Chapter Twenty
Will
“Are you ready?” I asked Jamie as we walked towards the front door of the Sleeping Goose.
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll be fine. Your friends aren’t that scary. It’s not like they’re a pack of ravenous wolves.”
Honestly, I thought that might be better. I’d attempted to prime everyone by telling them that Jamie was coming in the hope they could get out all their surprise before we arrived, but I wasn’t sure if that might have made things worse because now they’d had time to prepare questions.
Still, it couldn’t be as bad as when Lane had shown up with Oliver last year and Spencer had started talking about serial killers and who in town was most likely to have turned their basement into a murder room.
Spencer’s answer had been Noah, which always made me chuckle now that they were practically living together.
I pushed the door to the pub open and ushered Jamie inside, turning towards the alcove we usually claimed in the winter months.
“For fuck’s sake,” I muttered as I surveyed the sea of waiting faces all looking across at us with faux innocence. Even Theo and Laurie had arrived before us, which hardly ever happened because Theo’s timekeeping was notoriously bad. It was like a sign that this was about to be an utter shitshow.
They’d left a couple of chairs in the middle free, leaving us no other option than to sit in amongst them all instead of on the end where I’d have preferred. I caught Lane’s eyes and raised my eyebrow, and he shrugged, a devious grin crossing his face. Fucker.
“Everyone, this is Jamie,” I said as we approached the table, determined not to make a fuss.
“Jamie, this is Lane, Oliver, Bastian, Anders, Spencer, Noah, Alex, Laurie, and Theo.” I pointed at them all in turn, and they all raised a hand or a glass or gave a little nod as they greeted us.
I was tempted to tell them to be nice, but I knew that would just make it worse.
“Grab a seat,” Lane said, pointing at the empty chairs, “and we’ll get you some drinks.”
“You’re all here early,” I said as I slipped into the seat next to Lane, opposite Anders and Spencer.
“Maybe you’re just late for once,” Lane said.
“Or this is a fucking set-up,” I muttered.
“Why would I do that?” Lane asked, giving me a wry smile as he lifted his glass to finish off his drink.
“A number of reasons.” Mostly because he seemed determined to meddle in my life. I knew it came from a good place, but I didn’t need Lane hovering over me and trying to fix problems only he saw.
Beside me, Jamie had found himself next to Theo, which was already a mistake, although since Noah, Alex, and Laurie were also down at that end, I hoped he’d behave.
“Do you want a drink?” I asked Jamie, hoping I could steal him away to the bar and buy us a few minutes of breathing space.
“That would be lovely,” he said.
“Perfect, I’ll—”
“Don’t worry,” Oliver said cheerfully from the other side of Lane. “We’ve got this. What does everyone want?”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Jamie and I can go.”
“No, no,” Lane said, putting his hand on my shoulder. “Jamie’s a guest. We can’t ask him to buy us drinks. Not yet anyway.”
I couldn’t turn him down, no matter how much I wanted to, so I had to watch while he and Oliver took everyone’s orders and headed for the bar hand in hand.
“So,” Spencer said as he turned to Jamie, adjusting the dark beanie perched on top of his long hair, “how’re you finding Heather Bay so far? Have you been out much?”
“It’s lovely,” Jamie said. “I’ve enjoyed getting to explore.
I’ve been up to the Castle. They do have some wonderful artwork on display there, and the grounds are lovely.
And I found a gorgeous little gallery in the middle of town the other day.
Will’s been kind enough to take me out onto the moors as well. ”
There was a stiff note of formality in his voice I hadn’t heard before, and I wondered if he was nervous. I had no idea why he would be. Maybe I’d spooked him last night when I’d told him about everyone, but I’d thought that was a better plan than throwing him to the wolves.
Just because I didn’t think my friends were scary didn’t mean Jamie felt that way. There were a lot of them, and it was intense when they all turned their attention on you at once.
“In the snow?” Theo asked, his eyes wide with shock. “That’s very cruel of him.”
“Just because you don’t like the cold, doesn’t mean everyone else does,” Laurie said as he shot Theo a pointed look that I was convinced meant behave.
“I’m not a fan of the cold either,” Jamie said. “But it’s very beautiful out there. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like it.”
Theo nodded sagely. “It’s very different to London. I remember the first time I saw it… It made me think of fairy tales. I mean, I’d seen the countryside on TV, but nothing compares to seeing it in real life.”
“No, it doesn’t. And it’s almost strange to think I’ve seen more of other countries than I have of England.”
“It happens,” Theo said with a shrug. “Especially when you’re a city boy.”
“I didn’t know you grew up in London,” Alex said from across the table as Oliver and Lane reappeared with drinks and began handing them out before resuming their seats at the table.
“For a bit,” Theo said. He’d never really talked a lot about his childhood.
I didn’t know much about his life before he’d turned up in Heather Bay, with Laurie, nearly four years ago and neatly inserted himself into our friend group by just sitting down with us in the pub one evening.
It had been a bold move on his part, but we’d all fallen for the pair of them, and it hadn’t taken long for it to feel like they’d always been there.
“Whereabouts?” Jamie asked. “I hope you don’t mind me asking. It’s just you look awfully familiar, and I’m wondering if we’ve bumped into each other at a party before.”
Bollocks.
Fuck. Shit. Damn. Shit. Bollocks.
I had completely forgotten to tell Jamie that Theo did amateur porn and game streaming. I was pretty sure Jamie wasn’t the type to avidly follow streamers. Especially not ones who played the most violent horror games while wearing cat-eared headphones and the tiniest clothing imaginable.
And now the poor man was going to be humiliated, and it was going to be all my fault. It was like watching a car crash in slow motion, but instead of moving, I was frozen in my seat staring in horror.
Theo smiled sweetly at Jamie and laid a hand on his arm, his expression surprisingly soft.
“I don’t think I’m the sort of person who goes to your parties,” he said.
“But depending on what sort of fun things you like to watch online, you’ve probably seen me there.
Although I’m usually wearing less clothes. ”
It took Jamie a second, but instead of turning crimson, he just burst out laughing. “Oh my God! I’m so sorry. You must think I’m such a twat. I should really think before I open my mouth. I doubt you want me bringing that up in front of everyone.”
“Why?” Theo asked impishly. “They all know I do porn, and I’m not ashamed of it. We’re all adults here. And I love meeting fans in real life, especially when they’re cute and sweet like you. Besides, now that I know you know, I can be myself! No more of this best behaviour nonsense.”
“I think Jamie might be the only one who’s seen any of it, though,” Alex muttered under his breath, and I bit my lip.
“What do you mean he’s the only one who’s seen it? I gave you all free subscriptions!” Theo’s shock and horror was clear like he’d never considered the idea that none of us would watch him.
“It’s just… It’s… Well…” Noah said as he looked uncomfortably down at the table.
“It’s fucking weird,” Lane said from my other side. “We love you, Theo, we really do, but we all agreed not to watch it. We thought it would be weird as fuck to watch you… well, get fucked.”
“Yeah, we didn’t want to make it weird,” Spencer said, his cheeks tinting. This was turning out to be even more awkward than the first night with Oliver. “There’s seeing your friends naked, and then there’s…”
“Watching them get gangbanged,” Alex said, finishing off his brother’s thought with a sarcastic expression.
“But… but… I’m fine with it,” Theo said. “I thought you loved me.”
“We do,” I said. “But there’s some lines friends shouldn’t cross.”
Theo hmphed and folded his arms with a pout. “If you really loved me, you’d watch me get railed. Friends can watch other friends get railed and not have it be weird!”
“Jesus Christ,” Lane sighed while Oliver chuckled into his drink.
“You know,” I said, giving Lane a pointed look. “If this was supposed to be a fun set-up, it’s not going very well.”
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t think it would end up like this,” he said while Theo and Alex began to bicker. Beside me Jamie was watching them with an amused smile as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
I saw Laurie at the other end of the table looking equally amused, but his amusement was probably for a different reason.
I wondered if he’d ever tried to dissuade Theo from sharing the codes or whether he’d already known that was a battle he’d lose.
Despite the fact he was the only one who could exert any kind of control over Theo’s behaviour, he seemed to know how to pick his battles.
Either that or he quietly enjoyed causing chaos.
There was a lot about him I didn’t know.
“You’ve met our friends, right?”
“I know. But this is a new level even for us.”
“I think this is more memorable than the murder dungeon conversation,” Oliver said with a grin.
“I was just trying to make you feel welcome,” Spencer said, feigning a mournful smile from across the table. “Someone could have changed the subject.”
“To what?” Lane asked in disbelief.
“I don’t know… It was summer. We could have talked about holiday plans or something.”
“None of us ever go on holiday,” Alex said as he sipped his pint.
“That’s because we’re all terrible workaholics,” Anders said from the other end of the table.
“Wait, is spending three days rearranging the bookshelves in the living room work?” Bastian teased, looking at his boyfriend with a playful smile. “I thought it was just making a mess.”
“I was thinking about plot points,” Anders said. “Oliver will support me on this.”
“I’m not getting involved,” Oliver said. “As long as you get your drafts and your edits done, I don’t care how many times you rearrange your bookshelves.”
“Only because you’re just as bad,” Lane said. “You’ve reorganised your library twice since Christmas, and it’s only February.”
“I’m sorry,” I said, lowering my voice and leaning closer to Jamie, trying to ignore the way his scent curled into my senses and made me want to bury my face in his neck. “I should’ve told you about Theo.”
“It’s fine,” Jamie said. “It’s definitely not the first time I’ve put my foot in my mouth like that.”
“It’s my fault, though.”
“Don’t worry about it.” He grinned at me, then glanced around the table. “I like your friends. They’re fun.”
“They’re something,” I said. “Not sure if it’s good or bad.”
“It’s good,” Jamie said quietly, his words nearly getting lost in the sea of voices surrounding us. “They’re… genuine. It doesn’t feel like they’re trying to catch you out.”
“Why would they?” That sounded like a really shitty thing to do, and I’d never had time for people like that.
Jamie chuckled hollowly. “Just because, I suppose. For gossip or to hold it over you later.”
“That sounds fucking exhausting.” I put my hand on his thigh under the table, and Jamie’s fingers found mine, squeezing them gently.
“It is. I prefer this. It’s chaotic but in the best way.”
I looked around at my friends, watching them laugh and bicker and tease each other. They may have been loud and nosy, but they cared about every other man sitting around the tables so deeply that I knew they’d all do anything for any of us.
We weren’t just friends; we were a family too. I couldn’t imagine any of us trying to manipulate each other—not in a more serious way than Theo’s playful pouting—or making each other feel like we couldn’t be ourselves or had to watch every word in case it was taken the wrong way.
That didn’t sound like friendship to me. It sounded like being trapped.
“You know you’re welcome here,” I said, trying to make my words sound casual but knowing there was weight behind every syllable. “None of this lot will ever pull that shit with you.”
“Thanks,” Jamie said, turning his head to look at me with an expression that sent butterflies rippling through my stomach. “I appreciate that.”
The world around us faded into the background until it was just the two of us, an island of unspoken words in the middle of a sea of noise.