“How the fuck could you even go anywhere near that asshole?” said Mason.
“Can you watch your language in front of Mama?” said Ryder.
“I’ve heard far worse out of your mouth, son,” she said, waving him off.
Felix couldn’t help but snort. Ryder glared at him, but there was no heat in it.
“You can talk, Mason. Pining for Zeb for months and too chickenshit to do anything about it. You even had to make a bet with Ryder, so you’d be forced to spend time with him. Well, looks like Ryder’s won. If he keeps Felix until New Year’s Eve, you have to go to your cabin with Zeb for a dirty weekend. Maybe then you’ll pull your head out of your ass.”
Felix felt like he’d been punched in the stomach. He was part of a bet? Ryder was with him because of a bet? He was struggling to breathe. Was the whole thing a joke? Was any of it real, and if it was, had Ryder only shown interest in him at first to win a bet?
“Are you done now, Ethan?” asked Ryder, the anger in his voice clear.
Felix had to get out of here. He needed time to think. Catching eyes with Laura, she had a concerned look on her face, but shook her head. The message was simple. He needed to stay put and hear Ryder out. There could be some perfectly innocent explanation.
“Felix, remember what we promised each other?” said Ryder.
He nodded, trying not to get choked up. They promised to always talk to each other and make no assumptions, but that was hard to do in practice when all he wanted to do was run.
“Wait until Sebastian and Max hear about your betrayal,” said Mason.
“And wait until you find out Zeb’s already moved on without you,” Ethan snapped back.
All eyes landed on Zeb, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere else but here.
“What’s he saying, Zeb?” asked Mason, his voice softer.
“I’m sorry, but I couldn’t keep waiting forever.”
He stood up and rushed out before Mason could respond. Hunter went after him. Those two had known each other since they’d lived on the streets, and were inseparable given what they’d both been through.
Mason lunged at Ethan and grabbed him by the throat, but Ryder was between them in seconds, pulling them apart. Deacon grabbed Mason and pulled him away. Felix wasn’t sure what to do. Laura and Mama Quinn were still eating their cake and watching the drama unfold like it was a movie.
Felix couldn’t get out of his head about what this all meant. What was the bet about, and when were they going to talk? With things kicking off, it could be ages, and Felix was spiraling. He was aware of how selfish he was being, but he couldn’t stop the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach that he wouldn’t like Ryder’s explanation.
“Mason, you need to go home, and do not contact Zeb until tomorrow,” said Ryder.
“I’m not leaving him out there.”
“Hunter’s with him,” said Deacon. “I’ll get this one home as well.” He pointed at Ethan, who’d started crying. “We’ll drop you off first, Mason.”
“I’d rather not be anywhere near him right now.” He shrugged Deacon off and walked out. A few seconds later, they heard the front door close.
“I’ll pack some cake away for you all to pick up later,” said Mama Quinn. “You get that boy home and make sure he’s okay.”
“Thanks,” said Deacon. “Come on, you, let’s get you home.”
They walked out, leaving Ryder, Felix, Laura, and Mama Quinn. Just a few minutes ago, the apartment had been a buzz of holiday energy, with everyone enjoying themselves, but that mood had been killed. Felix understood Ethan was hurting, but had he needed to come here and cause so muchdrama? Though if he hadn’t come, would Felix ever have known about the bet? He couldn’t leave it any longer.
“I’ll be waiting in the bedroom,” he said, walking away before Ryder could say anything.
It was five minutes of him sitting down, pacing, then sitting back down, before Ryder walked in. He looked apprehensive.
“Please, can you just listen to me first?”
Felix nodded. Ryder kneeled in front of him and took his hands.
“If I’m completely honest, I’d forgotten about the bet. That’s how insignificant it was. And I was being pigheaded. I knew I liked you more than just wanting to get you into bed, but I didn’t want to admit it to anyone. Mason said I wouldn’t be able to maintain interest in someone until the end of December.”
