Specifically, that was the thing he was not thinking about. Nick’s soft words, rough with fear and anxiety. Nick’s warm body, clinging to him, desperate for comfort.
Oliver had loved Cooper, and it hadn’t been enough. Nick loved him now, but if another shoe dropped with Hayden, Oliver didn’t doubt for a second where he’d fall on Nick’s priority list, regardless of what he thought he felt now. And it would be the way it should be too. Telling Nick Oliver loved him would make it all harder.
“Hey!” Seb snapped his fingers right in front of Oliver’s nose. He started, blinking rapidly. Seb was half out of his chair, and Martin was twisting his hands in his shirt. They had both moved beyond concern into actual worry.
“Sorry.”
“What the hell was that? One second, you tell us you’re going out of business, the next, you’re having an out-of-body experience.”
“I’m not going out of business, and I wasn’t—” Oliver sighed. “It’s fine. The business will be fine. I got off course somehow. I have to go back to the plan and figure out how to fix it.”
“I can help you, if you want,” Martin said. “A lot of my tutoring work is going to be quiet for a while with school wrapping up for the year. I learned a lot when we were getting the gallery up and running. I could help you reevaluate.”
Reevaluate. Oliver gritted his teeth. He didn’t want Martin’s help. He’d only accepted Avery’s because he needed Avery’s business, but letting family step in was admitting he couldn’t do this on his own. He wasn’t ready.
“It’s fine.” His fork scraped at the bottom of his empty plate. “Sorry. I’m tired. It’s not as bad as all that. I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be okay.”
He had to be. He needed to be okay so when Nick called, he was ready to be what Nick needed.
* * *
Sunday at Nick’s house was tense, to put it nicely. The cops hadn’t looked fully convinced the night before when he’d told them Hayden heard someone vandalizing Nick’s car and ran outside to scare them off. But with no one else around to confirm or deny and nothing stolen, the police took their statements and left.
Needless to say, Nick didn’t sleep much, but at seven o’clock he pulled himself out of bed and made a pot of coffee. He gave Hayden another half-hour, mostly because Nick needed the time to tape up the window on the car. At seven-thirty, though, he went to Hayden’s room and pulled open the blinds.
“Hayden. Come on. Time to get to work.” Nick didn’t actually expect it to be that simple, and Hayden proved him right when he didn’t move.
Nick sighed. After last night, he was already doomed as far as Hayden was concerned, so nothing would damage his reputation. He leaned over Hayden’s sleeping body, wrapping him up in the comforter. “I’m sorry about this,” he said. Then he heaved the blankets back, yanking them and Hayden off the bed.
Hayden hit the floor and came awake with a shout, sitting up and glaring at Nick. “What the fuck!”
“Get dressed. There’s coffee in the kitchen, and then we’re getting to work.”
“Work?” Hayden was gasping like a fish.
“You have five minutes.” Nick left him there.
Hayden could have told him to fuck off or—worse—smashed a few more windows. Instead, he was at the kitchen table in six minutes. He wouldn’t meet Nick’s eyes as he drank his coffee, but that was okay. They didn’t need to socialize for what Nick had planned.
Before eight o’clock, they were in the garage. Nick pulled a couple rusty shovels and other tools from the back of the garage. He tossed a shovel to Hayden, who caught it.
“What’s this for?”
“You’re going to pay Oliver back for his car.”
“I don’t have any money.” Hayden smirked as if he’d found the magic escape card.
“I know that. So you’re going to earn it in labor, and I’ll pay him for the car.”
“What?”
“Come on. We’re digging up a flower bed for your mom.” He led the way out of the garage, and Hayden followed behind him, grumbling. He let the shovel drag, clattering on the driveway.
“This is stupid. We’re not—” The last of his words were drowned out by the rattle of the shovel.
“What was that?” Nick turned so fast, Hayden nearly ran into him.
“I said we’re not staying. Me and Mom. It’s stupid to make her a garden because we’re not staying.”
