“What the hell do you think you’re doing, man?” Russo directed his anger straight at Noah.
“I’m helping here so that Mr. Ravenswood can assist Beckett,” he explained, ignoring the near accident.
“I’m not going to—” Ravenswood started, then lost patience with a huff. He scrubbed a hand over his face and muttered, “There’s two of them in on it now.”
“I beg your pardon?” Noah batted his eyelashes innocently at Ravenswood.
“You’d better take care of it,” Russo said, glancing to the stage.
Ravenswood sighed and turned to head toward Beckett. Noah grinned from ear to ear. Perhaps he’d been a bit clumsy, but he’d accomplished his task. Ravenswood leapt onto the stage in a graceful bound, straightened, then walked right up to Beckett and started speaking. Noah only regretted that he spoke too low to be heard.
“No offense, Noah, but I don’t need your help here,” Russo said, drawing Noah’s attention back to the ladder. “In fact, I think it would be better if you backed off.”
Noah frowned, hearing more behind Russo’s words than a request that he step away from the ladder. “I am simply trying to be of assistance,” he said, glancing briefly to Beckett and Ravenswood, then back to Russo. “About a great many things.”
“I think I’m done here,” Ricky said, scrambling down the ladder, then breathing a sigh of relief and peeking warily at Noah.
Russo watched his lover fondly for a moment, then frowned at Noah. “Look, I have nothing against you personally,” he said. “None of us do. But we’ve all known Marcus for months now, and friends talk about things. You damaged him, and some of us are starting to see how and why that happened.”
“I love Marcus,” Noah protested, his heart sinking. “And he loves me.”
Russo and Ricky exchanged a look, and Russo shook his head. “Maybe it’s time to wake up and see things as they really are,” he said. “None of us want to be prejudiced against you, but if you keep doing things like that,” he nodded toward the stage, then didn’t finish his sentence.
Noah turned to see what he meant. His eyes went wide at the sight of Ravenswood scowling at Beckett and Beckett shrinking back with wide eyes, as though he’d been told off.
A moment later, Ravenswood finished whatever he’d been muttering, then turned to stalk off the far end of the stage. Beckett looked so cowed that Noah’s heart shot into his throat. He couldn’t bear to have his friend looking so crestfallen.
As soon as Ravenswood turned to head into the back hall, Noah abandoned his conversation with Russo to rush after him.
He caught up with Ravenswood halfway down the back hallway.
“What is the matter with you, man?” he demanded, unafraid to raise his voice or show his fury.
“What’s the matter withme?” Ravenswood asked incredulously, turning to face Noah.
“Yes, you, you great oaf.”
Noah came to a stop a hair’s breadth away from Ravenswood. Such proximity made him aware of how tall and thick Ravenswood was. The man could likely snap him in half, and the dark scowl he wore hinted that he had an inclination to do just that. Noah refused to be deterred, though. Beckett would get what he wanted if it was the last thing Noah ever did.
“Are you touched in the head?” Noah hurled the same question at Ravenswood that was usually flung at him. “Can you not see the treasure you have right in front of you?”
Ravenswood let out a long-suffering sigh and crossed his arms.
Noah ignored his scowl and said, “Beckett Smith is the kindest, most thoughtful, most glorious creature on this earth. He is a man among men. He is good and educated. He is beautiful to look at, and I am quite certain he would be delightful to hold and take to bed.”
Ravenswood’s brow shot up in surprise and understanding.
Noah took it as a sign that the man was finally seeing the truth of things. He rushed on with, “You are damnably lucky to have a man like Beckett fancy you. He would make the most perfect partner a man like us could have. You would never want for affection or conversation. He adores you, but you have cast him aside as though he were day-old fish. How could you turn your back on such a singularly perfect creature?”
“We don’t suit each other,” Ravenswood said, enunciating his words to a degree that made Noah think the man was making fun of him.
“You suited each other once,” Noah argued, narrowing his eyes at the man.
Ravenswood dropped his arms, daring to look sheepish for a moment. “That was a year ago, and it was a mistake. I thought it was just a bit of fun. I didn’t know I’d fed a puppy that would follow me around afterwards.”
“How dare you refer to Beckett in such terms?” Noah gasped. “He is a man, not a dog. He is a wonderful man.”
“Then why don’t you go after him?” Ravenswood said, scowling right back and leaning closer to Noah to make his point. “You’re obviously in love with him.”