Gwynning: We haven’t had anyone new here in a long time. You’ll have to excuse us. Hi, I’m Gwynn.
TeenDad2: I’m TD
GlitterDoctor: Um, I guess you can call me… Glit?
Jayne.
Over dinner, Jayne hadn’t mentioned Harlow’s invitation. Between flirting with Simon without words and contributing to the conversation when he could, Harlow hadn’t even thought to bring it up. To him, it had seemed as though Jayne wasn’t interested, and he wasn’t going to push. Now, too late, he realized his mistake.
Jayne had joined the chat, and none of the Single Dads had known to expect him.
And Jayne, who knew too much about Harlow, had no idea what the Single Dads did, or did not, know.
LoveHarley: Glit is with me, guys
LoveHarley: I invited him here. Sorry I didn’t tell you
GlitterDoctor: You didn’t tell them I was coming?
GlitterDoctor: No wonder everyone’s acting like I’m an alien
GlitterDoctor: Everyone, I am NOT an alien. I’m the father to a five m/o son, and LoveHarley happens to be crashing with me right now
Oh no.
TeenDad2: omg, are you Harley’s new bf?
GlitterDoctor: Um, no…?
With TD so innocent and entirely too unaware for his own good, all Harlow could hope to do was deflect. Jayne was smart and sharp, and Harlow had no doubt he’d put two and two together before long, but if he could prolong the inevitable, it would work in his favor. But even as Harlow launched one rapid-fire message after another, TD kept typing, drafting Harlow’s doom with every press of his fingers to the keys.
LoveHarley: I invited Glit here because we’d been talking about bringing in new people
LoveHarley: I thought his personality would mesh really well with everyone here
LoveHarley: I’m staying with him and his brothers while I finish up business in Aurora
At the same time that Harlow sent his last message, TD fired off the killing shot.
TeenDad2: Oh, that’s too bad. Harley said that he was seeing the guy he was staying with. All of us were hoping to meet him, and if you were him, that would have been fantastic. That’s okay, though. I’m glad you’re here. Are you really a doctor?
Dead.
Harlow winced. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since he’d first been intimate with Simon, and already his older brother knew. While Simon was an adult, capable of consent and more than able to make his own decisions regarding sexual partners, Harlow had witnessed firsthand the bond the brothers shared, and he was also overly aware that, not all that long ago, Simon had made a tiebreaker decision that had permitted Evie, and by extension, Harlow, to stay in the apartment.
What would Jayne think of his brother’s decision now?
GlitterDoctor: Yes. Yes, I am.
TeenDad2: Cool!
At any second now, Jayne’s bedroom door would fling open. The knob would hit the wall, and Jayne would come storming down the hall dressed for sleep, his face red with anger. He’d shove his finger at Harlow’s chest, just like he’d done when they’d been arguing about Shep, and accuse Harlow of manipulating the situation to fit his agenda. Evie and Shep, who’d already gone to bed, would wake up. Evie would find out that Harlow had taken a lover who wasn’t her father, and her heart would break.
Dad… I thought that we were a team.Allof us. Just because Dad is gone doesn’t mean…
But Jayne’s bedroom door never opened. The apartment remained quiet and dark. The Armageddon Harlow had been expecting never arrived.
Harlow strained to listen, wondering if Jayne would prefer stealth over blind fury for his attack, but heard nothing. He let out a sigh of relief. If the confrontation was going to happen, it would happen tomorrow. That was fine. An extra few hours and a good night’s sleep would give Harlow the energy he’d need to figure out the best way to plead his case.
