“That you were upset your brother put school on hold and didn’t tell you about it, even though you don’t know his reasons for doing it and also that you weren’t going to ask what the reasons were before you jumped down his throat.”
He grumbled, finishing the wine in his glass. “When you put it like that…”
“That’s how it is. What else is bothering you?”
Without thought, he glanced over his shoulder toward the dining room, toward the wall, toward his house.
“Moving.” He shoved the stool back, standing tall and pacing toward the sliding glass door. He yanked it open and stepped onto the deck, sucking in a massive breath and bracing his hands on his hips. I went after him, stopping on the slider track and giving him space, even though my base instinct was to chain him to my bed so he could never leave.
“Where are you moving?” I managed to ask instead. With my hands deep in my pockets so I didn’t reach for him—or a length of rope—I tried to sound as calm about it as I wanted him to think I was. But inside I was screaming. Sweat prickled the back of my neck, but I didn’t dare wipe it away because that would mean freeing one of my hands from its pocket prison.
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, back still to me. “HR emailed me today to remind me that the rental was for six months and it’s time for me find someplace to go. I haven’t even looked.”
The offer to let him stay with me wasrighton the tip of my tongue, but I knew that wasn’t what he wanted. Hendrix wasn’t a man who wanted handouts or charity. He’d done all the things he wanted Wesley to do. He’d gone to school. Worked hard. He wanted to earn the things he had and me offering him half a bed and a third of a house I already shared with Grayson wasn’t what he was after.
Hell, even with the admission of feelings between us, I wasn’t sure Hendrix was in it with me for the long haul. He loved me, I believed that, but we hadn’t ever talked about the future. I didn’t know what it looked like for him, but I knew right in that moment wasn’t the time to ask.
I bit my tongue.
“Nothing to say to that part?” The corner of his mouth tipped up.
I had about a thousand things to say, but I didn’t know which of them was the right one. Begging him to move in with me so I didn’t lose the access I’d grown used to felt like it was an extremely immature approach. The gap in our ages had already proven to be a roadblock for him in the past and I surely didn’t want to do anything to highlight it again.
“Wow.” Hendrix gave a derisive laugh that made me feel like saying anything would have been better than saying nothing, but he moved on before I could walk it back. “Anyway. I guess I’ll have to start looking. Colin offered to help.”
“Colin?” The name caught in my throat.
“A colleague of mine.” Hendrix poured the rest of the wine from the bottle into his glass.
“And are you going to accept his offer?”
“He’s a friend, Miles.”
I rolled my eyes, spinning the barstool until I had room to stand. I had a bottle of red wine on the counter that would be a tolerable enough chaser to the white. I cut the foil and popped the cork, offering myself a generous pour.
“I don’t have a lot of them,” Hendrix added. I tightened my grip on the glass and nodded. “You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Showing your age.”
The front door opened, and the unmistakable sound of Grayson’s laugh was loud enough to cover the slew of curses that slipped out under my breath.
“We’ll talk about this later,” I said.
Hendrix stood up, waiting for Wesley, who trailed a foot or so behind Grayson. He was laughing too, looking so much like Hendrix my breath caught in my throat. When he saw his brother beside me, though, the expression vanished. Wesley took a step back, and I expected him to run, but instead he closed the door.
Grayson stayed, flanking him, and I recognized the show of solidarity. It was support. It was kindness.
It was friendship, and Grayson needed one now more than ever.
But then again, so did Wesley.
“Before you say anything, you’re not going to change my mind,” Wesley blurted, eyes flickering toward Grayson, who offered him a reassuring nod. “I’m an adult.”
Hendrix snorted. “Then act like one.”
“I am.”
