“Ew,” Cade muttered, wrinkling his nose. “I don’t wanna think about that.”
“I should point out that you were the one who brought it up in the first place,” Isaac said calmly.
“And I’m takin’ it back,” Cade shook his head. “It’s weird.”
“Normally, I would say it’s perfectly normal not to think about your friends sexually, but considering his habits until fairly recently, that doesn’t quite apply here.”
“Huh, ya noticed he wasn’t whorin’ around too?”
“I didn’t want to say anything, but yes, I noticed.”
“Yeah, me too.”
“But that only leaves the explanation that you can’t stand the idea of Clay being good at sex.”
“Yeah, well, that’s kinda weird.”
“So, you’d rather believe he was...bad at sex.”
“Yeah.”
“Huh, interesting.”
I looked between them in annoyance. “So, is this going to be a thing now? The two of you talk like I’m not sitting right here, able to hear everything you say?”
“We know you’re listenin’, we ain’t stupid,” Cade huffed. “Shut up, the adults are talking.”
“The what now?” I asked and then glared when Isaac smirked. “Someone get Reggie back in here. I’m sorry I ever wanted either one of you here in the first place. I take it back.”
“Ya didn’t even call me, Reggie did,” Cade said, and my annoyance wilted slightly at the tone he used.
Isaac looked between us for a moment before humming thoughtfully. “Well, since I’m no longer wanted here, I should probably go find Luka. The two of us were supposed to go do some sort of art therapy. Well, he didn’t call it that, but that’s essentially what it is. Cade, can you make sure Clay helps when the maintenance staff shows up?”
“Wait, what?” I asked, looking around at the mess. “I mean?—”
“Ya made it, ya clean it,” Cade grunted.
Isaac winked. “I’d tell you two to behave, but I’m not looking for miracles.”
And with that, he left, stepping over a small pile on the floor without so much as a glance. I turned back to Cade, who was frowning at the floor, and snorted. “It’s just a little mess, Cade. I’ll help them, don’t worry.”
Cade shook his head. “You did all this?”
“I was...having a moment,” I said, knowing I was downplaying it to the point that lying might have been more honest.
Cade sighed. “And, uh, he was here for it?”
“He was, yeah. Not like I planned for him to be here, but I also wasn’t planning on having a meltdown either. It just kind of worked out like that.”
“Naw,” he said softly. “It didn’t ‘just’ work out like that, and ya know it.”
“What do you mean?”
Cade sighed. “C’mon, Clay. Ya don’t have stuff like this happen when it’s just you and me. I’m the one who has rough stuff happen to ’em. You’re always the one who keeps it together. Ya have a bad day? You go workout ‘til you’re too tired to think, or you go get laid enough that you don’t think about it. Ya don’t...do this.”
I looked down at my lap, which was a bad idea because the picture was still there, and now it felt like my family was as disappointed as Cade sounded. “I’m...sorry.”
Cade glanced at me. “What? I mean, for what?”
