When Flynn wasright there, it was really hard to care who else might be interested. “I can’t believe you’re playing wingman to your own husband.”
Flynn chuckled. “Please feel free to consider this an open relationship,” he said. “I’ve got too much work on right now to date, but…”
Zach shrugged. “I’m about to have too much to do, too,” he said. “So I guess I’m single for the next two years. Aside from being married.”
“He’s cute though, right? I’m pretty sure he flirts with me, which I even kindalike, but I’m not… I’m being stupid, huh? You’re not interested in every man you come across.”
“He’s cute,” Zach agreed, laughing. “Don’t worry, I’m not actually offended or anything. It’s sweet that you’re looking out for me.Stilllooking out for me.”
“You’re my responsibility now,” Flynn said, sipping his coffee. “Gotta make sure you’re happy.”
Something inside Zach broke at that, a flood of warmth filling his chest. Flynn was impossibly sweet, and kind, and Zach didn’t evenbeginto deserve him.
He actually hated himself for what he was about to ask next. What he really wanted right now was to just bask in Flynn’s presence, but…
“So… have you heard from Aiden?” he asked, the question tasting bitter in his mouth. He didn’t really want to think about Aiden at all, if he could help it.
But some part of him just… needed to know.
“He’s, uh… apparently working in a water park in Florida right now,” Flynn said, sipping his coffee again.
“Sounds like something he’d do,” Zach said. “I wonder how long that’ll last before he gets bored of it and walks away.”
Flynn paused to look at him over the rim of his coffee cup, soulful blue eyes full of sympathy.
“I’m sorry.” Zach sighed. “I know he’s your brother. I’m just… still mad.”
“So I take it when he apologized tomeand I told him he needed to apologize toyoua whole lot more, he… didn’t do that.”
Zach shook his head. “No. I still haven’t heard from him. But I don’t have any idea what I’d say, so… maybe that’s for the best.”
“You deserve an apology,” Flynn said. “And I can apologize for him until I pass out, but you deserve to hear it fromhim. He could’ve handled all of this a whole lot better.”
“It’s okay,” Zach said, sipping his own coffee now that it wasn’t tongue-meltingly hot. “I’m mostly over it. I haven’t even cried about it this week.”
Flynn made the softest, most heartbroken noise Zach had ever heard at that, which was nice in one way, but mostly made him feel guilty.
“I’m fine,” he rushed to assure him. “Honestly. You’ve seen how easily I cry. I’m your typical soft, sensitive artist boy.”
“Yeah, which is more reason not to hurt you,” Flynn said. “He should have treated you better. I’m sorry he didn’t. I’m sorry that I didn’t raise him well enough to make him.”
Zach’s mouth fell open. “Flynn, this isn’tyourfault,” he said softly. “Please don’t think I think that, not even for a second. You’ve been so ridiculously kind to me, I can’t begin to thank you. But this isn’t on you.”
Flynn smiled wryly. “Every time he does something like this it feels like my fault. Like I just… could have done better.”
“Flynn,” Zach started seriously, his fingers itching to reach out and take Flynn’s hand. “You lost your parents, too. It had to hurt you as much as it did Aiden, and worse, you suddenly had a younger brother to be responsible for. And yet you turned into the kindest man I’ve ever met. This isn’t your fault. Not for a second.”
Flynn sat back, looking Zach over carefully for a few long seconds. Something about his eyes made Zach feel as though Flynn could see right through him, search his insides for sincerity.
At least, if that was true, it was all he’d find. Zach didn’t blame Flynn atallfor this.
Aiden was his own man, and it was his own fault that he was an asshole. There was no way that any of this was kind, sweet, gentle Flynn’s fault.
Eventually, Flynn sighed a huge sigh, his clearly overburdened shoulders straightening up a little. Relief washed over his features, his fingers loosening around his coffee cup.
That was, Zach concluded, probably the right thing to say.
“You know, Callie tells me that all the time, but for some reason, it’s easier to believe coming from you,” Flynn said. “She was asking about you, by the way.”
