The rest of the morning was spent lying by the pool, listening to an audiobook. Dottie brought him a salad for lunch, and when he asked where André was, she shook her head and frowned.
“He’s been locked in that study, on the telephone for hours. I tried to bring him something to eat as well, but he waved me away. I’ve never seen him so upset.”
He caught his bottom lip between his teeth. “I wonder what’s going on.”
“I don’t know, but he and Kyle were shouting at each other.” She sighed. “I’d hoped they’d settled their problems, but apparently not.”
His interest piqued, Chess felt a bit traitorous asking someone as sweet as Dottie questions about Kyle, but he had to know. “What problems did they have?”
Dottie poured him a fresh iced tea. “I don’t know exactly, but it’s a shame. They were all so close, but once Dawson died, it was never the same. There was some kind of fallout, and André refused to see or speak to Kyle. Just a clean break. He wouldn’t even let him in the house after the funeral.” Her eyes dimmed. “I was glad to see André stop drinking so much, but the result was that he buried himself in his work and the business. The way I saw it, he traded one obsession for another. That wasn’t healthy either. It wasn’t until André met you that we had any hope he’d settle down. I’m so glad you’re getting married. I don’t think I’ve ever seen two people more suited to each other.”
“Thank you,” he answered automatically, his mind racing. Something huge had to have happened for André to cut off ties with Kyle.
“…traded one obsession for another.”
André had been obsessed with Kyle.
“If you need anything, let me know. I’ll be out a little later to pick up the dishes.”
He nodded absently, his attention diverted to his phone, where he saw Elliot’s name pop up on the screen.
“Hi.”
“Spencer told us what happened. Wolf is here too. Do you want to talk?”
His chest tightened as a maelstrom of emotions threatened tears. Blinking rapidly, he swiped at his eyes.
“Thanks for calling. It’s like a puzzle where I’m missing crucial pieces. Dottie, the housekeeper, and I were just talking, and she said André and Kyle were very close, but something happened between them after Dawson died.”
“Dawson was his best friend, correct?” This from Wolf. “What was his last name?”
“North.”
Computer keys clicked in the background.
“I’m doing a search on him now. Seems he was killed in a speeding accident on Sunrise Highway, going over ninety miles an hour. The autopsy showed he had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system. The damn fool,” Wolf spit out. “When they interviewed his girlfriend, she said she felt guilty because she’d broken up with him that night.”
“He got drunk because of that and then got behind the wheel?” Elliot sighed. “Win’s husband died when a speeding car hit his on the highway. I’m sorry Dawson died, but he was stupid, and at least he didn’t kill anyone else. What a tragedy.”
“Somehow what happened to Dawson is tied up with Kyle and André’s blowup and maybe the reason why André doesn’t come out here anymore or speak to Kyle. But why would he lie by making it sound like Kyle was a casual fling when he wasn’t? Why did he need to keep it from me?”
“Remember how Win kept the fact that he’d been married a secret?” Elliot asked. “He really didn’t have an excuse except that he didn’t think we were going to get serious, but I think he also believed it might hurt me somehow.”
“I certainly do remember that,” Wolf huffed out. “It was my most embarrassing moment in years. And most humbling. But Win should’ve told you from the beginning he’d been married. Here’s what you should know, something I’ve learned from my years of questioning witnesses on the stand: people keep secrets for a myriad of reasons, but when it’s between lovers, it’s usually because of potential embarrassment or they believe the truth would hurt the other person.”
Chess couldn’t keep the smile from his lips. “I love that you and Spencer are the ones giving relationship advice when you’re the two who’ve never been in one.”
“And therefore we can see the truth with the greatest clarity. Plus, these are the exact reasons why I avoid entanglements. I’d never let another person tie me up in knots.”
“The rewards far outweigh the risks,” Elliot said. “It took me years and too many wrong turns before I found the one who was right for me. Chess is the lucky one. He hit a grand slam the first time at bat.”
Chess winced at Elliot’s words, relieved his friends couldn’t see his face. As bad as it was keeping secret from André the truth of his troubled teen years, he’d also lied to them about his past. They were his brothers, his family in every way but blood. What would they do if they knew he’d sold himself for a twenty-dollar bill, sometimes to get high or eat? Or both. Would they still love him and care about him if they knew he’d slept on the streets, or would they look away in disgust? What would André do?
He dropped his head in his hands, tears leaking from his eyes, wetting his forearms.
“Chess, what’s going on?” Wolf, unexpectedly gentle, twisted Chess further into despair. “There’s something you’re not saying. I feel it.”
“N-no, I’m good. It’s overwhelming to think about. I’ve told you before, André and I have the same troubles everyone else does. This conversation proves it. It caught me off guard, but I’m ready to ask him for an explanation.”
