“I’m okay, Em,” I said, the cool metal of the wrought iron of the balcony pressing into my back. “My future’s never going to look the same as yours and Melissa’s, though. No kids in the plan, and I’m more into going to Comic-Cons than Cubs games.”
“Psh. No one gives a fuck about that except for Uncle Luther, maybe. But he’s always been a grouchy prick. I just want you to be happy.” The sincerity in Emery’s tone stabbed right through my heart.
All too easily, I could see myself showing up at Mom’s retirement party with Cay by my side. Of course certain aunts and uncles would have shitty comments, but Cay would just shrug them off with some glib comment or be so damn charming he’d win everyone over within minutes.
The thought of that soothed something in me that I hadn’t realized had been ragged all these years.
Except that was a hazy daydream. Reality was, Cay and I were both in the closet still, stealing moments whenever we could.
I could come out. I could tell Cay everythingI’d started to feel.
But if Cay left me, then I didn’t know how I’d pick up the shattered pieces.
Crap, I hadn’t answered my brother. “Thanks. I’m trying.”
“Good,” Emery said, his voice getting a little gruffer. “You better haul your ass over here for games sometime. How about the night before the party?”
“You’ve got it,” I promised.
My buzzer sounded, which meant someone was here, except I hadn’t been planning on visitors.
My heart began to pick up the pace. Had Cay decided to visit?
“Hey, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you soon.” With that, I hung up and went to check who the hell had shown up.
The second I pressed the intercom, Tai’s voice blasted at me. “Beeeeeck.”
I let out a heavy sigh, those butterflies dropping just as fast as they’d been summoned. “No,” I responded through the intercom.
“Take pity on me. I need to vent,” Tai whined.
I tilted my head and stared at the ceiling. Yes, Tai had an entire posse of people he could vent to, and he’d probably talked to his clients and coworkers earlier and decided to do a friend tour on the way home. Yet I was also aware Tai was one of the best fucking people I knew, and even though I hated surprise visits, giving Tai some time was always worth it.
“Fine,” I said. “But you’re out by seven.” I buzzed Tai in, unlocked my apartment door, and beelined straight for the fridge. I grabbed two beers and headed over to the couch. By the time Tai stomped his way in, I was already sipping from the IPA, letting the spicy taste of hops bolster me for the hurricane of energy about to descend.
The door flew open. “He did itagain,” Tai all but shouted as he marched inside.
I blinked, and Tai was already sitting on my couch and yanking the bottle of beer his way. “Dare I ask which he was in the equation, my slutty, slutty friend?”
Tai shot me daggers, which I probably deserved, but Tai loved being a slut with a capitalS. Said he needed the variety, or he’d get bored, but truthfully, I didn’t think anyone matched his energy the right way.
“If I wanted to be insulted, I would’ve stayed at Taberu,” Tai said with a sniff.
“Oh, it’s Chef Guy?” I asked, wrinkling my nose. I’d already heard a million minuscule slights that had affronted Tai from the second this guy started at Taberu, the sushi joint across from his salon.
“Grayson,” he all but growled, and I lifted my brows.
“And what did he do today?” I asked, affecting patience I didn’t really have. “Did he spit in your sushi? Say your name wrong? Not know the difference between mauve and fuchsia?”
Tai folded his arms across his chest. “Look, it’s an important difference of colors. But if you must know, he said my boots were tacky.”
I glanced down to see the neon-green boots covered in rhinestones. I chewed on my lower lip. “You have seen them, right?”
The look Tai leveled my way was murderous. “You’re spared because I’m aware you couldn’t dress yourself in anything that wasn’t business casual in earth tones. However, who the fuck says that to a stranger?”
“You know, you could stop getting sushi there,” I said, taking another needed swig of beer.
Tai let out a sound like a cat whose tail got stepped on. Fuck, it was always a little amusing to rile him up. “It’s across from my work,” he protested. “I’ve been there for a decade, and he swept in a few months ago and decided to spitefully ruin my favorite lunch stop.”
