Chapter Twenty-Three
“I don’t know if there’s enough hot chocolate in the world for this,” Callie said as she shoved a mug over the table at Flynn. “So there’s a shot of whiskey in this one.”
“Thanks,” Flynn smiled wryly. He wasn’t sure how much it’d help, but he figured it couldn’thurt.
Nothing could hurt more than the gaping hole where his heart had been up until last night.
Maybe that was being a little dramatic, but… it definitelyfeltlike his heart had been ripped out. He’d been so sure about Zach.
“It’s okay if you cry,” Callie added, sitting down opposite him. “I’m used to it.”
Flynnhadcried. He’d closed himself in his room and left Aiden to the pull-out couch, because even aftereverything, he was too soft to tell him to get the hell out of his apartment. Aiden didn’t have anywhere else to go.
That was why he had a key. Why he’dalwayshad a key. So he’d always have somewhere to sleep, a place to shower, and food to eat.
And no matter how much Flynn gave, it was never enough.
He couldn’t even have one good thing without Aiden wanting to take it away from him. Even when it was something Aiden had already discarded.
And then there was Zach, who Flynn had really believed…
Had it really been all about using him?
“I’m all cried out,” Flynn responded, sipping his hot chocolate. “I’m done, Callie. I can’t have nice things. The world’s told me that often enough, maybe it’s time I accepted it.”
“Or,” Callie began. “Maybe it’s time to tell Aiden to take a hike.”
Flynn looked up at her. This had been her mantra since they were kids, even before Flynn’s mom had died. At one point, Flynn had even thought it wasjealousy.
But it wasn’t. Aiden ruined everything he touched.
“Too late. Zach chose, and it wasn’t me,” Flynn said, unable to keep the bitterness from rising in his throat all over again.
“He should never havehadto choose.” Callie reached out over the table to take Flynn’s hand. “You knew when you met him that you were doing this for his MFA. Youknewthat. And Aiden must have realized you knew, too.”
“Doesn’t stop it hurting.”
Callie was right, of course. Flynn had been mad about that, too. That Aiden had walked intohishouse and forcedhisboyfriend to make an impossible choice, knowing that the only sensible one was to walk away.
And Flynn had played right into his hands, because he was an insecure sucker so desperate to be loved and have a family that he couldn’t do anything else.
“Did you ever tell him you were in love with him?” Callie asked.
“I’m not-” Flynn began automatically, the words catching in his throat. Hewas.
He was in love with Zach. For the first time… maybe ever, he felt like he’d found someone he could have a real future with.
Someone who could be family.
Aiden couldn’t haveknownthat, but… he wouldn’t have taken the chance that it might be true, either. He knew Zach was sweet, and nice, and everything Flynn wanted.
Hell, he couldn’t even have had much time to come up with a plan. He was just naturally as cruel and selfish as he’d shown himself to be, and Flynn hadstilllet him sleep on his couch, and…
Flynn realized, slowly, what Callie had been trying to tell him for years.
Aiden was the problem. Aiden was hisownproblem, and Flynn had been living his life around him since they were kids, and it wasn’tfair.
Anything he might have owed Aiden had been paid back a thousandfold by now.
