“I don’t think he hates you. I just think he doesn’t understand, and it scares him.”
“The result is still the same.” His tone was matter-of-fact.
Oh yes, Lorhaven was right. This kid was definitely beyond his years.
“You’re right.” I agreed. “And it doesn’t make it suck any less. But for every person who is narrow-minded, there’s one who isn’t.”
“Yeah? Where are they?”
I held out my arms. “Right here.”
He ran a hand through his blond hair, pushing it over to reveal the ultra-short side.
“What about Trent?”
“What about him?” I asked.
“He know you’re here?”
I smiled. “He will if you come with me.”
The look on his face made me smile. “I’m the possessive one, not him. Besides, he likes you.”
“I hit on you.”
I couldn’t help it; I laughed out loud. “Dude, you need to work on your game. I had no idea.”
“Way to crush a man’s ego,” he said and pressed a hand over his chest.
“I’m here, aren’t I?” I said. “Look, I’m all in with Trent. That’s not gonna change. But I got room in my life for friends.”
Arrow stared at me for a long minute. I saw the debate rage in his mind. He wanted to be friends, so badly. He was almost desperate, but it was that desperation that made him hesitate. He was asking himself if he could trust me. If this would only come back to bite him in the ass.
It made me ache for him.
“You can invite your brother if you want,” I offered, barely able to say the words without choking. Obviously, his brother was the closest person to him, and his loyalty went beyond the bonds of blood.
To trust.
Seemed like Lorhaven might be the only guy in Arrow’s life that actually cared and wouldn’t screw him over.
“Yeah.” Arrow nodded. “Okay.”
I grinned. “Get some clothes. Trent’s not possessive, but if I show up with a half-naked gay dude, he might learn to be.”
Arrow laughed, and I thought I saw the tinge of a blush across his cheeks.
Did I just kinda flirt with him?
Like for real?
I was getting good at being gay.
No, strike that. I was getting good at being who I really was.
I wasn’t interested in Arrow, not like that, but it felt pretty good to give him a little boost of confidence. I didn’t think he got those very often.
Maybe this good deed would help counteract the bad one I put into play at the frat this morning.
Not that I cared. Con deserved exactly what he got.
And it would be good for Arrow to see the bigots of the world didn’t always win out.
Trent
The scent of brewing coffee and the sounds of a lively baby greeted me when I walked into the house.
Ivy’s blond head poked out of the kitchen when Prada came rushing toward me, her nails clicking a ruckus as she came.
“Hey!” she called.
“Hey.”
“Where’s Drew?” I called out. She’d already disappeared back in the kitchen.
“I thought he was with you!”
That stopped me in my tracks. What the hell? He wasn’t here? A sick, panicked feeling wrapped its icy-cold fingers around my heart and squeezed. I wasn’t a paranoid person, but now I knew how one felt. The irrational but totally authentic thoughts running rampant through my mind literally made my palms break out in a cold sweat.
Flashes of the night I was jumped played behind my eyes like a B-rated horror movie. Had someone seen him leave the frat this morning? Had someone jumped him? Was he lying somewhere unable to call for help?
I yanked out my phone and dialed him.
It rang and rang. Just when I was about to throw my phone, he answered.
“Hey,” he said like he didn’t know I was having a mini heart attack.
“I thought you were dead in a ditch, asshole,” I yelled.
There was pause on the line. “You at home?”
“And you aren’t.”
His muffled curse didn’t make me feel any better. And then the sound of a muffled voice that was not Drew’s grabbed my attention.
“Forrester!” I demanded. “Where the fuck are you?”
“I’m on my way home. I’m fine.” He sounded a little guilty.
I blew out a breath. “You okay?”
“Yeah, frat boy. I’m fine. I should have texted you.”
“Ya think?” I snapped.
“I am a big boy,” he muttered.
I made a rude sound. “Yeah, so am I, but I still got fucked up.”
Silence.
“Yeah… I’m sorry, T.”
My anger deflated, and the panic I felt was draining away. “It’s fine. I shouldn’t have freaked.”
“I get it.”
“I’ll see you in a few?”
“Definitely.”
I cut off the line and walked into the kitchen. Ivy was standing at the island with some coffee and a bagel in front of her. Nova was in her little seat with dry Cheerios all over the place.
She grinned when she saw me and held out her arms.
“Hey, midge.” I unhooked the little buckle around her waist and pulled her up. There were Cheerios all over her, too, and some of them fell onto my chest and decorated the black T-shirt I wore.
Nova reached down and picked one off my chest and held it out to me between her two tiny fingers.