“But you’re fucking them, right?”
I didn’t want to have this conversation with him.I wasn’t even prepared to analyze my relationship with Danny and Brandon for myself.“We’re just friends.”
“Oh.”Adam looked surprised.“The way you all are with each other, I figured it was just a matter of time before you moved in.”He shook his head.“My dad.Suicide.”
Holy fuck.“Goddess, I’m so sorry.”
“I knew he was struggling, we both did, but we never thought…” Adam stared at his hands.“Even all these years later, I hear two voices.The one that asks if I could have stopped him and the one that asks if I’m next.”
Was Brandon the same?Probably at least to some extent.
Adam shook his head hard, blinked a few times, and dragged in a shaky breath.“Wow.Sorry to dump on you.”
“No.It’s okay.”
The basement door creaked, and Brandon stepped into the room.He looked between us.“Am I interrupting something?”
“Nope.”The grief was gone from Adam’s voice, replaced with false cheer.
“Okay.”A soft smile played on Brandon’s face, in sharp contrast to the conversation he’d walked in on.“The police were looking for you.”
“I know.I talked to them,” Adam said.
Brandon shifted from one foot to the other.“What did they want?”
“They asked me a bunch of questions about what I was doing when the fire started, if I was familiar with any insurance policies on the property, and if I knew where Richard was.”
Brandon shifted his weight again.“I’m glad you’re okay.”He looked at me.“You coming back to bed?”
I wanted to, but that longing was still there to crawl back up to Danny’s side.“I should get home.”
“It’s two in the morning.”
Had I really been out here that long?And how much longer did that mean Brandon was in the music room?“Good reason for you to stop talking to us and go snuggle with your boyfriend.”
Brandon nodded.
I grabbed my coat and trudged out to my car, letting the icy chill numb my heart.This was for the best.
Ten
Reese
When I woke up,I was still thinking about last night.
I didn’t click like I had with Brandon during collaboration with anyone except Danny.Brandon was a different flavor, though with him it was just as incredible to find that sweet spot where everything fit…
Like fucking each of them.
Nope.Wasn’t going down that path.I was going to go about my Tuesday, work a little this morning, then pick up Adrienne early from work.A lot of the people at AcesPlayed had tattoos of the company’s logo.She was planning to surprise her guys with hers, and wanted me to hold her hand.
I was good with that.Everyone needed a friend when they got their ink cherry popped.
My phone rang.Speaking of unsavory business relationships.I answered my manager’s call.“Todd, hey.I was worried you didn’t get my half dozen messages.”I didn’t try to hide my sarcasm.
“Yeah.I was busy.Holiday weekend and such.”
So.Much.Bullshit.“The venue on Friday night was shit.Stinkier shit than normal.Are you going to deal with that?”