Brody half-laughed. “That’s the problem,” he said. “I am the boss. No such thing as time off. If I don’t work, the company doesn’t make money.”
“Oh,” I said, lifting my eyebrows. “I didn’t know you ran your own business.”
“It’s new,” Brody shrugged. “That’s why I sold my car. Needed the start-up capital.”
“Oh,” I said again, looking down into my glass for a moment. That was… not what I had expected at all. Brody suddenly seemed a lot more mature than I had thought of him only a few minutes ago.
I didn’t know what to say.
That was probably the alcohol finally getting to my brain more than anything else, though.
“Are you fighting with Xavi?” Brody asked. He was looking at his drink, too. As if he didn’t want to look up and meet my eyes, which was weird. Although given how awkward things had been for him so far, it was kind of a miracle he hadn’t just noped out by now and gone home.
“Nah,” I said, then reconsidered. “Maybe a little. We do this sometimes. He gets too invested in throwing himself at someone else and wants me out of the way.”
Brody glanced up. “Poor Taeho,” he said, with a flash of humor in his eyes.
I chuckled. I figured some people would have thrown a drink at him for insulting their friend, but right then, Xavi wasn’t my friend. And anyway – it was funny.
“Hey,” Cade said, rocking up at the bar on the other side of Brody. He was alone – no Aiden in tow – and I glanced over at the table to see him watching his boyfriend possessively. It seemed like he didn’t really trust Cade and Brody together, which was another odd thing to me. If Brody had treated Cade so badly, why would Aiden be paranoid about them getting back together?
“Hey, Cadey,” Brody said, nudging him with his shoulder in a way that made Cade glare and Brody chuckle. “Getting a new round of drinks?”
“Yes, but I had an ulterior motive,” Cade confessed. There was a shine of red across his cheeks and a slightly wide look in his eyes as if he was already tipsy enough to be feeling bold. “I wanted to check you’re okay.”
Brody chuckled darkly. “I’m fine. Or I will be, once I drink enough.”
“Amen to that,” I muttered half under my breath.
“Everyone’s not being too harsh on you, right?” Cade asked. He seemed so earnest that I was actually taken aback. I knew he and Brody had put the past behind them, but I didn’t realize Cade actually cared for him. “If they are, I’ll have a word with them. I don’t want anyone acting like you’re not part of the group.”
Aiden shook his head. “You worry too much. I’m fine. Honestly. Anyway, I’ve got my new roommate here to look after me.”
He flashed me a grin that actually made me falter – until I realized it was a fake, put on to make Cade feel better.
Cade gave me a sideways look.
“Well, make sure he does,” he said, although I got the feeling the warning was more for me than for Aiden. “I know what Ace can be like.”
“What?” I asked, my mouth gaping open with innocence. “What am I like?”
“Unwelcoming,” Cade said, enunciating it carefully. “If I had to choose a word.”
I scowled.
“See?” Cade continued. He clapped Aiden on the back like they were old friends, not ex-lovers. “Anyway. Don’t let anyone push you around. If they do, just come hang out with me.”
“Aiden would love that,” Brody muttered, with a sour twist to his mouth.
“He’ll get over it,” Cade said easily. “He knows we’re friends. Anyway, I kind of like it when he gets a little caveman jealous.”
Brody laughed at that. “Alright,” he said, nodding his promise. “I’ll come over whenever I feel lonely.”
“Great,” Cade beamed. He shot another smile my way – almost a kind of affirming smile like he was telling me Iwouldbe welcoming after all. “See you later.”
He moved off, leaving me to stare into my drink and think deeply. Brody sat in silence next to me and finished his drink, letting me turn everything over in my head.
Cade had no problem with Brody. Whatever had happened between them in the past, Cade had totally forgiven him. Now, Cade was a good guy, but he wasn’tKeaton. He wasn’t just nice to everyone for the sake of it. He wasn’t as forgiving and open-minded as Keaton was.
