Chapter 16 #2
“I met him that night. After I played three songs, Beatrice wanted an encore but I didn’t have anything else prepared.
She pulled Trey out of the audience, and he played keys while I did strings, and it was magical, Linc.
I know it sounds girly, but I have never had so much fun playing with someone as I did with Trey.
We connected, man. Like really connected. ”
Lincoln stared, his expression somewhere between annoyed and amazed. “You played onstage with him?”
“Yes. And we’ve been playing together over FaceTime. We talk and text all the time. He makes me feel good. Better than anyone else ever has.”
“So good that you had to hide it from your best friend?” Lincoln sounded genuinely offended.
Dom hated that, especially after everything they’d been through together. “I’m sorry.”
“Did you really think I’d have a problem with you dating someone who makes you smile like that? I don’t think you’ve smiled like that since summer camp.”
“Smiled like what?”
Lincoln leaned against the van. “Like you’re discovering real joy for the first time.”
Bingo. Trey made him feel exactly like that—a feeling he’d been missing for so long.
Lincoln had first introduced him to joy their summer together at music camp, in awkward kisses that turned into experienced blow jobs.
In the understanding that he was gay, and that was okay.
In learning how much he loved being with guys.
Dom had lost that joy, and that need for intimacy, for a long time.
Until Trey Cooper bounced up onstage at Off Beat and smiled at him.
He was a sucker for Trey’s smile. “I’m falling for him,” Dom said.
“I can tell.” Lincoln grinned. “Falling so hard you’re sneaking around borrowing tents?”
“Yes and no. I love having sex with him, but today it was . . . I just needed to be with him for a while, you know?”
“I get it.” Lincoln never needed explanations when it came to Dom and intimacy. “How’s your head right now?”
“A lot better. Roxy’s so strong, man.”
“She’s the best.” Lincoln chewed on his upper lip, a sure sign he wasn’t certain he should say whatever was in his head. “So when did you and Trey plan on coming clean?”
“After Unbound is over. Win or lose, when he’s done with the competition, he’s cool about coming out.”
“Keeping up appearances?”
“Pretty much. He isn’t ready to rock the boat yet.”
Lincoln tilted his head. “How does that make you feel?”
“I’m okay with it, because he gave me an actual deadline. He didn’t waffle about it or say ‘we’ll see.’ This isn’t some secret visit to Gay Land that he’s going to deny once it’s over.”
“You’re sure about that?”
“No question.”
“Good. If that kid breaks your heart, I’ll break his wrists.”
Dom chuckled. “You won’t have to, but thanks.”
“So what about this asshole and his videos?”
“Like I said, there’s no real proof of who’s in them. And even if he can make a case that I’m one of the guys, I won’t out Trey.”
“What if the guy confronts Trey?”
“Trey knows how to avoid the question. The only thing I have ever made him promise is not to deny me. I have to believe that he won’t.”
“Then I hope he doesn’t.” Lincoln pulled him into the kind of full-bodied hug only a best friend could give.
Dom relaxed into the embrace, grateful for Lincoln and his acceptance. He pulled back. “Thank you.”
“Anytime. You want to head back over to the camper? See if Trey’s there?”
“Definitely.”
On the way back to Trey’s campsite, they stopped off to chat with a cluster of the country music contenders, who offered them hits on their bongs.
Dom didn’t say no. His nerves were singing, playing spastic notes all over the place, and he still had a few hours to kill before eight o’clock. The pot helped settle him a little.
As they turned the corner to the path leading to the camper, raised voices made it over the slight haze wrapped around Dom’s brain.
They got louder the closer they edged to the camper, and the source was definitely the cluster of people beneath the awning.
Tyson stood out over the others, as did Andy.
“Why don’t you leave him alone?” Danielle snapped at someone. “He answered your idiotic questions.”
Dom’s heart slammed into his ribs.
“Evading isn’t answering.” That voice made Dom’s blood hum with anger. Jizz Bucket.
Shit.
“My private life is none of your fucking business,” Trey said. Tight and furious, and as close to snapping as Dom had ever heard.
Dom stopped walking within ten feet of the argument. He couldn’t see Trey’s face, only the back of his head. No one had noticed them, and Lincoln stayed by his side. Dom couldn’t do anything except breathe and hope.
“So if you’re not queer and not fucking him, just say so,” Jizz Bucket said.
Dom stared at the back of Trey’s head, silently begging him to blow the guy off. Walk away. Anything.
“If it gets you off my back, fine,” Trey snarled. “I’m not gay and I’m not fucking him. Happy? Now go away.”
Lincoln’s hand on his wrist was the only thing that kept Dom from fleeing. From turning and running away from the words he’d asked Trey never to speak. The only limit that Dom had put on their secret relationship, and Trey had blown it apart an hour later.
His chest ached, and he wasn’t sure he could breathe.
Jizz Bucket broke away from the circle and strode in the opposite direction. A few people Dom didn’t know also wandered off, leaving Trey surrounded by Tyson, Danielle, Andy, and Lauren.
Danielle saw him first. Her eyebrows went high, almost disappearing beneath her fall of bangs. Trey startled, then turned on a very slow pivot. His angry face downshifted into a total blank, and somehow that hurt more than the words Trey had spoken.
“Hey, guys,” Tyson said, breaking the ice.
Lincoln cleared his throat, then tugged Dom forward a few feet. “What was that about?” Pretending like they had no idea, because that was Lincoln. Making it better for Dom.
“Bunch of bullshit.” Tyson looked right at Dom, and Dom had no idea what his face looked like in that moment. “This guy shows these lame-ass recordings and is accusing Coop here of fucking around with you.”
“Is that so?” Dom didn’t know where the words came from. Probably a deep well of sarcasm born of anger and betrayal. “Wonder what gave him that idea?”
“Fuck if I know. The videos were dark and vague. Could have been anybody, and that sure as shit wasn’t our tent.”
Dom couldn’t look away from Trey, whose gaze had shifted to whatever was just over Dom’s left shoulder.
“Sounds like someone stirring the pot,” Lincoln said. “Making trouble.”
“Whatever,” Danielle said, flapping her hands. “It’s over, the douchenozzle is gone, and we can get back to freaking out over the category winners.”
Tyson started bouncing on his toes. “I’m gonna go nuts waiting.”
Lauren glanced at the chunky watch on her wrist. “I need to go meet Rose. See you guys later.” She offered Dom a sympathetic smile on her way past.
Ignoring her was rude, but he couldn’t seem to kick-start any of his systems.
“You guys want to come in and hang out of the heat?” Danielle asked. Being polite.
“No, we’re going to go walk around,” Lincoln said, nudging Dom with his elbow. “Work off some of this nervous energy. Anyone want to come?”
Tyson shook his head. “Walk away, I’m not turning down the AC.”
“Can I come?” Trey asked.
“No,” Dom said. Flat. Angry. “Wouldn’t want any more fans getting the wrong idea about us, Coop.”
Trey flinched, and Dom didn’t feel bad about it.
Dom turned and walked away, blood thundering in his ears, barely aware of Lincoln nearby. Keeping pace as he stalked toward the gate and the tents beyond. He needed a drink. Maybe four or five.
Lincoln didn’t ask or try to make him talk. He followed Dom to the Captain Morgan tent and paid for the first two rounds.