“That was faster than I expected,” he said as he went to answer the door. Behind him, the TV went silent when Thomas paused the movie.
But his pleasant surprise shifted to annoyance when he opened the door and didn’t see a pizza delivery person.
It was Scott.
“What are you doing here?” Rhys demanded. Manners dictated a more gracious greeting, but Scott was damned lucky Rhys hadn’t slammed the door in his face. Scott was the last person Rhys wanted to deal with in general, and he definitely didn’t need Scott hanging around when he was in such a state of emotional turmoil about Thomas.
“I was going to see if y’all were interested in heading over to Asheville with me.” Scott peered around Rhys, his eyes lighting up when he spotted Thomas lounging on the couch, remote control in hand. “There’s a local band playing tonight that I thought you might like, but it looks like you’re all settled in.”
“We decided to have a lazy day.” Thomas’s expression bordered on a scowl as he tossed the remote onto the coffee table and focused on Rhys. “Do you want to go to Asheville? I’d rather stay in, but we can do whatever you want, babe.”
“Uh…” Rhys was taken aback by the endearment, not just due to the surprise of hearing it after so many years but that Thomas was tossing it out in front of Scott. Then again, maybe that was deliberate. “I’m not really feeling up to a night out either, especially with loud music.”
“Rhys can’t hang with the fun crowd like he used to,” Scott said. “You and I could make a night of it, though.” He eyed Thomas with an appreciative gleam in his eyes. “I love the clean-shaven look, by the way.”
Thomas didn’t appear pleased by the compliment. If anything, his frown deepened. “Sorry, Scott, but I’d rather spend the evening with Rhys. Thanks for the invitation, but you go on without us. We’ll see you at the reunion tomorrow.”
“What, no invitation to join you?” Scott gave Rhys a look of wide-eyed dismay. “What would Aunt Viv say?”
Rhys grimaced and raked his fingers through his hair. “Wouldn’t you rather be with the fun crowd in Asheville?”
“I’d rather spend time with you and Thomas while I can before you two go back to Hollywood,” Scott said.
“New Mexico,” Thomas said in a curt voice. “Not Hollywood. We wouldn’t want to hold you back from having fun in Asheville. And not to put too fine a point on it, but a couple sometimes needs time alone. I’m sure Viv would say the same if you’d like to call her and complain.”
Scott looked as if Thomas had whacked his nose with a newspaper. “You’re right, I’m sorry. It’s just that Rhys isn’t here very often.”
As little as Rhys wanted to spend even more time with Scott, he wondered if perhaps he ought to let Scott stay. What if Thomas snuggled up to him while they were watching the movie? What if Thomas kissed him? What if he could no longer resist the temptation that Thomas’s warm, lithe body offered? He wasn’t sure he was ready, but Thomas’s soft cheeks and sensual mouth might lure him across the line he’d drawn for himself. Scott could provide a buffer and help Rhys maintain his resolve not to rush into anything.
“Maybe we should let him stay,” he said at last, avoiding eye contact with Thomas.
Scott beamed at Rhys. “I promise I’ll leave right after the movie.”
Thomas’s mouth tightened, but he nodded. “Fine.”
Scott bounded across the room to join Thomas on the couch, and Rhys followed slowly after. When he took his seat, he was acutely aware of the distance Thomas kept between them. That combined with the fixed way Thomas stared at the screen once the movie started up again let Rhys know he was probably in for a serious talk after Scott was gone. For now, however, he considered it a small price to pay to keep himself in line.
* * *
The longer Thomassat on the couch between Rhys and Scott, the more annoyed he felt. With Rhys, it always seemed to be one step forward and two steps back, and Scott’s constant barging in wasn’t helping. Thomas wasn’t sure if he believed Scott’s claim about wanting to mend fences with Rhys anymore, especially since he hadn’t seen any evidence of Scott trying to talk to Rhys in private. Rhys hadn’t mentioned anything about having a conversation with Scott either, and Thomas thought something like that would be notable enough for Rhys to bring it up.
Thomas had originally planned to nestle against Rhys’s side while they watched the movie. If he could have coaxed Rhys into a little making out, that would have been even better, but he would’ve been content to sit close and lean his head on Rhys’s shoulder and hold hands. Now, however, he held himself stiffly away from Rhys, who was practically climbing onto the arm of the couch as if he could feel the waves of annoyance radiating from Thomas. Meanwhile Scott seemed to be trying to encroach on Thomas’s personal space, and Thomas wondered how long he could put up with the “accidental” brushes of Scott’s arm against his and the little shifts in position that brought Scott closer before his temper erupted.
He was saved from the mounting pressure of an impending outburst by Rhys’s phone. Rhys shot them both an apologetic look when he checked the caller ID and then picked it up off the coffee table.
“It’s Mama,” he said as he stood up, phone in hand. “Probably something about the reunion tomorrow. Y’all keep on watching without me.”
Thomas waved him away, and Rhys headed out to the front porch to take the call. He let the movie keep playing, but he wasn’t paying any attention to it. Not even buff superheroes in tight-fitting costumes could hold his interest at the moment. As soon as the door closed behind Rhys, Scott scooted closer and slid his arm around Thomas’s shoulders.
“Alone at last,” he said, smirking in a way that made Thomas want to punch him.
“Not funny.” Thomas shrugged off Scott’s arm and stood up to put some distance between them. He didn’t want to get trapped on the couch in a compromising position for Rhys to see, and as soon as the thought entered his mind, he wondered if that was Scott’s plan.
“I’m not trying to be funny.” Scott rose to his feet as well and stepped closer, stopping just on the edge of Thomas’s personal space.
Thomas folded his arms across his chest, staring at Scott with narrowed eyes. “What is your problem, Scott? You said you wanted to make things right with Rhys, but your actions say you’re just being a selfish prick.”
“All’s fair in love and war, right?” Scott shrugged insouciantly. “Rhys and I are never going to be close again, so I might as well not worry about what he thinks. I’m not sure he’d care this time anyway, not like he did with Jerry. I’ve seen him around men he cares about, and he doesn’t act that way with you. So why don’t you stop playing the game and start spending time with someone who really is interested?”
