Elise’s smile was back. “Amazing. And for the wedding…”
Fallon felt his heart crash down to his feet. He hadn’t brought up the fact that he probably wouldn’t be able to do her wedding. He’d made his choice about the…the child—the word was still strange to say—and the baby would be due a week before her wedding.
He had no idea how pregnancy or any of that stuff worked, but he was pretty sure he wasn’t going to be in any condition to be shooting a wedding by then. But that was a future Fallon problem. He wasn’t making any business decisions until he saw a doctor, and that wasn’t for another three weeks.
The clinic Gage’s therapist had recommended would see him, but they were also fully booked. They managed to squeeze him in, but it was a ways off and a tight fit. For now, he had a new prescription vitamin to take—in a disgusting liquid form because he couldn’t do large pills—and an appointment to get some bloodwork done.
Gage was meant to go with him to that too, but he was debating about taking himself. He didn’t want to rely too hard on anyone. People could walk away for any reason. People could hurt him for any reason.
He couldn’t take that risk, as much as he trusted his new friend.
And as much as he wanted Gage, which was yet another problem. His body was feeling things. Different things. It was making him hot and horny and fucking desperate. And he knewwithout a doubt that Gage would help him take care of his problem if he asked.
But what would that do to their friendship if he did?
How would he recover if it was amazing, and then it all stopped?
He smiled at the engaged couple as he walked over to grab his camera bag from the beach. He had a long drive ahead of him. It was nearly an hour before he would be back home and able to sink into a warm bath and curl up in front of his TV.
Gage wasn’t going to be back from his shift until the next day, which gave Fallon plenty of time to think. Because it wasn’t just this strange relationship he had to figure out. It was also that his brothers were becoming more demanding about his time.
He’d only seen them twice since he moved into his new place, and both times, they’d studied him like he was under a microscope. It wasn’t going to be long before Frankie figured him out. He was too good at noticing everything.
He said a quick goodbye to the couple, then headed to his car, packing his things away in his foam carrying case. When everything was secure, he threw his phone into the holder and started his GPS. Not to home, where he really wanted to go, but to his brother’s.
He didn’t want to have this conversation today, but he’d made his choice. He was going forward. And as much as he wanted to, he couldn’t run from his reality any longer.
The drive to Frankie’s didn’t take as long as he’d wanted it to, and he allowed himself a mini panic attack in the parking lot before turning the car off and walking inside. He hadn’t beenthere in so long. It had been months since the confrontation with Charlie in the hallway, and then more months since Fallon had slept with him and was now going to be a dad.
But it felt like years had gone by. Everything was familiar, but also, it wasn’t. Lucas no longer lived in his own space—and he and Frankie had moved into the three bedroom, which was up the stairs and down a different hallway.
Fallon counted the numbers on the doors as he passed them, then took a breath when he reached his brother’s place. His hand shook as he lifted it, and then he knocked. He wasn’t used to doing that, but he’d walked in a few times with his brother and Lucas getting intimate on the couch.
Luckily, he hadn’t been subjected to dick or ass, but he never wanted to take the risk again.
He held his breath as he waited, then the door opened, and Lucas’s face appeared. “Yeah?”
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Lucas said slowly. “Uh…you gotta do better than that, bud.”
Fallon swallowed heavily. “Sorry, I’m…it’s?—”
“Fallon. Oh shit.” Lucas swung the door wide and stepped back. “Maybe we need like a bell or a buzzer or something so you don’t have to announce yourself. Also, why the fuck are you knocking?”
Fallon walked in. “Last time I didn’t, you had your tongue in my brother’s mouth.”
Lucas flushed and bowed his head. “Ah. Yeah. Right. Sometimes I forget people can just, like, see things. But I swear we keep it private now.”
“Mm.” Fallon had been fooled too many times to believe him. “Is my brother home?”
“No. Elodie had a school thing. He won’t be back until after dinner. You should come in and wait though. If he finds outyou came by and he missed you, he’s literally going to lose his mind.”
“Yeah. Okay.”
Lucas clapped his hands. “Amazing. Perfect. I will woo you with a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich.”
Fallon’s stomach gave a violent rumble. “Untoasted. Please. I know you like to cook them that way, but?—”
