“You’re supposed to be in California enjoying your spring break,” Bas told them. “Not here in the cold.” He hadn’t wanted them to see the vandalism. Thankfully it was more a red jumble of unreadable color than words, since he and Mr. C had worked on it all evening. Adam and Ru didn’t need anything else to fuel their fear of being together. They got enough crap from the world at large. He sighed.
“You should go back. Spend some time on the beach. Enjoy the sun.”
Adam shoved a mug full of chicken soup into Bas’s grip.
“Drink some of this.” He forced Bas out of his boots, jacket, hat, and gloves, handing them off to Ru, who disappeared into the other room with the pile. The fire was raging, but Bas could barely feel it. Adam directed him to a spot on the floor near the fire. “You need to warm up.”
Bas nodded and sipped the broth. It was good, not like something that came out of a can. He sighed at the full-bodied chicken flavor of it. The salty warmth seemed to hit his belly and spread outward. Adam rubbed Bas’s fingers, arms, and legs.
“Keep that up, and I might be forced to take advantage of those pretty lips of yours, Adam Corbin,” Bas teased.
Adam wasn’t the slightest bit bothered by the teasing. “Dad says I should get you in the shower, but I’m afraid you’ll fall over. You really do feel like ice, but I don’t see any signs of frostbite.”
“You just wanna see me naked.” Bas laughed as he closed his eyes. “So tired.”
When he woke again, it was to a stream of hot water pouring down on him. He gasped and sputtered. His butt against the cold bathtub while the shower rained heat down on him was a weird contrast of temperature.
“Holy crap.”
“You drowning?” Ru sat on the covered toilet only a foot and a half away. Ru looked his way.
Bas covered himself with his hands, embarrassed that Ru was seeing him in all his naked glory. “Can’t a man get any privacy?”
“I’m supposed to make sure you don’t drown and check your temp.” Ru grinned at him. “Who do you think stripped you? Adam couldn’t get past taking your socks off without blushing.”
“That boy is far too sweet for this world,” Bas grumbled and struggled to his feet, giving Ru his back. “I’m fine. You can go now unless you’re enjoying staring at my fine ass.”
Ru shrugged. “It’s not a bad ass, but Adam’s is nicer. I think it’s the runner thing. Amazing glutes. But Mr. C said to wait until you’re warm and can get out on your own. Don’t want you passing out in the shower and hitting your head. Thought it would be a little less embarrassing than having Mr. or Mrs. C help out.”
Christ, yes.
“Thanks,” Bas grumbled and yanked the curtain into place, happy that Gran had insisted on an opaque one.
“So tell me what’s happening with Tommy and Dane. I know you came from there. Tommy won’t tell me anything, but he called me in a panic when he found out you checked out of your hotel. Said you weren’t answering your phone.”
Bas sighed.
“Tommy asked for my help. I went to help but couldn’t do anything. Adam’s dad called and told me about the house, and I came home. I was on the plane when Tommy called. You saw the mess I was cleaning up. I haven’t had time to call him back. End of story.”
“And Dane?”
“I think it’s best if you ask Tommy.”
“Tommy won’t tell me anything either.” Ru sounded frustrated. “Is he okay? Like he’s not dying or something is he?”
How to answer that? Yes, he was dying. Starving himself to death. But it wasn’t cancer or something that would be unavoidable. Bas thought hard about it as he washed his hair. He was starting to warm up at least. Dane might not have a physical disease, but mental issues, the diseases that went unseen and untreated by a large part of the world, those were dangerous, as deadly as cancer in a lot of cases.
“Dane is where he needs to be.”
“I don’t know what that means.”
“Just know that he’s getting help. And he’s going to be okay, as long as he works at it.” Bas turned off the shower and took the towel from Ru to dry off. He didn’t bother hiding. The guy had already seen everything he had to offer.
“Does he have a drug addiction?” Ru glanced in the mirror but headed toward Bas’s bedroom. “I don’t remember him ever touching anything. Hell, I can’t even remember him eating anything. On stage he had unopened bottles of water, but he never took from the buffets set up and never went to dinner with us. I don’t think he was into alcohol either. Not like AJ was.”
So Ru had noticed, but of course hadn’t realized the problem any more than Tommy had. Bas wrapped a towel around his hips and entered his bedroom, only to sigh because Adam sat on the sofa beneath his bed.
“What did I say about the boudoir?”
