“So am I.”
Huh.Linc expected him to say twenty-two or twenty-three. But then, if he’d finished college and had already worked for his uncle for a few years, he couldn’t be that young.
He clinked their glasses together again. “To twenty-six.”
“I don’t even know what I’m so upset about,” Avery said, the words coming out in a breath. “I mean, he’s my uncle. He’s not my dad.”
“Your dad’s an asshole.”
“So is yours. Theo’s not. He’s a good guy. He’s just...He’s stubborn, you know? But they’ve done everything for me. Everything.”
Linc sighed. If his dad had been any kind of halfway decent human being, Linc would have done everything for him too. He’d waited for years for his old man to make a single good decision. In the end, the only one he made was pleading guilty when they’d arrested him and not dragging out a trial.
“Okay.” Linc blew out a breath and flagged down the bartender. “Shitty day’s done. Nothing left to do but drink.”
Easy. So easy. The bar was busy but not crowded. No one bothered them. Linc told Avery about some of his noteworthy past jobs (I dropped one of the boxes when we loaded it into the moving van and it was full of decapitated Barbie dolls). Avery told Linc about the time he dressed as the Brave Little Toaster for Halloween (I was in college. It was supposed to be ironic).The bartender brought another round.
“I’m glad you called,” Linc said.
“I’m glad you answered.” Avery grinned. They faced each other, knees nearly touching. Avery had his elbow on the bar, head in his hand. He looked sleepy and happy, like he had waking up in Linc’s lap after his migraine. Linc wanted to run his fingers through his red hair. Fuck, he wanted to kiss him. But not here. They couldn’t do that here. And not while “Abe” was still between them.
“There’s something I need to tell you.” Yes. Now. He needed to get it off his chest, and then they’d be fine. Abe had been necessary when he didn’t know Avery, when he’d needed a friend and didn’t know if the red-headed stranger could be it. And now...now they were friends and maybe they could be more. Linc just had to tell Avery about Abe. Then they could kiss.
Avery sat up, green eyes blinking hard. “Oh, yeah?”
“You might not like it.”No.This was a bad idea. He couldn’t hurt Avery. Couldn’t see the trust break on his face.
Avery’s eyes clouded and slid beyond Linc’s shoulder. Linc took another sip of his beer. Avery would understand. The Abe thing was barely even a big deal, wasn’t it? Not like Linc was catfishing him or something. And then they would be okay and there could be kissing and other stuff. Oh, the other stuff. Linc probably shouldn’t admit how much he wanted that.
One more big mouthful of beer and he was ready.
“Avery, I—”
Avery’s face had gone pale, and he swayed on his barstool. His eyes were all droopy, but they focused intently on something across the room.
Linc started to turn, but Avery’s hand shot out and buried itself in his shirt.
“Don’t look,” he hissed.
Linc leaned forward. “Don’t look at what?”
Avery slid in so their knees bumped against each other. “Just. Do it slowly, okay?”
“I don’t understand,” Linc tried to whisper, but the bar was busy and the music loud. He was so close, the freckles on Avery’s nose were blurring together.
“Turn around and look at him.”
Their eyes met. Avery nodded seriously. Linc held his breath and gripped Avery’s shoulder. “Okay. Slowly.” He pushed around on his barstool. Avery’s hand was still in his shirt, so he only got a quarter of the way. His own hand gripped Avery’s arm, and he couldn’t help letting his thumb brush over the soft skin above Avery’s watch. He tried to smile reassuringly. “I’m not going to be weird, okay?”
Avery licked his lips, and you know what? Fuck it. Whoever was here, Linc didn’t need to see. He could just go back to Avery’s apartment and—
Avery let go and gave him a little push, so the stool spun the rest of the way on its own.
Linc scanned the crowd, but he didn’t see anyone he knew.
“I don’t—” He shook his head.
Avery’s chin on his shoulder was a surprise. His breath in Linc’s ear made him shiver.
