Braydon(78)

Braydon rubbed his eyes with his fingers and thumb, trying to urge away the headache he could feel coming on.

“Bray, you need to keep an eye on him, but you can’t hold his hand. This is something he needs to get through on his own.”

“I don’t know if he can,” Braydon admitted. “How the f*ck did this get so damn complicated?” he growled, turning to walk toward the door.

To his surprise, Jared didn’t try to stop him, so he continued on his path. He was walking up to his truck when he heard the sound of tires on gravel from behind him. He turned in time to see Beau’s truck pulling up beside him.

Figuring Beau was there to talk to Jared—about what, he had no f*cking idea—Braydon opened his door and started to climb in.

“Hold up, Bray,” Beau called out to him.

Braydon stopped, closing his eyes for a minute. This headache was really beginning to suck ass.

“How’s Brendon?” Beau asked when he moved closer.

“Better. They released him late last night. Probably more because he was starting to be an * and they didn’t want to deal with him than because he was actually better. But if you’re asking, yes, he’s home and he’s the same ol’ Brendon.”

Beau smiled, but it was halfhearted at best. “Is there anything we can do?”

Braydon stared at his brother’s husband for a moment. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“Did this ever happen to you and Zane?”

Beau’s eyebrows furrowed as though he was trying to figure out the punchline.

“You know. The whole threesome thing. Did a woman ever come between the two of you?”

“No,” Beau answered easily. “But I was never fully invested.”

“Brendon isn’t, either,” Braydon told him. “Never has been.”

“Maybe not, but I don’t think it’s for the same reason,” Beau said with a full-fledged grin.

“No, I seriously don’t think Bren’s gay, but if he were, I wouldn’t give a shit,” Braydon retorted, pulling an even bigger smile from the big man standing beside him.

“No, I don’t think he’s gay, either,” Beau finally said. “But I do think he’s scared. Ethan told me that Brendon talked to him last night. I think he’s in a bad spot and he’s his own worst enemy at the moment.”

Braydon waited for Beau to continue.

“Brendon doesn’t want you to move out.”

“Why does he keep saying that?” Braydon growled. “I’ve never said I was moving out.”

“No, but he knows that will eventually come. I think he’s fixated on that. He knows how you feel about Jessie and he figures that’s a future step. Not that I’m an expert, Bray, but I think that’s what’s holding him back.”

“From?” Braydon asked stupidly.

“He’s never had a serious relationship, has he?” Beau said.

Although he phrased it as a question, it was more of a statement. Braydon answered him anyway, “Not really, no.”

“But you have.”

“Not until Jessie, no.”

“That’s not true and you know it,” Beau said, arguing. “Maybe you’ve never felt for a woman what you feel for her, but you’ve had relationships with women. You got to know them. Got close to them. At least a hell of a lot more than Brendon has.”

True. Braydon waited to see where Beau was going with this.

“He needs time. He’ll figure it out, Bray. So don’t be hard on yourself.”

Braydon nodded his head, unsure what to say.

“Anyway, I just wanted to see how he was. I’ve got to talk to Jared about something.” Beau clapped him on the shoulder and smiled. “I’ll catch you later.”

Braydon nodded and turned back to his truck.

“Wait, one more thing. You plannin’ to come to the house on Saturday?”

“For your party?” Braydon clarified.

“Yeah.”

“I’ll be there.”

“Bring Jess, too.”

Braydon nodded. He had intended to bring Jessie. If she actually wanted to have anything to do with him after this. It seemed that Braydon had to worry about either her or Brendon trying to shut him out these days, and at this point, his head was spinning so much that he was pretty sure he was going to be sick.





chapter TWENTY

“Hey, boy,” Curtis grumbled the moment Brendon walked through his parents’ back door.

It hadn’t been particularly easy to get himself dressed and out his own front door knowing he was going to have to face the firing squad that was his parents, but here he was and he was ready to hear what they had to say.

Or as ready as he’d ever be anyway.

His mother had actually called him twice that morning asking that he stop by. It wasn’t like he could really tell her no, although he had desperately wanted to. That was the selfish side of him talking though. Although Braydon said he was using the fact that he continued to f*ck up as an excuse, it was still a fact. Now Brendon had to face the music, so to speak.

And he knew exactly what his parents were going to say.

“Hey, honey,” his mother greeted him when she walked into the kitchen. As usual, she came right up to him and hugged him fiercely. Brendon hugged her back, his attention still focused on his father. He could see the disappointment in his old man’s eyes, and his chest started to hurt. He had let down so many people lately.