Who the fuck is this kid? And how has he managed to fucking captivate me likethis?
After I take another sip of my drink, I lick the salt off the rim and gaze out at the Malecón boardwalk, watching passersby as they enjoy their stroll beside theoceanfront.
Maybe I need to book the first flight I can get out of town so that I don’t have to worry about any of this bullshit. If I walk away now, everything will be fine…even though I know it won’t be. Even though I know I’ll be dwelling on what could have been with Jesse. But it’s better than making the biggest mistake of my life and destroying my relationship with myson.
After downing a shot of tequila for good measure, to help convince me that’s the right thing to do, I walk back to the condo. When I head inside, Jesse and Ty are chatting in the livingarea.
“I can’t fucking believe this!” Ty shouts at Jesse, turning to the bay window. He’s still in pajama bottoms, and his sandy-blond hair—a trait from his mother’s side—is a mess…like he’s been fucking with it while stressing about this issue he’s been handling withwork.
At least, I hope that’s what he’s so frustrated about. There’s a part of me that wonders if Ty figured something out and confronted Jesse. Or if Jesse said something about what we did at thebeach.
I remind myself that Jesse said he would keep it secret, but considering how angry Ty seems, there’s no telling what happened in the time I wasgone.
It’s about work, I tell myself, but it doesn’t keep my fear from lingering in the back of my mind as I head into the livingarea.
“Everything all right?” Iask.
Jesse’s gaze meets mine, but I can’t read his expression, and that makes me even more nervous than I alreadyam.
Ty whirls around, his jaw locked, his face bright red, like he’s been screaming atJesse.
“Fuckin’ work shit,” Ty says through his teeth. “It’s this stupid project we’ve been working on for months, and we just learned that the data we’ve been using wasn’t updated after a major glitch in the system that happened three monthsago.”
Holy shit. I feel like crap for even having second-guessed Jesse’s loyalty to hisword.
“What are they doing aboutit?”
“That’s the issue. They won’t be able to resolve this without me. I mean, I’ve tried to walk Megan through it, but she’s not going to be able to work fast enough to get this done. I think I’m going to need to fly back home. At least for a few days to help them figure this shitout.”
My gaze instantly meets Jesse’s, and once again, I’m left wondering what he’sthinking.
Like our hike, it’s as though the universe conspired to make this moment happen. Like it’s giving me and Jesse every opportunity to do the very thing weshouldn’t.
Ty crosses his arms and shakes hishead.
“There’s got to be a way that you can stay here,” I say, surely sounding less than sincere about my interest in him sticking around as a part of my mind wanders through scenarios of getting Jesse all tomyself.
God, I’m a fuckingmonster.
“I mean, it’ll be easier if I’m there,” Ty says. “It’s a quick flight back home. I can hunker down… It might take me a few days, but I figure I’ll have time to be back and still be able to enjoy at least some of my vacay. I have points, so it won’t be a totalbust.”
“Still…”
“Yeah, it sucks, but what are you gonna do?” heasks.
I nod, and even though I’m looking at Ty, I can feel Jesse’s gaze on me. I imagine him reflecting on what it was like when I had my fingers inside him, wanting to experience that once again. Although I wonder if part of that is my drunk brain fueling mydesire.
“Anyway,” Ty says, “I need to check flights. See what I can gettomorrow.”
“If you need me to cover anyexpenses…”
Ty smirks. “I appreciate it, Eric, but I’m fine. Thank you,though.”
He wouldn’t be thanking me if he knew what his best friend and I were up to at thebeach.
“I’ll order some takeout tonight,” Jesse says. “That way you can catch up on whatever you need to without having tostress.”
Why didn’t I think ofthat?
