“But that’s not the surprise, right?” Matty frowned when Chase filled an entire section of his plate with ketchup. “That’s gross.”
“Matt,” I scolded him. To show him I wasn’t going to put up with him being a brat, I flicked his thigh under the table. “Don’t make him feel bad. Just because you don’t like ketchup doesn’t mean others don’t.”
“But it’s like a gallon of it on his plate.” Matty was pushing his luck, probably on purpose. He pushed away from the table and went into the kitchen. I wasn’t surprised when he came back with the bottle of ranch dressing.
Chase scrunched his nose when Matt poured a lake of dressing on the edge of his plate.
“Just because you don’t like ranch doesn’t mean others don’t,” Matt repeated before sticking out his tongue at his friend. I wanted to be annoyed, but he was too damn cute to be upset with.
“Matthew,you may want to watch it,” I scolded him. “If you want anything other than bedtime with a documentary, I suggest you apologize. Chase is trying to be a good friend and you’re being a little shit.”
“I don’t think you’re supposed to say bad words,” Matt chided. Chase sucked in a sharp breath, trying to get his attention. “What? I’m just sayin’. But I’m sorry for being a butthead.”
“It’s okay, I’m getting used to it.” Chase was adorable. He looked at me before turning to Jayden. “Does that mean we’re…you know?”
“As long as someone watches his attitude,” I replied, quirking an eyebrow at my mischievous little monkey.
Where in the hell didthatcome from?
“Oh, come on! Does everyone but me know?” Matt whined. With a simple look, I silenced him from any further complaining. Matt shoved three nuggets into his mouth, crossed his arms over his chest, and pouted.
“Eat instead of talking back, then maybe your Daddy will tell you where we’re going,” Chase suggested. My fork clattered as I dropped it on the plate. “What? It’s true. If you guys can’t even say things out loud, then maybe going tonight is a bad idea.”
“May I be excused?” Chase asked when he finished the last of his nuggets. No matter what, I doubted Matt would ever be that polite. I could already see this was going to turn into me wishing my boy was more like Jayden’s. But not really, because I enjoyed punishing Matt when he was naughty.
“Yes. Take your plate to the kitchen and rinse off all that extra ketchup. Next time, maybe don’t waste so much of it, okay?” Jayden scolded him. Chase tucked his chin against his chest.
“Sorry,” he apologized as he pushed back from the table. “Thank you for dinner, Brandon. It was yummy.”
“You’re welcome, buddy.” I turned my attention to Matt, who’d long ago finished his dinner. “Head into the bedroom and work on your homework. I know damn well you have at least one assignment due.”
“I do,” Matt confirmed. He pouted the entire way into the kitchen. I cleared my throat when I heard his plate clatter in the sink. “Ugh. You suck sometimes.”
“If you want to go out tonight, you’d better watch that attitude,” I warned him.
“Yes, Daddy.” My heart skipped. We didn’t have to hide anything anymore. It was like all four of us had officially turned a corner and were all walking down the same path now.
14
Brandon
As soon as we got to the club, the bouncer put a wristband on Chase so everyone knew he was under twenty-one, and before I could blink, he was dragging Matt toward the playroom. I followed Jayden to the bar. I definitely needed a drink to loosen up. Until tonight, I’d never considered myself particularly prudish, but my eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when I saw a guy wearing nothing but a pair of skimpy leather shorts being led to one side of the room. That might not have been too out of place, if not for the hot pink collar and leash.
By the time Jayden and I had drinks in hand, the boys were settled at a table on the far side of the room, playing with a couple of other guys. I wasn’t sure how I felt with them having such a good time. Everyone here made it seem like the most normal way ever to spend a night.
“It’s weird, right?” I asked when Matt flipped onto his stomach and started running toy cars over a rug covered with roads and pictures of buildings. I was happy seeing him enjoy himself, but it wasn’t anything sexual at all. And maybe that was something I needed to get through my thick skull. This was a part of who he was, not all of him. “Not like bad weird, but it’s strange that I’m happy for him. I can’t remember the last time I saw him so calm.”
“I get what you’re saying,” Jayden replied. Chase looked over his shoulder and glanced down at his backpack. He’d done that a few times now, but I had no clue why. “Hang on.”
I was stunned as Jayden sat on the floor behind Chase. He scooted onto his Daddy’s lap, tilting his head back to rest on Jayden’s shoulder. They whispered back and forth for a few minutes. My heart ached, wondering if I could ever let go of all the bullshit that I worried about people who didn’t matter saying so I could be that person Matty leaned on when he needed me. Jayden caught Chase’s hand when he was about to start sucking his thumb.
I felt like I was missing something important when Matt scooted closer and held Chase’s hand. I was the outsider. There was something significant happening, and I was too wrapped up in my insecurity blanket to appreciate it.
When Jayden stood, Matty and Chase continued their conversation. Matt looked so damned sad when he glanced my way, but he offered me a watery smile before he nodded at whatever Chase had said.
Jayden picked up the backpack and pulled out a few things that shocked the hell out of me. The blanket wasn’t too unusual, and I wished Matt had his, too. But the pacifier and sippy cup? Those were going to take some getting used to. “Man, it’s like a diaper bag.”
“That’s exactly what it is,” Jayden confirmed. I gaped at him. It was…did that mean…Chase…would Matty want…my brain was about to explode. Jayden’s amusement stopped my meltdown. “To most people, it looks like a typical backpack but it’s an easy way to take his gear when we go out.”
