Nally clenched his jaw. Gavin was right. He didn’t want to hear that. It seemed like no matter what he did, he was going to lose the most important thing in his life.
“Hey, you’re a snack, too,” Gavin said, catching his attention again. “Do you want to get back out there and dance your troubles away?” Gavin asked.
Nally swallowed. “Not really,” he said. “I don’t know what I want to do.”
“Welcome to life,” Gavin said, resting a hand on Nally’s shoulder. “But the good news is you live and you learn. You’re young. This is all new, I know. But soon you’ll be an expert at navigating?—”
“Is everything okay here?”
Nally jumped at the sound of Jude’s voice. Without meaning to, he smiled in relief. He wasn’t close to being in a position where he needed rescuing, but that was exactly what Jude looked like he thought he was doing.
“I’m fine,” he said. “Just having a chat with Gavin.”
Jude looked at him like he could strike the man down with a gaze.
Gavin laughed. “I think you two have some things you need to talk about.”
Nally’s heart dropped to his feet. Jude looked as defensive as hell. The thing was, Gavin was right.
“Maybe we could go outside for a second?” Nally turned to Jude, pleading with his eyes.
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Jude said, grabbing Nally’s hand.
Nally sent Gavin one last look. He wasn’t sure he appreciated the way the older man was trying not to laugh, like he thought the angst between Nally and Jude was something funny or cute. It might have seemed juvenile if you were a guy in your thirties, but Nally had never dealt with anything like wanting to getnaked and sweaty with his bestie before. He’d only seen Jude and Timothy go for it and fail spectacularly.
“What was all that about?” Jude asked as they headed through the club’s lobby and out into the cool, London night. “You two were having a really intense conversation.”
“I guess we were,” Nally said, fighting to work up his courage. “But Gavin isn’t the one I need to have an intense conversation with.”
“What?” Jude stopped on the pavement in front of the club and faced Nally. “What do you mean?”
Nally took a deep breath. They needed to get this over with. “Things have been weird between us lately, and I think we both know why.”
Jude looked completely terrified for a second. “We…do?”
Nally nodded. This was it. This was the moment he ruined his most important relationship.
But the second he opened his mouth, he was stopped.
“Nally? Oh, thank God. I’ve been trying to speak to you in person for ages now.”
Nally slammed his mouth shut and turned to find Andrew Quentin racing toward them, his eyes wide and desperate.
“Why haven’t you been answering my messages anymore?” Quentin demanded. “Is it something I said? You know I love you, Nally. We’re meant to be together. Why won’t you answer me?”
“I—” Nally had no idea what to say. He didn’t have a clue what Quentin was talking about. He hadn’t seen or heard from the man since the night of the premiere.
“This isn’t the time,” Jude said, stepping between Nally and Quentin. He waved to one of the cars belonging to The Brotherhood that lined the street in front of the club. “Nally isn’t speaking to people tonight.”
“But you have to,” Quentin insisted, following as Jude pulled Nally toward the car as its driver opened the back door. “We’re meant to be together, Nally, you and me. I love you!”
Nally was shoved into the car and Jude dove in after him before Nally could so much as catch his breath.
“Where to?” the driver asked as he got in, too.
“Anywhere,” Jude said. “Just get us away from him.”
As the car wedged its way into traffic and sped off, leaving Quentin behind, Nally’s heart beat like he’d run a marathon. Something was wrong, alright, but maybe it wasn’t the thing he’d been thinking was wrong.
