Chapter 26
Chapter Twenty-Six
The breeze off the Thames helps take the edge off the day’s heat.
Even so, the air’s still muggy and close.
Will and I have walked together down the waterfront path from the museum mostly in silence.
I tried cracking dumb jokes while he worried about work and the missing exhibit.
At least I think he’s worried about work.
He may well be worried about introducing me to his brother.
“It’ll be fine,” I whisper to him as we reach the restaurant and head to the riverside patio to meet Gray, who’s already there.
Gray rises as we reach the table, wind tousling his blond hair. He smiles broadly at us.
“Gray, this is Dylan. You probably remember more about meeting each other a few weeks back than I do,” Will admits.
I shake hands with Gray. His grip is firm, and he meets my gaze. “Good to see you again, Dylan. And thanks again for taking excellent care of Will that day.”
I smile back. “No problem. I would do it again. Except I don’t want Will to have more migraines if I can help it.”
Gray chuckles. We all sit down again. I look at Will, who also has the breeze tousling thing going on with his hair. I can’t help but want to run my fingers through it, massage his temples so he can relax. He looks pensive.
“It’s high praise that Will let you drive his SUV,” Gray says. “I don’t think he’d let me drive it. Except that one day, briefly. Out of dire need.”
“C’mon, Gray. You know I would,” Will protests, at last coming to life. He gives his brother a wry smile. “You only need to ask.”
“How many times have I driven it? Precisely zero, aside from that emergency.” Gray laughs, looking unbothered.
“I haven’t driven your car,” Will points out.
“We’ll need to swap sometime,” Gray teases his younger brother.
“Can’t. Yours is a stick. I can’t do the clutch without an adaptation.”
“Then”—Gray shrugs easily—“I’ll pretend to drive your car. Anyway, enough about cars. How’s your day?”
“Great,” I say brightly, while Will groans.
Gray looks from me to Will. “Mixed reviews, then.”
I look at Will, not sure quite what to say about our day. I stay quiet to see what Will’s going to say about the afternoon to his brother or if he brings up the missing items.
Will shrugs in the end, frowning slightly. “It’s very busy. There’s a lot to keep track of. I suppose I let the stress get to me today.”
“It’s stressful right now,” I acknowledge. “We have a lot of exhibits coming in and going out since we have a short closure for the show changeover at the museum.”
“And we’re used to working together.” Will looks at me.
“And that.” I smile warmly at him.
Then it dawns on me belatedly that probably the last two days have been very hard on Will, who likes to have time to prepare for things and read up, especially without having the security of a museum education.
Not that I have heaps of experience either.
But I think I deal with on-the-spot stress better than he does. Which might be a personality thing.
“You’re not working together anymore?” Gray looks surprised. “That would be a big change.”
“There’s too much to do,” Will explains, shrugging. “Our supervisor has drawn up a schedule, and we’re mostly working separately. And lots of odd hours over the next week. It’s a ten-day changeover.”
“Whew, that’s fast,” says Gray. “For exhibitions that size.”
“And some of it is going on a traveling exhibition too,” I add. “They’re staging for that as well with the logistics company. There’s a lot going on in the galleries right now.”
Gray shakes his head, impressed. “No wonder you look stressed, old bean. But listen. Working separately means your supervisor must have great confidence in your abilities. Which is great.”
“See?” I grin at Will. “Another vote of confidence.”
But Will doesn’t quite glow as much as he does when he’s alone with me or give off the charisma he does at work.
With his brother, he’s more real in what he’s feeling, deep down, especially compared to how he presents himself at work.
Not to say Will’s inauthentic with me—I know he’s having a great time.
But he’s trying to mask his feelings about everything ending between us when I leave, which I know is in an effort to protect himself from getting hurt.
Except denial only makes pain burrow deeper.
We order drinks and appetizers to share when the waiter comes around. Beyond the patio, the path is busy with commuters walking past, with Tower Bridge in the background as we face north. The sun’s lowering, and the shadows grow in the golden light.
“Will speaks highly of you, Dylan.” Gray smiles at me. “I’m thrilled to meet one of his boyfriends. It’s been a long time since I’ve met one.”
“He’s not—”
“I’m not—”
Gray tries to hide a smile behind his hand. “I see.”
“I’ll, er, always remember this time together in London when I’m back home.” I glance over at Will.
“You’re leaving?” Gray looks surprised.
“Dylan’s only here for the summer internship,” Will explains, shaking his head at his brother. “I told you, I’m sure.”
“Hmm. I thought you were already permanent, Dylan. My mistake.” Gray gives a wry smile. The way he glances over at his brother is both curious and a little protective too, like he’s used to watching out for Will. Not that I’d ever do anything intentionally to hurt Will, never.
“That’s alright.” I glance at Will, wishing I knew if it was okay to take his hand under the table. But Will seems closed off now and shutting down, and I’m starting to worry I’ve said something wrong. If only I knew the right thing to say or do right now.
Shit.
“Excuse me,” says Will, his expression frustratingly unreadable. But his shoulders are tight. “I’ll be back in a moment.”
I blink in surprise, shifting to let him by on the busy patio. “Where are you going?”
“WC,” he says curtly and then goes off.
I look at Gray, lifting my eyebrows. “Did I say something wrong?”
Gray gives me a wry look. “No. Sometimes he’s like that.”
“Like how, exactly? I’m worried I’ve upset him. I mean, it was a stressful day.”
“Will sometimes retreats when he gets overwhelmed. He told me there’s a chance at a permanent job at the museum after the internship. I didn’t quite put it together that you’re an intern as well. So, you must be vying for the same role…”
“We are.” I nod. “Though I’m sure he’s a shoo-in.”
“You don’t know that.” Gray shrugs. “And then, that means there’s a risk of losing you too. Even as a friend.
“Well…” I squirm uncomfortably. “I’m back to Canada in a couple of weeks, most likely.”
“Where are you from in Canada?”
“Vancouver. Which isn’t exactly in the neighborhood, unfortunately.”
“I can see why Will is upset, then. Along with being stressed at work.”
And Gray doesn’t even know the half of it with the missing exhibit.
Plus, Will must be exhausted, now that I think about it.
After all the sex and late nights and the pressure of the workweek—never mind the now missing collection of Vivienne Westwood items. All I want to do is wrap Will up in my arms in bed together.
“It’s not something you’ve done,” Gray says gently to me. “Will isn’t always easy. Especially since the accident. He takes everything to heart. And he’s intensely private. However, I know you mean the world to Will.”
I gulp. “Yeah? Well… I feel the same way about Will. It’s mutual.”
Anything more feels too personal to open up to Gray about.
And even if I wanted to, I don’t know how to even be a boyfriend, to be honest. It’s a lot safer to stick to casual dating, a path I know well.
Never mind trying to have an actual boyfriend when I’m twenty-two and living halfway around the world.
When Will returns, he’s subdued till we leave, and he heads off with his brother. And I head home alone, my mind spinning overtime as I think about what Gray said.
I know you mean the world to Will.
All I want to do is make Will smile again, fight the urge to make promises that I can’t keep if I’m leaving at the end of the month. It’s extra motivation to send out a few job applications to museums, in case I don’t get a permanent job. Because I don’t want to think of the alternative either.
And then, I feel heavy too.
When Raj texts me that he’s headed back soon to London, I tell him that I’ve been seeing the cad after all—and that one way or another, I’m doomed.