“Arrow took me where they keep their cars.” I explained a little further.
“You guys have your own garage?” Trent asked, curiosity winning over the anger. He didn’t like my rival, but information was always handy to have.
Lorhaven grunted. “It’s an airstrip. We have several hangars.”
“But you don’t live there.” Trent pointed out.
“Arrow does.”
And that explained the bed I saw in the back of the hangar. Damn. I’d been right. That kid must be hella lonely. I felt bad for leaving now.
“Your brother lives at an abandoned airstrip?” Trent scoffed.
“It’s not abandoned,” I answered, thinking of the security and the planes. I folded my arms over my chest. “Why does he live there?”
If their father had all the money I knew he did, why was his son living at a garage?
“What happened to his face?” Lorhaven ignored my question to ask his own.
“I decked him,” I lied.
Lorhaven looked between me and T. His stare was divided between scrutiny and interest. “Didn’t look like you were fighting when I got here. At least not the kind with fists.”
“You son of a bitch,” Trent growled and lunged forward. Within seconds, he had Lorhaven pinned against the wall, his forearm pressed right at his throat.
To my surprise, Lorhaven didn’t fight back. He let himself be restrained. Correction, he didn’t try to get out. Maybe he knew it would be a waste of energy. The power Trent was clearly pulsing with was no bluff. It was real, and he was pissed.
I had no doubt in any part of me that when T was finally pushed to the edge of that careful control he always imposed on himself, whoever was on the receiving end wouldn’t stand a chance.
Even so, Lorhaven didn’t know Trent like I did. He didn’t know the private fight he’d been battling since I met him. Lorhaven couldn’t possibly know just how dangerous Trent would be if pushed to protect the one thing he valued most.
Us.
Yet he still put up no fight.
Why?
“I don’t know what you think you saw…” Trent warned.
“I think we both know what I saw.” Lorhaven’s voice was strained, like the pressure on his windpipe was starting to wear him down.
“Trent…” I stepped forward.
“If you—” He began, not listening to me at all.
Lorhaven tried to smile, I think, but it was more of a grimace. His body shifted. The black leather jacket he wore scuffed against the wall. “I don’t care.”
Adrenaline was already pooling into my limbs, tingling my fingertips and readying my body in case I had to pry T off, but those words tripled my heart rate.
Did he mean what I thought he meant, or was it just wishful thinking? Was it me being so freaked that someone found out about us before we were ready to tell?
“Don’t you fuck with me,” Trent growled.
Lorhaven held out his hands like he was surrendering.
“T…” I recovered just enough to speak. “He’s not fighting you, frat boy. Step back and find out why.”
A funny feeling was starting to climb up the back of my neck. I wasn’t sure if it was intuition or just a rush from standing here at the ready.
Trent backed off with a huff, but he didn’t retreat very far.
“I underestimated your guard dog, Forrester,” Lorhaven said after he straightened off the wall. “I wish my brother were that lucky.”
Snap.
Just like that I understood.
I stared into Lorhaven’s eyes. “He does. Isn’t that why you’re here?”
“I thought he was wrong about you.” His head shook a little.
“Are you two speaking Japanese?” Trent cut in.
“Arrow’s gay, T,” I said, blunt.
Trent reacted physically, drawing back, surprise widening his hazel eyes. “No shit?”
Lorhaven nodded.
“He was hitting on me,” I whispered to myself. The questions, the offer to help me fix my car, bringing me back to his place… He was trying to feel me out.
“What!” Trent gasped.
“Down, boy,” Lorhaven pushed away from the wall and stepped back into the conversation, not threatened in the least Trent might lose his shit again. He gave T a look. “Your boy here is slow on the uptake just like you.”
I scowled. “I’ve never been hit on by a guy before.”
“So I’m assuming this is your first, uh, relationship with a man?” Lorhaven asked, glancing between me and Trent.
“How is that your business?” Trent snapped.
“We’re making it his business,” I said mildly. “Isn’t this what we were just talking about? Coming out?”
By the way? What the fuck kind of term is coming out?
Coming out from where? Hiding? The closet? La-La Land?
I never had to “come out” when I was dating a girl. I wasn’t hiding my relationship with Trent… Okay, fine. Maybe I was. But it was a defense mechanism.
Kinda pissed me off I had to be defensive for falling for my best friend.
I looked back at Lorhaven and nodded. Seemed like starting right here, right now and telling him what was between me and T was as good a place as any. Besides, Lorhaven was an asshole. Maybe his reaction would give me some practice for the rest of the world.
“Makes sense. That’s probably why I never pegged you as gay.”