“Sexy. Definitely a bad boy type. Way out of his league.” Atticus could feel his jaw drop as he stared at Lucas in betrayal. “He clearly doesn’t know it, though,” Lucas continued quickly. “Because, even in his grief, it was clear he was into Atticus.”
Un-fucking-believable.“Are we here to talk about my love life or Dad’s day-drinking?” Atticus snapped.
“Love life?” Asa and Avi parroted at the same time.
Atticus shot them the finger but then sat back and crossed his arms, not caring if he looked like he was pouting or huffy. “Can we get back to why you dragged us all here?”
Adam sighed heavily. “Aiden sent papers to Dad. He’s petitioning the court to dissolve his adoption.”
“What? Why?” Atticus asked, rocketing forward again.
They all looked around in confusion as if one of them might secretly have all the answers.
“Why now?” Archer asked, though he didn’t sound particularly bothered by the news.
“Do you think it was our talk with him the last time he visited? Do you think we drove him to this?” Adam asked.
“That was months ago,” August recalled. “It can’t be that.”
“What is his fucking problem with Dad?” Asa asked. “Like that man has given him everything and he’s been a total fucking brat. I mean, I know he was almost an adult when he showed up but he could at least show some respect. Dad gave him everything. A home, an education, a job.”
“It makes absolutely no fucking sense,” Avi said, shaking his head.
Atticus was nodding when he noticed Lucas and Noah shooting meaningful glances back and forth at each other. “You two. What’s with all the eye contact? What do you know?”
Noah looked seconds from breaking, but Lucas gave him a barely discernible shake of his head. August frowned at his husband, who did his best to school his expression into one of perfect innocence.
Adam cut his eyes to Noah. “Do you know something?”
August and Adam squared off against their significant others. Noah broke first. “We don’tknowanything for sure, but it seems pretty fucking obvious what’s happening here.”
When they all stared at him blankly, Lucas said, “Really? None of you see it?”
“Well, why don’t you enlighten us?” Archer said, voice droll, as he ran a finger around the rim of his glass.
“Thomas and Aiden…you know…” Noah trailed off, nodding like that would somehow make them connect whatever dots lingered. When none of them finished his vague statement, he scoffed. “Oh, my God. They’re hot for each other.”
Atticus’s hand went to his chest like some scandalized maiden clutching her pearls. “That’s absurd. He’s our brother.”
Noah snorted. “Is he, though?”
Lucas leaned forward. “It’s not the scandal you guys think it is. You said Aiden was almost an adult when Thomas took him in. I don’t think they’ve done anything, but I think maybe Aiden wanted to.”
Asa tilted his head. “Why do you say that? What do you know? You’ve never even met Aiden. Did our father say something to you? Wait, did youseesomething…likeseesee something?” He poked at his temple in case it wasn’t clear what he meant.
Lucas shook his head. “No. Nothing like that. I just… I get a feeling…”
“You get a feeling that our brother wants to fuck our dad?” Atticus said, shaking his head as if rejecting the idea subconsciously.
Noah rolled his eyes. “Aiden isn’t sixteen anymore. He’s older than Adam. Aiden never saw your dad as a dad because they weren’t that far apart in age. Not in the grand scheme of things. I mean, it makes sense.”
“How does that make sense?” Adam asked, looking bewildered.
Noah scoffed. “News flash: your dad is massively hot. Like, a full on smokeshow. You have to know that. I imagine, when Aiden was sixteen, Thomas was probably everything he ever wanted.”
“Dad would never cross that line,” Avi snapped. “He’s not a pedophile.”
Noah shook his head, raising a hand. “Nobody’s saying that. Teen boys have unreciprocated crushes on older guys all the time. Hell, I totally wanted to bang my math teacher. Older men are hot. Part of me thought I’d end up with some older sugar daddy who’d pay all my bills,” Noah teased.
