“Wait... As in Liam’s brother?”
“Yup.”
I gape at him. “He kicked your ass for being gay, when he has an openly bisexual brother?”
“Bizarre, I know.”
“This is fucking bullshit.” I shake my head. “Okay, first, let’s get you home.”
“No, please,” he rushes out. “They don’t know I’m gone. I snuck out. If I go home and mom sees me like this, you know she’s gonna tell the dads. They’re going to lose it. I can’t deal with that. Not right now.”
“Okay.” I nod. “How about you come back to my place and crash in my bed?”
“Thank you.” He nods.
Getting to my feet, I hold out my hand. Isaiah takes it, letting me help him up. He lets out a grunt of pain, and it pisses me the fuck off.
“You okay?”
“I’m fine,” he mutters.
We walk slowly toward the sidewalk. Easton pushes off the wall, walking toward us.
“Everything okay?”
“Just fucking peachy.” Isaiah glares at Easton.
Easton sighs. “Parker doesn’t deserve you. Whatever reason he has to hide who he is, letting you get hurt to hide that, is wrong.”
“Rich, coming from the guy who punched Bennett for kissing him.”
Easton looks pained. “Trust me, that was the biggest mistake of my life. I reacted out of fear of my own confusing feelings.”
“Feelings, huh?” Isaiah looks between us. “You saying you liked Bennett or something?”
Easton laughs. “More than liked.” I’m surprised to hear him admit it.
“So you loved my brother?”
“I love your brother. And that's why I’m telling you, it’s one thing to be sympathetic toward someone struggling, but it’s another if you're causing harm to hide it. It’s the biggest reason why I kept Bennett away, rather than keep him around and force him to deal with my fucked up life. It was better to let him go than to keep him close and hurt him more.”
“There’s more to this that I don’t know, isn’t there?” Isaiah looks between the two of us.
“Yes. But now is not that time. Let’s get you to bed.” I look at Easton. “Is it okay if he sleeps in our room tonight?”
“Of course.” Easton nods.
The ride back to the hockey house is tense. It takes everything in me to hold my shit together.
Once we get home, I help Isaiah inside and to my room. We clean up any broken skin, then get him some ice and pain pills. Once he’s settled in, I pull Easton out of the room.
“Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?” he asks as I head toward the door.
“To have some choice words with Laden’s parents.”
“It’s nearly two in the morning."
