Dom usually loved Lincoln’s protectiveness, but right now it was pissing him off. “No, he’s not bi-curious, he’s totally gay and not out, okay? That whole thing with Danielle is public perception. They’ve never been together.”
Lincoln uncrossed his arms and planted both hands on his hips. He furrowed his eyebrows. “You guys discuss all that during your afternoon fuck?”
“Not exactly.”
The steady stare from Lincoln made him squirm.
“Fine,” Dom said. He glanced around, but no one was nearby. “Trey and I have been seeing each other for a while now. Danielle’s the only person who knew.”
Lincoln’s surprise shifted into annoyance. “She knew but you didn’t tell me?”
“She found out by accident. No one was supposed to know.”
“Not even me?”
“You hated Fading Daze the second you met them at Off Beat. And Trey isn’t out, so he wanted us to keep it all private.”
“He shoved you back in the closet, you mean?”
Dom flinched, the words as harsh as a physical slap. “That’s not what this is.”
“Then why were you reassuring him so hard on the phone that no one would find out about you two.”
“Because it’s no one’s business.” Dom’s voice went too high at the end, but he was nearing the limits of his calm. “I really like Trey, okay? And he’s really worried about how his own friends are going to react to us being together. Like you said, people think he’s with Danielle, plus with us stealing Tyson from them. It could be a huge mess.”
“How did you even meet?”
Memories of their impromptu session at Off Beat made Dom smile. “You remember back at the shore, about a month ago, when I told you I played my violin in public during an open mike at Off Beat?”
“Yeah.”
“I met him that night. After I played three songs, Beatrice wanted an encore but I didn’t have anything else prepared. She pulled Trey out of the audience, and he played keys while I did strings, and it was magical, Linc. I know it sounds girly, but I have never had so much fun playing with someone as I did with Trey. We connected, man. Like really connected.”
Lincoln stared, his expression somewhere between annoyed and amazed. “You played onstage with him?”
“Yes. And we’ve been playing together over FaceTime. We talk and text all the time. He makes me feel good. Better than anyone else ever has.”
“So good that you had to hide it from your best friend?” Lincoln sounded genuinely offended.
Dom hated that, especially after everything they’d been through together. “I’m sorry.”
“Did you really think I’d have a problem with you dating someone who makes you smile like that? I don’t think you’ve smiled like that since summer camp.”
“Smiled like what?”
Lincoln leaned against the van. “Like you’re discovering real joy for the first time.”
Bingo. Trey made him feel exactly like that—a feeling he’d been missing for so long. Lincoln had first introduced him to joy their summer together at music camp, in awkward kisses that turned into experienced blow jobs. In the understanding that he was gay, and that was okay. In learning how much he loved being with guys.
Dom had lost that joy, and that need for intimacy, for a long time.
Until Trey Cooper bounced up onstage at Off Beat and smiled at him.
He was a sucker for Trey’s smile. “I’m falling for him,” Dom said.
“I can tell.” Lincoln grinned. “Falling so hard you’re sneaking around borrowing tents?”
“Yes and no. I love having sex with him, but today it was . . . I just needed to be with him for a while, you know?”
