I bit my lips between my teeth and forced out my breath, lips making a weird noise until my lungs were totally empty.
“You hate it,” he observed.
“It’s not ideal,” I corrected.
“When are you going to tell Hendrix?”
Now it was my turn to shrug. “That’s up to him.”
“There are two of you in the relationship, though, yes?”
“Yes, but Hendrix is his brother, not mine.”
“Hendrix is your friend,” he reminded me, brow arched.
“I’m aware of how complicated it is, Grayson.”
The sound of the light switch in Wesley’s room flipping off was louder than a thunderclap. I shoved up from the couch and smoothed my hands down the front of my pants, shaking them out so they fell against my ankles comfortably. Wesley came around the corner in what had to have been a new outfit from his little date with Grayson earlier in the day because he looked amazing.
Not that he ever looked bad, but there was a different level of togetherness in the clothes he’d put on, and the impressed sound Grayson made behind me confirmed my suspicions.
“Why are you both looking at me like that?” Wesley muttered, frowning down at the button-up he wore. The shirt was slim cut, navy and cornflower blue squares that bled into a nice gradient across his chest. He’d paired the shirt with a pair of dark green pants, not slacks but not jeans, and brown leather sneakers.
“Like what?” I asked.
“I don’t know.” He gave me a flippant gesture. “Likethat.”
Grayson stepped around, standing beside me and leaning over to see my face. “He’s looking at you like he wants to fuck.”
“Gray!” Wesley sounded horrified at the insinuation, but Grayson hadn’t been far off.
“You look really good,” I said.
Wesley’s mouth twitched into the hint of a smile and I held my arms open. He came toward me and plastered himself against my chest, letting me hold him.
“Nothing more than that or I lose my deniability.” Grayson covered his eyes and turned his back on us. “It’s bad enough that I hear you.”
“Youwhat?” Wesley shouted into my chest, breaking free of my hold, expression horrified.
“I hear noises coming from your room.” Grayson still had his back to us. “I assume it’s just porn or something. Wesley, don’t tell me otherwise.”
“He won’t,” I offered, since Wesley was embarrassed and clearly at a loss for words.
The exchange was a reminder that we were on a tightrope that was very nearly ready to snap. We couldn’t ask Grayson to lie for us, and the longer Wesley and I were involved together, the less we cared about hiding our behavior. But I would never forgive myself if Hendrix reacted to Wesley the same way my parents had reacted to me.
I was twenty years older than Wesley. I’d had an entire life of keeping secrets and hiding from the people I cared about, but the weight of my parents’ rejection had nearly knocked me on my back. I couldn’t begin to think about Wesley having those conversations with his brother.
Their parents.
Grayson’s words hung heavy in my mind when Wesley threaded our fingers together, hiding our joined hands behind my back.
“Where are we going to eat?” Wesley asked.
“A surprise,” I told him, because I hadn’t made up my mind yet, but I knew I wanted to get as far away from the city as time would allow.
“Good choice.” Grayson let his arms fall to his sides, his back still turned our way. “I won’t wait up.”
“You never have to,” Wesley said.
