12
When he came out of the bathroom, Avery first noticed the two empty seats where he and Linc had been.
Avery scanned the space, but before he could find Linc, his eyes landed on Oliver. A year later, Avery’s insides only shrank in embarrassment a little over what happened between them—which really wasn’t anything at all. He’d meant what he’d said to Linc. Oliver really was too old for him. But though Oliver had been understanding, Avery couldn’t help replaying the horror of that moment over and over, pointing out every single way he’d been so wrong about the situation.
But he didn’t have time for that, because the next thing Avery saw was Linc, practically standing nose to nose with Oliver, an accusatory finger digging into his chest.
Avery moved through the crowded bar like he was on rocket roller skates.
“Hey!” As he approached them, he forced as much confident cheerfulness into his voice as he could.
Oliver’s smile was the same genuine one he had always used with Avery. Last year, Avery had mistaken it for interest, when, really, he should have known it for the simple human decency that Oliver meant it as.
“Hey, Avery.” Despite his bland friendliness, Oliver’s eyes darted nervously to Linc, who was crowding way too much into his space.
“Big mistake.” Linc swayed on his feet, and Avery’s breath started to come quickly. He glanced at the men still seated at the table, watching this development with interest. Avery shook his head. He shouldn’t have drunk so much. He didn’t know the names of Oliver’s friends, but he’d seen them before, back at Oliver’s shop before he’d closed it. The blond one was watching them with sarcastic amusement twisted on his lips. The brown-haired man sitting next to him had the same nervous smile that Avery was pretty sure he was wearing. And on Oliver’s other shoulder was the big one, the one with the buzz cut and the black eyes who was Oliver’s boyfriend and who—Avery didn’t doubt for a second—could crack a tree in half over his knee with the right motivation.
Motivation like Linc spoiling for a fight for no obvious reason.
Avery slipped an arm around Linc’s waist. “Hey, buddy. Time to go.”
“It’s not right.” Linc shook his head. His eyes were glassy, and his beautiful mouth was pressed into a firm line.
“I know,” Avery said, but he didn’t know. It didn’t matter, though. What mattered was not adding to the Oliver wing of his personal hall of shame.
“Hi, Avery. Do you know this guy? Everything okay?” Oliver asked, because of course he would. Oliver would always be one of the nicest people Avery knew—hence his hopeless crush the year before.
“Yeah, fine. Guess we should have stopped before that last pint.” He tried to communicate telepathically to Oliver to stop being so concerned and let them go already.
Linc’s long arm settled around Avery’s shoulders. “That’s right.” He pulled Avery close. “We’re going home. Your loss, you jerk. I get to go home with him.”
“Oh my God.” Heat poured over Avery in an eruption. Was that what was going on? Linc somehow thought he was defending Avery’s honor?
This was Avery’s reward for being incapable of filtering a single thought before it went straight from his brain to his mouth.
“This is so awkward and amazing,” the blond man behind Oliver said, then laughed when the brown-haired man beside him jabbed an elbow in his ribs.
“Can we call you a cab?” Oliver said, but Avery shook his head, already backing away.
“It’s fine. We’re fine. I’m—” He stumbled as he bumped into another patron. “Sorry.” The man he’d run into looked bored, which was okay because the warmth of Linc’s big body pressed against Avery’s was slowly melting his brain. Not to mention the four sets of eyes on them meant Avery’s joints and his heart felt like they were about to crumble to sand and pile all over the floor any minute now.
“He hurt you,” Linc said fiercely in his ear.
Avery pulled him tighter, flashing one last apologetic smile at Oliver, hoping desperately he wasn’t close enough to hear. “He didn’t. It’s fine. Let’s go.”
“I was trying to—” Linc lurched, like he might break away and go another round with Oliver.
“I know. You did an awesome job.” He patted the hard width of Linc’s chest.
“You deserve someone better.” They were almost to the door. Avery fished his phone out of his pocket to call a cab. His apartment was close enough, but he couldn’t make it that far dragging Linc with him.
“No, I don’t.” Being with someone like Oliver, who was smart and funny and so considerate—Avery couldn’t imagine anything much better. He’d seen Oliver and his partner around town, and between that and local gossip, he knew they were disgustingly happy. But as far as boyfriend material went, Oliver was the prototype.
“No. Hey. Hey.” They were outside, and Linc pulled him around, putting a hand on each of Avery’s shoulders. “Trust me. You’re going to find someone who sees how amazing you are, and that person is going to love you like crazy. So forget about that guy. His loss. He won’t ever get to know you the way—” He blinked rapidly, gaze going off over Avery’s right shoulder.
Avery stood on his tiptoes, leaning forward, desperately waiting for the end of the sentence. “The way what?”
Linc’s face exploded in a ferocious sneeze that echoed down the street. He stumbled backward, shaking his head and laughing.
