“Clearly,” Dustin drawled.
“And you didn’t care?” Apollo thought of all the hours he’d wasted worrying about Dustin’s reaction.
“I didn’t say that. But you’re both consenting adults, and it’s not like you went and broke his heart.” Dustin shrugged, expression as placid as the sunny blue sky.
“Right,” Apollo said weakly, but something in his voice must have given him away.
“You bastard.” Dustin got up in Apollo’s face. “I should have known that you of all people couldn’t keep it to just sex. It’s not that hard—”
“For you, maybe.” Once upon a time, he’d been good at the same kind of casual sex that Dustin specialized in, but those days felt long past.
Dustin waved this criticism off. “This is why he’s been in a funk? You tossed him out?”
“God, no. Actually...it was kind of the opposite,” he admitted.
“He tossed you out? How’d he end up the one with the broken heart?”
“It’s complicated,” Apollo repeated.
“Try me.” Dustin moved away from him to sit on the bench under the tree. “Remember I can’t hit you here. Might as well get it all out now so I can prepare the proper beating for later.”
Apollo wasn’t entirely sure how much Dustin was joking, but he took a seat next to him. He could take it on the chin like a man if it came to that. “He wants a relationship. A future together. And I can’t give him that. It wouldn’t be fair—”
“To whom? I mean, true, you’re older than the sun and grouchy as hell, but if he’s willing to put up with your sorry ass—”
“It’s not fair to either of us. I don’t want to lead him on, but I’m never having another relationship. That part of my life is done.”
“At not even thirty-five? And just adding a point to when I deck you, it seems you did a pretty good job of leading him on if things got this far and he’s got feelings and you don’t.”
“I didn’t say that I don’t. Just that it’s—”
“Complicated. Yeah, I’m starting to get the picture. You broke my brother’s heart because you’re scared.” Dustin sounded utterly disgusted by Apollo.
“I’m not scared.” Apollo started to fiddle with his ring, then stopped before Dustin could notice and give him shit about still wearing it. Why the hell did the world seem to want to put a timetable on his grief?
“You know they have counselors here on base—”
“Why is your whole family obsessed with my mental health?” Apollo barked, maybe a little louder than he needed to.
“Because we love you.” Dustin punched him lightly on the shoulder. “Even when we want to kill you.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m not kidding about the killing part. I’m mad as fuck at you for having the chance to have something good here and denying yourself and making my brother unhappy to boot.”
“It’s okay. I think I was kind of hoping you’d forbid me from seeing him,” Apollo admitted.
“Why? Because that would be easier?” Dustin shook his head. “No, buddy, you’re on your own here. I’m not going to make it easy on you and tell you to keep away from my brother. I’m going to make it hard on you and tell you to fix things with him. Make it right.”
“Fuck. I was afraid you’d say that too.” Now he was going to disappoint his best friend right along with Dylan when he wouldn’t—couldn’t—give Dylan what he wanted.
“I mean it, Floros. Fix this. I don’t want him moping around all fall because you’re a jackass.”
“All fall?” Apollo echoed weakly. “He’s taking that job?”
“Thinking about it, yeah. He’s got a line on a great roommate situation thanks to Ben. Some kid named Isaiah who Dylan’s been hanging with. Seems nice.”
Unlike you, was the implied part. “Ben has friends? Besides us, I mean?”
“I’m not exactly clear on that myself. But this Isaiah kid is cute as fuck.”
“Hey, stay in your lane.” Apollo bumped his shoulder.
“What? I can appreciate good-looking people of all genders. And this kid is totally Dylan’s old type, which is also what’s telling me he’s got it bad for you, because he doesn’t seem to... Wait. Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Like what?” Apollo tried to relax his face, but his clenched jaw refused to budge.
“Like you’d like to eat your boots more than listen to me talk about Isaiah. You’re not jealous, right? You just got done insisting that you don’t feel like that for Dylan—”
“I don’t,” Apollo ground out.
“Liar.” Dustin’s phone chose that minute to buzz, and he groaned. “I’d love to stay and help sort your love life out, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to kick your ass later. I’m late to work out with some buddies on my team.”
“Go.” Apollo waved him off. His own time to eat was almost over, and he’d have to work the rest of the afternoon with an empty stomach to match the emptiness in his chest that he’d been carrying around all week.
He was off early enough for once this week, so he texted his mother that he’d get the girls from day camp. Even if, or maybe especially if, it meant seeing Dylan. But when he got there, Allie was the one doing checkouts. The girls were among the last handful of kids left, and the staff seemed ready to go too, waiting around with backpacks in hand for the straggler parents like Apollo to finally arrive.
“Dylan just left,” Allie said without prompting as she checked his ID and summoned the girls.
“Thanks,” Apollo said, trying to ignore her glower. She undoubtedly knew more about what was going on than Dustin had. And sure enough, in the parking lot, he spotted Dylan over by a shiny black Matrix, talking to a shorter guy with a bubble butt. Cute as...
Isaiah. This must be the guy Dustin had mentioned. Apollo loaded the girls into the car before they could spot Dylan and try to get his attention.
Dylan laughed at something the guy said, then climbed into the passenger side of the car. Apollo’s gut burned like he’d had a half dozen ouzo shots. This then was how it would happen. Not with drama, not with a big scene, not even with wearing thin from the passage of time but with friendship. Because that was Dylan. Friendly. Everyone wanted to be his friend, and he welcomed that from the world in a way that Apollo never had.