The way Teo said it nearly broke his heart. Matt wasn’t privy to all the details of what went down between him and his brother, but he knew enough. There’s a bro code for a reason, and thinking with his dick, Tony broke it.
“Is it that bad?”
He didn’t answer, but his face said it all.
“We’ll talk some more when the time comes, okay?” Matt placed a brotherly arm around him. Teo was his family now, too. “But if that’s what you need to do, you’ve got a place with us.”
“Thanks, man.” Then, his eyes went wide. “Cazzo!Here they come.”
Not appearing contrite at all, Kevin protested, gesturing wildly with his hands. Obviously, they were in the middle of quite a conversation. “But I need to learn everything I can about the lifestyle, so I can manage the club for you someday.”
“Everything?” The telltale tick in his jaw still ticked. Brendan was livid.
“Yeah, I fucking love girls, but I love Luca, too.” In an exaggerated huff, Kevin blew out a breath. “Why are you so surprised I’m bi?”
Color me surprised, kid, but I don’t think that’s what the big guy here is pissed off about.
“I am too,” Luca said proudly. “And poly.”
“You’re barely twenty, for fuck’s sake,” Matt shouted.Still a kid. “You don’t even know what that is.”
“Yes, I do. I love Kevin.” Then, as if to prove it, Luca kissed him. “For real and forever.”
“And one day we hope we can find a girl who’ll love us like Chloe loves Jesse and Tay,” Kevin added.
“Or maybe we’ll meet two bi chicks and all four of us can be together,” Luca said in all seriousness.
Kevin responded with a high-five. “Yeah, I could get down with that.”
Oh, boy.
Matt could just see the shitshow that was surely coming. “Does your sister know all this?”
“Does she need to?” Luca cocked his head, evidently offended. “Yeah, she knows.”
“Katie knows, too. I tell her everything.” Arm in arm, Kevin took up his boyfriend’s side.
Brendan sighed. “C’mon, Kev, you’re nineteen.”
“Yeah, and my sister was eighteen when she fell in love with you.”
Valid point, but this situation had disaster written all over it.
“So, will you teach me?”
“And me.”
Matt called the bartender over and asked for a shot.
“I can’t let you work here until you’re twenty-one,” Brendan said, softening, the tick in his jaw now gone. “In the meantime, if you’re both serious, there are books you can read and workshops you can attend.”
Teo glanced at him. “Mama’s gonna shit.”
Matt downed his whiskey.
“I know.”
Matt didn’t want to hurt him, and he couldn’t lose him, either. Besides Gina, he loved Kit more than anyone. He’d lay down his life for the guy if it came down to it. Their kinship went beyond friendship or brotherhood or blood in a way he could never explain. But after seeing Luca with Kevin, one thing became quite clear: he didn’t love him like that—the same way that Jesse loved Taylor. That kind of love was sacred and reserved for Gina alone.
