“Crap,” Flynn said, his fingers tightening around the mug he was holding. His thumb traced the top of the handle, remembering the shape of one of Zach’s mugs—a new design he’d told Flynn he was testing, that he’d just left in the apartment because he coulddothat.
And Flynn had been so happy, because it’d been…
It’d been like having a family again. It was like the few times he’d lived with Callie, warm and comfortable andeasy.
Aiden had never been easy. Flynn walked on eggshells around him all the time. So much so that he didn’t know how to do anything else.
Except hedidknow.
“You look like a man on the verge of a revelation,” Callie prompted. “Care to share?”
“I love Zach,” he said. “And Aiden’s the problem.”
Unexpectedly, Callie smiled and squeezed his hand. “Good,” she said. “I’m glad you figured that out for yourself, ‘cause I would have had a helluva time convincing you.”
Flynn drew a deep breath and let it out slowly, the tightness in his chest easing off for the first time since he’d heard Aiden’s voice last night.
He’d been scared from the first moment he saw him in the kitchen. If nothing else,thatshould have told him everything he needed to know.
You weren’t supposed to be afraid of family. Even if it was just fear of disappointing them. Or fear oflosingthem.
If Aiden loved him the way a brother was supposed to, he wouldn’t have been afraid. It was as simple as that.
“What do Ido?” Flynn asked. Even knowing all this, he had no idea how to start fixing it.
“That part’s up to you. Because nowyou’vegot to make a choice. You have to choose between being afraid of losing Aiden, and actually losing Zach.”
Flynn swallowed.
He’d figured that was coming.
He couldn’t have both. Aiden had made that clear.
And the thing was, that wasAiden’sproblem. It didn’t need to be his problem at all.
Aiden had brought this on himself. A hundred times over. Every time before now, Flynn had forgiven and forgotten.
Not this time. Not when he’d been socloseto being so damned happy with Zach.
Flynn pulled his phone out of his pocket, pulling up his last text conversation with Aiden. The one Aiden hadn’t even bothered to respond to.
He squeezed Callie’s fingers, his knee bouncing nervously under the table and his stomach in knots. This was a hard thing to do.
But it was also therightthing to do. For him, for once. He deserved to be happy, too, and Aiden was determined to stop him.
Not anymore.
You’ve got until I get back to be gone,Flynn typed, his fingers shaking.This isn’t a discussion. Get out of my house.
Taking a deep breath, he passed the phone over to Callie. “I gotta ask you to hit send for me,” he said, feeling guilty for having to lean on her.
Callie paused for a moment while she read the text, and then hit send without even asking Flynn if he was sure. She knew. She’d been trying to tell him foryearsthat Aiden was bad for him.
Tears welled up in Flynn’s eyes all over again, cold dread settling in his gut. His heart pounded in his chest at the thought of what he’d just done, and he had to suppress the urge to grab the phone back and text an apology or an excuse.
A moment later, the feeling passed, and Flynn felt his shoulders straighten out for what seemed like the first time in forever. In his entirelife.
He was free.
