Chapter Four
As promised, Zach reallydidfeel better after a nap, especially now that he was also being fed. The fact that he had to pick olives off his pizza was a small price to pay for the comfort of getting to eat with his two new friends.
“Sorry,” Flynn said sheepishly. “Should’ve asked.”
“It’s okay,” Zach said, picking the last one off his second slice. “Aiden always forgot to order without them, so I’m kinda used to this.”
That made Flynn wince, but it didn’t stop him from reaching out and grabbing one of Zach’s discarded olives from the box.
Zach wrinkled his nose. “That’sgross, I’ve touched those,” he said, horrified that Flynn was just eating picked-off olives by themselves.
“It’s okay,” Flynn said, picking up another one. “You’re family.”
Horror completely forgotten, Zach stared at Flynn, then blinked at him. A hot blush crept up his neck, and he eventually had to look away. That was…
That was sonice.
“I am?” he asked shyly. Even Aiden had never said that about him.
“Obviously.” Flynn shrugged. “You almost married my brother, which is close enough for me. Still kinda think it’s for the best that you didn’t.”
“Aiden’s okay,” Zach defended, though he wasn’t sure why he felt the need to. Not in front of his brother, who clearly knew him well, and didn’t expect any better from him.
Flynn definitelylovedAiden, so it said a lot that he thought marrying him was a bad idea. Maybe this was for the best, after all.
Zach just wished it hadn’t come at the cost of his best chance to have the future he wanted. With Aiden, yeah, because it would have been nice to have someone to come home to, but he was getting to the point where missing out on his MFA seemed like the bigger deal.
He hoped that wasn’t selfish. Aiden’s sudden change of heart had left him feeling numb and lost and as though he was just floating adrift in an uncaring universe, but Flynn and Callie had swooped in to rescue him, and now…
Well, now he was just starting to get mad, which he thought was maybe a further stage of grief. He’d have to look them up later.
Itfeltlike progress, anyway.
“He didn’t text you back?” Zach asked, unable to help the hope in his voice. Shit. Maybe he wasn’t making any progress at all.
He seemed to be feeling every possible feeling at once, which was turning out to be a strange and uncomfortable experience.
Great inspiration for later art, though. If he could remember this feeling, he’d get a lot of mileage out of it.
“He, uh…” Flynn hesitated, and then sighed, taking his phone out of his pocket. “Maybe you should read for yourself.”
Zach accepted the phone and stared at Flynn’s message history with Aiden.
Hey, your boyfriend is in tears in his hotel room. You maybe wanna man up for once and come back? Even if you just break up with him in person like an adult.
Zach swallowed. He wasn’t sure that would actually have been better, but maybe at least then he’d have something to grieve over. Or someone to yell at. Orsomething, something that would make him feel less… abandoned. Less alone.
I’m not coming back,Aiden had responded.And it’s none of your business. I don’t wanna talk about it.
The sting of tears hit Zach’s eyes again, so he distracted himself by shoving pizza in his mouth to give himself something to do other than cry. He was sick of crying. He never wanted to cry again in his entire life, he hated the way it felt.
To his surprise, Flynn wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
Zach was just needy enough to lean in, let Flynn’s broad, strong chest take most of his weight, and take comfort in his warmth and solidness.
“I called him eleven times,” Flynn said softly. “But stubbornness kinda runs in our veins. If he doesn’t want to talk to me, I can’t make him. I’m sorry.”
“You tried,” Zach said. “That’s more than a lot of people would have done. Especially since you think this is good.”
