“Doing shots with me back in June was a special occasion?” Emmett asked.
“You were having an identity crisis and boy troubles. Yes, it was a special occasion.”
Emmett grinned. Lincoln came up behind him and kissed his cheek. “Worked out well for us, huh?” Lincoln asked.
“Sure did,” Emmett said, blushing again. “So, Van, is my birthday special occasion enough for another drink?”
With Joshua still close by, the last thing Van needed was to lose his inhibitions behind a wall of vodka and sour mix. “In a little while,” he said. “It’s early yet.”
“Fair enough.”
Placated by his answer, Emmett let Lincoln lead him into the crowded living room to dance. Van tried to escape, too, but Joshua slid into his personal space, and then Van simply couldn’t move.
“Why’d you tell us you don’t drink when you do?” Joshua asked. He seemed genuinely affronted by the misdirection, which was so fucking cute it hurt.
“Because it’s easier,” Van replied.
“Easier than what?”
“Easier than telling people that going on a weekend bender could kill me.”
Joshua’s eyes widened, and a small gasp left his parted lips. “What?”
Shit, fuck, damn, why’d I say that?
Something about Joshua compelled Van to be honest about things he’d only ever shared with a few people, including Beatrice and Melody. He glanced around, but the music was loud and no one was paying them any mind. “Look, it’s complicated, but I have serious issues with hypertension, so I have to really watch what I put into my body.”
Now that hadn’t sounded like a come-on or anything.
Joshua didn’t seem to notice the innuendo, though. He was staring at Van as if he was made out of blown glass, too fragile to touch. “Is the hypertension hereditary?”
“The fuck if I know.” And since that answer seemed to require further explanation, Van added, “I was adopted. I don’t know shit about my birth parents or their genes.”
“Oh. Wow. Dominic’s adopted, too.”
“Yeah, I know.” He’d briefly met Dominic Bounds the previous summer when XYZ was in town for a last-minute gig at Off Beat—right around the same time Dominic met former Fading Daze front man Trey Cooper and began a secret relationship. He saw Dominic again this past July, when the group came together at the beach house to support Lincoln’s dream of playing music again.
The closeness of that circle of friends was a rare thing, and Van was kind of jealous of it. Especially jealous of Joshua, who was part of it thanks to his relationship with Benji.
“I’m being super nosy, aren’t I?” Joshua asked. “Sorry.”
Van shrugged. “Whatever. It’s fine.” Except not whatever, because he kind of wanted to tell Joshua more, and that didn’t happen. Ever.
The conversation stalled. Thankfully, Lincoln shouted for Joshua to help him with the cake. The party continued with singing and birthday cake, which Van politely declined. He snacked on the fruit platter everyone else was ignoring in favor of the chips and salsas.
Emmett received a handful of presents, then Lincoln plunked down on the sofa with his Q-chord in his lap, and his boyfriend poised next to him. He proceeded to shower Emmett with affection by singing a raspy version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” Lincoln was a back-up singer, instead of a front man, but he had decent pipes and got a loud ovation from the crowd.
One of the guests had apparently brought a guitar along, which encouraged an impromptu jam session, with Emmett and others singing lead. Van watched from the kitchen archway, glad for the entertainment that provided relief from the need to talk to anyone. Joshua was less than five feet away, hanging closer to the wall than the musicians. Van swore that every time he glanced over, Joshua was looking away from him.
The playing went on for a while, with participants switching out. Some of them were good, others needed more practice, but at the center of it all, Emmett and Lincoln shined with energy and happiness.
Van snapped a picture on his phone and sent it to Beatrice. She’d appreciate seeing Emmett so full of joy.
As the most recent song wound down, Lincoln looked around the room. “Anyone else want in on this? Singers? Guitarists? Anyone brave enough to try this synthesizer?”
Emmett glanced up, directly at Van and said, “Van, don’t you play the guitar?”
Van’s heart seized and his stomach soured. “Who told you that?”
