Chapter 19Gavin
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
GAVIN
As much as I love Thane, I’m not sad to see him go.
He needs his own space—somewhere familiar and safe that he can make into his own without worrying about how long it will be his. The rooms above the diner are perfect for him and Silo, who’s been staying with Baz, Altair and Callum the last several days. Under normal circumstances, that wouldn’t be a problem.
Silo is Callum’s best friend. He’s my best friend’s son, and I love him like a son. The problem is, my son doesn’t love him like a brother. The pair of them sharing a bed for an extended period of time is just asking for trouble. I don’t want to think about what they might’ve done together at Baz’s place, tucked under the blankets after everyone was asleep.
Teenagers are curious and tend to . . . experiment.
The point is Thane and Silo need their own place, and I’m happy to let them move in above Strange Brew. Before Thane got married, he helped in the diner and lived there. Silo grew up in the apartment. On the doorjamb, before anyone enters the kitchen, a chart of his growth from baby upwards is etched into the wood. It’s home, and always will be when they need it.
“Why do you own so many clothes?” Callum asks Silo as he passes with another black trash bag overflowing with the very clothes he’s bitching about.
Silo is hot on his heels. “Because I look cute in everything I put on.”
It doesn’t escape my notice that Silo isn’t actually carrying anything.
“It’s like when you unwrap a Christmas present and find socks,” Callum grumbles.
I cover a laugh with a cough.
“I’ll bite you.” Even I can hear the promise in Silo’s voice and Callum does the smart thing: he doesn’t reply as he slips into Silo’s bedroom. We all know Silo will bite him. He’s done it before, and will undoubtedly do it again in the future.
“Thanks again for the help, Gavin.” Thane is happily unpacking the kitchen, putting away dishes and straightening appliances.
Finnick might be entitled to the house, the cars, and every dollar in their shared bank account, but nothing in the law says Thane can’t take his personal belongings. As far as I’m concerned everything in that house is his; he’s owed it as payment for pain and suffering. It’s not as if Finnick will be back to say anything different. Not if he wants to continue drawing breath.
People disappear in Pine Glen all the time. A town this size, surrounded by nothing but forest for miles... if someone gets lost it’s almost impossible to find them.
“You can thank me by not being late to work in the morning.” Now that he’s single again, Thane will start working full time at Strange Brew. I’ll pay him a better wage than he’ll get trying to find another job, and he’ll be able to rebuild his savings since I’ve never expected him to pay rent or utilities.
Thane rolls his eyes as he shuts one cabinet and moves to another. “When have I ever been late for work? I should be worried about you being late now that you have a mate to keep you occupied.”
Jules pauses in unpacking the groceries he’s helping me put away. “I would never make Gavin late for work.”
“Not on purpose.” I grin and his cheeks flush pink.
“Gross.” Thane turns away to stack plates in the cabinets. “Is that what people in love look like?” I roll my eyes behind his back. Maybe Jules and I aren’t in love yet, but we’re well on our way. I know Thane is happy for me, but also aches for what he has yet to find himself. One day, he will find his perfect match, and on that day I’m going to give him as much hell as he’s giving me.
“Did you not love your husband?” Jules frowns as I take the milk and put it in the fridge.
Thane hunches his shoulders and puts away more dishes. “It’s complicated.”
Complicated is an easy way of saying Thane is an omega, on top of being a prey shifter; moving through the world as one isn’t easy, but being both makes it almost impossible. He’s also a dad who isn’t involved with the father of his child.
An alpha husband was supposed to make life easier for Thane and Silo, but Finnick was a bad choice for a lot of reasons. Thane just refused to acknowledge them for a long time because doing so put him back at square one—a single dad, depending on the kindness of his friends and his community to survive. No one likes to always be dependent on their social network.
“If you don’t mind my asking, where is Silo’s father?” Jules’ back is to Thane so he doesn’t see him flinch, but I do and it breaks my heart.
“That’s even more complicated.” The steadiness in his voice is hard won. It took years for him not to break down sobbing or tremble in silent fear, unable to answer, when someone asked about Silo’s father. I’m proud of him for how far he’s come since those days. He’ll never be over the sexual assault but he’s able to laugh, and smile, and live his life while loving his son despite the circumstances in which he was created.
Jules glances at me. “You’re not Silo’s father, are you?”
That would be a lot less complicated than the truth.
“No. He’s not mine. Thane and I have never been like that.” Maybe life would’ve been easier if we had paired up, but neither of us felt a spark, and there was no sense in ruining a perfectly good friendship by complicating it with marriage. I almost made that mistake once before and have never gone looking to repeat it. Some lessons don’t need to be learned the hard way twice.
Thane wrinkles his nose. “You don’t have to worry, I won’t be making moves on your mate. He’s all yours.”
Jules spins around, a can of vegetables still in hand, and shakes his head with wide eyes. His blonde hair tumbles around his shoulders. “I wasn’t worried about that. You two are really close so I thought... if you asked for a baby Gavin would probably give you one.”
I laugh. “I’m not that nice, Juju.”
Thane is a good-looking guy, and if he was in heat, I’d be at the mercy of his pheromones like any alpha, but the morning after would be awkward. We’d never be able to look at each other again.
“I’m sorry for asking.” Jules bites his bottom lip and turns back to the cabinets.
I snag him around the waist and tug him into my chest, tucking him under my chin. “You don’t have to be sorry, Jules. It’s a fair question. Silo’s father is?—”
“Buried under Strange Brew,” Silo sings as he walks past with Callum. What the hell took them so long? Did Silo make Callum hang his clothes in the closet too? “Everyone knows that.”
Thane huffs as he tosses another empty box into the corner. “Stop telling people that.”
“The truth is much worse.” Callum pauses to whisper while looking at Jules. “He’s in the mystery meat pie. Sometimes the stew.”
I never hit my children. Maybe that’s part of the problem.
One good smack. That’s probably all Callum needs.
“If you want to bite him, now is a good time, Silo.” I release Jules, shut the fridge and gather plastic bags to shove under the sink so Thane can start saving them until the collection is so massive he won’t need plastic bags for the rest of his life, and can finally start throwing them away.
Silo grins, an evil little thing that takes over his whole face as Callum holds up his hands and backs away. Unfortunately for him, Silo follows, matching him step for step until Callum turns, running out of the house. I’m not sure why he’s running. Eventually, he’ll have to stop and Silo will get him.
“Do I want to know what that’s about?” Baz asks. He and Altair are carrying a coffee table between them. They’ve been doing most of the work at this point.
Thane sighs. “It’s better not to know.”
“Why am I doing heavy lifting and Father gets to sort groceries,” Altair asks as they set the coffee table down. I peer at him in silence. Everyone in this room, him included, knows damn well if I’d told him to go help in the kitchen, he’d have gone on a two-hour rant. Nothing would’ve been done as we were all forced to listen to him.
“I can help with some of it,” Jules offers.
Altair shakes his head. “If I make you do heavy lifting it’ll feel like I’m bullying you.”
Oh, but it’s perfectly fine to bully his father. Is that what he’s saying?
I brush my hand down Jules’ spine. He looks up at me even as he leans into my touch and I press a kiss to his forehead. His smile is soft and brightens his pretty brown eyes. “I’ll help them. You keep Thane company.” It’s best if Jules doesn’t do any heavy lifting, not until we know for sure if he’s pregnant or not. “Shout if you need me.”
“Between Jules and me, I think we can manage to unpack groceries and put away dishes.” Thane waves us out of the kitchen with a grin that reminds me of the one Silo gave Callum.
I’m pretty sure my best friend just wants me gone so he can tell Jules secrets and stories. I can’t say if that’s a good thing or not. Hopefully, Thane does a solid and talks me up. I’ll never live it down if he tells Jules about the time I tripped in Strange Brew and landed in a bowl of flour.