“We’re going in there with you, and we’re not going to ransack the room or anything,” Jay says sternly.
“You really have a high opinion of me, don’t you?”
“Let’s just say that no one is more surprised than us that Brody managed to find himself tangled up with you, of all people.”
“What does that even mean?” I gripe, following Jay to Brody’s door.
“Brody is basically a golden retriever in human form,” Aaron says. “And you’re…”
“Arrogant,” Jay finishes for him.
“Uptight,” Aaron adds.
Jay nods like Aaron made a really good point, and then adds, “And kind of pretentious.”
“Are we done pointing out my better qualities?”
“I mean, I could keep going,” Jay says, but he’s smiling at least.
In a low, quiet voice, Aaron tells me, “I had my own experiences with bullies, and I don’t like what I’ve had to watch Brody go through.”
I bend my head, ashamed of what I allowed and encouraged, simply because I was insecure. It was dumb luck that Brody always saw right through me.
“It helps knowing that it’s mostly some kind of kinky role play though,” Jay says.
“Oh my God,” I mutter, and start looking through Brody’s room, carefully rifling through his things. Aaron starts with his backpack. I open his top desk drawer. Jay walks over to the bedside table.
“Not in there!” Aaron says quickly. “Nobody puts paperwork in that drawer,” he says, back to whisper-shouting. “It’s for, you know…”
“Oh, he keeps that under the bed,” I reply without thinking. It takes a long beat of silence to realize what I just said. Aaron snickers. My cheeks flush as I focus on the second desk drawer, which seems to be meticulously categorized into sections for each of his classes.
“I didn’t realize he was this organized,” I mutter to myself. Despite going against everything I assumed about Brody, it kind of makes him hotter.
“Probably didn’t get a good look around the last time you were in here, eh?” Jay asks, and Aaron snorts.
“Alright. Very funny. Both of you can shut it,” I say, forcing myself to keep my head up even though I know my face has to be several shades of red right now. I feel like I’m on fire.
“You know we’re just messing with you, right?”
“Yes, well, I’m glad that my arrogant, uptight, pretentious, and very closeted self can bring you joy.”
“Beck,” Aaron says, making me look over at him. “You realize that Jay and I are together, right?”
“You’re what?”
“Together. As intogether.” Jay spreads his hands like he couldn’t be more obvious.
I blink a few times. Huh. I don’t know why, but a smile spreads across my face. Maybe it’s because I’m learning something new. Maybe it’s because I know I’m not alone. Maybe because now that they’ve pointed it out, it makes a lot of sense.
“That’s…Wow. Thank you for telling me.”
Aaron smiles and pulls a familiar envelope from Brody’s backpack. He hands it to me without question.
“And thank you for this. I promise I’ll do everything I can to make things right, and I’ll let you know when I see him.”
Jay and Aaron walk behind me to see me out, wishing me a happy holiday and assuring me they’re going to do everything they can to help Brody.
Just as I’m about to step through the door, a thought occurs to me. I stop and look over my shoulder at the two guys who so obviously fit together so perfectly, Aaron’s arm wrapped around Jay’s back, with his head on Jay’s chest and Jay’s arm pulling him close. They’re kinda cute.
