember that underneath his cyborg rhino exterior, he was in fact human. At least a little bit.
“I’m just asking for some progress, okay? From where I’m standing it looks like you’re treading water and I need to know you’re swimming, even if it’s slowly. Otherwise…”
“Are you giving me an ultimatum?” Hux snapped.
“I’m giving you a choice, jackass. You can take things as slow as you want with Tamsyn. Propose when you’re eighty, I don’t give a shit. But I get to make choices too. I can’t sit here and watch that while I’m alone and bored out of my skull playing intramural politics with Holland. If that satisfies you, that’s great. I would die. So, up to you. Why don’t you think about it on your way over to Hive? You better go or you’re going to be late for your playdate.”
He didn’t love the bitterness that colored his comment, but there it was, and now Hux knew how things stood. His brother looked like he wanted to argue, but he checked his watch and frowned, probably because he knew Lowell was right.
“You’re right, I have to go. But we’re going to discuss this more. This isn’t over.”
Hux turned to leave the room, and as he shut the door behind him, Lowell muttered, “I hope you’re right.”