About someone maybe, for once, being more important to Flynn than Aiden was. After all, from Aiden’s point of view, Flynn had taken Zach’s side. Even though they hadn’t known each other before Aiden walked away.
And he was selfish, and childish, and Flynn belonged to him, in his mind. Zach was trying to take that away.
Which, obviously, was unacceptable.
“So if you had a choice between walking away from Flynn right now and me calling grandma and telling her the truth…”
Zach bit his lip.
He couldn’t make a decision like that. Getting his MFA had been his dream, the chance to show the whole world that he knew what he was doing, that his workwasgood. To prove to his parents that he wasn’t making stupid choices, tomakesomething of his life.
To keep doing the thing he loved most. It was hisfuture, and he’d cared a lot more about losing that than losing Aiden.
But now…
Now Flynn felt like his future, too.
Except, well…
Flynn was unsure. Even now, he was looking at Zach like heexpectedrejection, like he knew how this was going to play out.
And Zach had used him. He knew that now. Maybe he hadn’t meant to, but he’d jumped at every chance Flynn offered him, because he’d been willing to take whathewanted, and that made him no better than Aiden.
Flynn would have been better off without him. If he wasn’t good enough for Aiden, he sure as hell wasn’t good enough for a man like Flynn.
He wasn’t good enough for anyone. Art was all he had.
“I’ll go,” Zach said, his voice breaking. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Flynn.
Flynn, who was easily the best man he’d ever known. The best chance he’d ever had.
Which was why it could never have lasted. Zach just didn’t get that lucky. Flynn would have found someone else.
If he told himself that enough times, maybe it’d stop his heart from breaking.
He was being a coward about this, and he knew it, but it was the safe option. He’d always have his degree when he finished it.
There was no guarantee that he’d always have Flynn. Especially not now, not when the seeds of doubt had been planted in his head. By none other than his own brother.
“Zach,” Flynn said softly, and Zach could hearhisheart breaking, and that was too much.
He turned without looking at either brother and headed for the door, waiting until he was outside to let the first tears fall.
