“And you decided to bring him here?” I chuckled and shook my head. “Isn’t that a bit like
throwing him into the deep end of a shark-infested pool?”
“Have you even been to any clubs other than this one?” Jayden scoffed.
No, I hadn’t, but now I was certainly curious about where he’d been spending his nights and what
he’d been getting up to.
“Get that look off your face,” Jayden scolded me. “I brought him here because he was able to get
a wristband. He’s only twenty, so most gay bars aren’t an option. Besides—”
I narrowed my eyes, silently warning him against lecturing me—again—about how I wasn’t his
dad and he’d made it to adulthood without me being an overbearing asshole. Both points were true, of
course, but that didn’t mean this was the time or place for a reminder. “Sorry, I just…”
I just, what? I wasn’t comfortable knowing my sister’s little boy wasn’t a kid anymore? I didn’t
want to think about him on his knees in the bathroom of a seedy bar?
Nope, neither of those were my current issue. Right now, I was struggling over the fact I hadn’t
been there for him in the same way he was helping his buddy.
I stood, still taken aback by the fact the little boy I used to visit on leave was now as tall as me
and pulled him in for a hug. “I’m proud of you, Jayden. You’re a good friend. Now, please tell me
you’ve warned him this isn’t your average gay bar.”
“Yeah, he knows all about this place.” Jayden shuddered. “Do you have any idea how weird it is
knowing this is where you hang out? Part of me wants to know more but then…” He made
exaggerated retching noises. “Nope. Really don’t want to know. Even in our family, that’s a little too
close for comfort.”
The way Jayden looked around, I wondered if he was only here for his buddy. If he was curious, I
hoped he’d be able to get over his reluctance because I was here.
“I can’t guarantee you won’t learn more about me than you’d like if you stick around, but I
promise, if you tell me you’re going to be here I’ll be respectful of that.” It was a small compromise.
“And if you have any questions, man up and come see me. I’d rather we both suffer through some
uncomfortable conversations than have you led astray.”
“Thanks, William.” He jerked his head to the side. “I should probably get back to Chase. He
needs this. Bad.”
“Be good to him,” I pleaded, even though I hadn’t officially met his friend. Jayden’s instincts
