“Thank you, Colby. For what you did for Tristan. That doesn’t change, no matter how the rest of this plays out.”
Colby blinked at Urban before he reached out and shook his hand. It was the first time in a long time someone had touched him with respect.
He’d come here expecting punishment. But the ground had shifted under his feet, and he wasn’t sure where he stood anymore. One thing was clear, though—Urban had treated him like a person. That didn’t mean Colby trusted him. But for the first time, he wondered what it would be like if he could.
He’d already told Urban everything that mattered for keeping Tristan safe. But there was something else, something he hadn’t mentioned because he hadn’t thought it relevant. And he wanted to deserve the way Urban had treated him, to give him something in return.
“There’s something you should know,” he said.
Chapter Seventeen
TRISTAN
Tristan hadn’t even poured himself a coffee when Bryce barged in and herded him outside. Which was rude, frankly, considering Tristan had just had the best kiss of his life and was still glowing like a glowstick. Only maybe not as brightly colored. Or as disposable. Or bendy. But still, glowing.
“Need your help with your car,” Bryce said.
“At this time in the morning?” Tristan protested. “Can’t I have coffee first?”
“Coffee stunts your growth.” Bryce glanced sideways at him, then grinned. “Not really something you have to worry about. But no, I want to get this done before I have to go to work. When I brought the car up from the diner, it was running rough, and you can’t risk it crapping out on your way to school. The sooner you get back to normal, the easier everything will be.”
It seemed surreal, thinking of his old life, how he was supposed just to step back into it after everything that had happened. ButBryce wasn’t wrong that the rest of the world had kept turning without him.
So he sat in the driver’s seat and turned over the engine when Bryce told him. Normally, he loved doing this stuff himself—cleaning the spark plugs, changing the air filter, flushing the radiator if it was a good day. Any sort of maintenance that didn’t need a computer hooked up to the car. But this was one of the many ways in which Bryce showed his care, through motor oil and muttered sarcasm, and so Tristan let him.
He’d never had anyone like Bryce before, who showed up without being asked, who fixed cars and people in equal measure, and who could take one look at him and know what he needed. Which made it all the more impossible not to share the most amazing news on the entire planet. He’d met his mate.
Except, he realized, Bryce might not be quite so thrilled as he should be. Not because he didn’t want Tristan to be happy—Bryce always wanted that—but because he was worried. He’d warned him off Colby out of concern. Yeah, best not to tell Bryce yet, not until Matt had cleared Colby.
But it hurt, keeping such a big secret from him. It felt like Tristan was trying to hold in a sneeze—painful, and as if it were about to leak out any second.
Bryce wiped his hands on a rag dirtier than they were and came around to the side of the car to look at Tristan, his eyes serious.
“I hear you spent the night somewhere other than your bed,” he said.
“What—how can you even know that already? It’s only just past dawn, and I’m not usually even awake yet—”
“Karl came to find me. His job’s to track potential risks, and right now, that includes Colby. He also knows I worry about you.”
Tristan was silenced, briefly, as his indignation foundered on the discovery this wasn’t just gossip. But they obviously still didn’t trust Colby one little bit, and that wasn’tfair.
“Which part of ‘Take a step back’ did you not understand?” Bryce asked.
At the judgment in his eyes, Tristan lowered his gaze. He hated disappointing Bryce. “I know,” he said. “I know what you said, and you were right, and I didn’t mean to, but I couldn’t help it.”
“You couldn’t help thinking with your dick, you mean.” Bryce’s disapproval was clear.
Tristan raised his head and stared at him. How could Bryce think it was just about sex? As if the way Colby had kissed him meant nothing.
“It’s not like that,” he said,needingBryce to understand. “It wasn’t my dick I was thinking with. It was my heart. Colby and I are mates.”
The words were out, and he couldn’t take them back. But he didn’t want to, because even now, even with the shock of them freezing Bryce where he stood, they sounded right. Theyfeltright.
Bryce’s face was stiff as he stepped back, studying Tristan, then swung around on his heel so Tristan could only see the rigid line of his back.
Tristan had known Bryce to be angry before. He’d known him to be furious, even, just once or twice. Butneverat him. And he’d never turned his back on him. It felt like something between them had broken.
“Goddamn it,” Bryce said, and the disappointment in his voice was more than Tristan could bear.
