Chapter 22 #3
Space he used to calm down and redirect his emotions.
Dominic and Company didn’t deserve his anger.
They’d won the million-dollar jackpot in terms of adoptive parents, while Van had suffered through eighteen years of loveless upbringing by cold, unemotional people more interested in keeping the farm afloat than in raising healthy, productive children. His bad luck wasn’t Dominic’s fault.
“Van?” Emmett’s soft, clear voice bounced around the small bathroom. Someone had sent the least threatening person imaginable to coax him out of hiding.
Van unlocked the stall door and stepped out, shoulders hunched. “Yeah, hey.”
“Joshua said you seemed upset earlier. I volunteered to see if you were okay.”
“You did?”
“Sure.” Emmett’s tentative smile eased a lot of Van’s tension. “You helped me through a small crisis once. And if it helps, Dominic’s speech made me sad, too. I miss my family so much right now.”
“I don’t miss mine at all,” Van snapped. Emmett’s sudden look of fear made him feel like the perfect ass. “I’m sorry. The speech didn’t make me homesick; it made me angry that he got so lucky, when my adopted parents were pricks. I didn’t get the fairy tale childhood.”
“From what details Lincoln has given me, Dominic didn’t have a fairy tale childhood, either. Some rough things happened to him in high school. Great parents don’t mean bad things can’t happen.”
Like Emmett’s house burning down and taking his parents and sister with it. I’m a selfish ass.
Van sighed. “How much a jerk am I right now?”
“You’re not a jerk. You’re entitled to your feelings, but they don’t happen in a bubble.”
“Good point.”
“You also aren’t the only one who ran off.”
“What?” Van took three long steps toward Emmett. “What happened?”
“I didn’t see it, but apparently Bobby made a snide remark about Benji chasing after his other boyfriend, and then he admitted the impromptu vacation the band had a few weeks ago was because of Benji.”
Van’s stomach flipped. He knew that secret would come out sooner or later. “How did Benji react?”
“He got upset and left. Benji’s mom showed up not long after. Apparently, Benji’s dad took him somewhere to chill.” Emmett squinted. “You don’t seem surprised about the vacation thing.”
“I wheedled it out of Joshua a while ago. I knew too.”
“Oh good, well, at least now Benji can be mad at all of us.”
Van’s phone chimed with a text.
Benji: Meet me outside, parking lot. We need to talk.
It had been sent to multiple people, so the final four words didn’t have the same ominous ring to them that a private conversation would have elicited.
Damning words like “I can’t do this anymore” or “we’re over” were less likely to be coming Van’s way.
Didn’t stop a worm of fear from digging its way into his chest and staying put.
Emmett didn’t follow him, so he wasn’t included in the group.
Van walked outside on the heels of Joshua, Bobby, Andy, and Danielle.
Benji was standing near one of the handicapped spots, arms folded, a new kind of determination in his eyes and stance.
It might have been an incredible turn-on if Benji didn’t look so fucking serious.
Everyone ended up in an awkward semi-circle, until Benji tugged Joshua over to stand next to Van. All of the attention shifted to them as the other three members of Fading Daze stared at them with undisguised curiosity.
“Okay, we need to get everything out on the table, guys,” Benji said in a strong voice that matched his posture.
He kept tight hold of Joshua’s hand. “And I mean everything. I’ll even go first. You all know I’m in a committed relationship with Joshua.
Well, the two of us are also in a committed relationship with Van.
” His free hand curled around Van’s and squeezed.
Van squeezed back, his breath catching.
“Like a threesome?” Danielle asked. “That’s so cool.”
“So you’re, like, dating two people at the same time?” Andy tilted his head like a curious puppy. “Man, I can barely handle one person, never mind two.”
“Hey!” Danielle smacked him on the ass.
“Does this mean you two are finally admitting you’re seeing each other?” Benji said. “Out loud and official?”
“Yeah, I guess.” She cut her eyes at her brother. “You okay with that?”
Bobby shrugged. “Like you’ve ever cared if I like who you date. Just don’t make him dump you, because he’s too good a drummer to lose.”
Rising to the challenge, Danielle yanked Andy down to her height so she could plant a long, sound kiss on his mouth.
Joshua applauded. “Nicely done.”
The levity helped, but no one had really addressed the bigger issue, so Van decided to shine the spotlight on it. “What about Benji being with both of us? Sooner or later, the gossip pages are going to find out.”
Benji shrank a bit. “If managers are already pulling out of commitments because of my gay public image, what will happen if it comes out that I’m in a poly relationship? It could kill the band.”
“Maybe, maybe not,” Bobby said. “But I guess we’ll all deal with that when and if it happens, won’t we?”
“We will?” Benji squeaked.
“I deserved that. Look, man, I’m sorry we didn’t tell you about the vacation and the cancelled shows.
We were trying to protect you, but I was also selfishly trying to protect Fading Daze.
Me and Dani and Coop worked our asses off to make the band great, and I’m insanely protective of it. Sometimes I go overboard.”
“I’ll say.” Danielle glared at her brother. “Last summer when Coop came out, and then admitted to his relationship with Dominic? I thought Bobby was going to hit the roof. They fought over it for a while, until Bobby got over himself and realized how in love Coop was.”
“I accused Coop of being disloyal, and I was really, really wrong. It was kneejerk, and mean, and I apologized. So now, I’m apologizing to you, Benji. It was my decision to lie. I made everyone else go along with it, and I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t make them do anything,” Benji said. “But I accept your apology. Thank you. If it helps, I promise never again to get that hammered and let guys feel me up in public.”
“You better not,” Van growled.
“Three hot, sexy guys all bonking each other,” Danielle said. “How does that work, exactly? Do you take turns?”
“So not talking about that,” Benji said.
Andy wrapped a hand around Danielle’s mouth, cutting her off before she could make another comment. She reached around and pinched his ass.
“So what are you guys called now?” Bobby asked. “Like, a throuple?”
“No way,” Joshua said. “I vote here and now to never call ourselves a throuple. It sounds like a rejected Muppet name.”
Benji snorted laughter, and everything inside of Van that had been wound tight over this particular coming out relaxed.
Tension fell away. For all that they’d worried about telling Benji’s band, they were taking it in stride, even Bobby.
The guy wasn’t a total ass; he was simply protective of his band and their brand.
He was also, apparently, very protective of all members of said band, even the one in the most nontraditional relationship possible.
“We’ve been using triad and poly,” Van said. “Mostly, though? We’re happy.”
“Excellent,” Bobby said. “Now how about we go inside before they cut the cake without us? Plus my balls are freezing off.” He darted away, with Andy and Danielle right behind him.
Van tucked Benji and Joshua under his arms, mostly wanting to feel them close to him. Benji ended up turning it into a three-person hug, and that was good, too.
“That was easier than I thought it would be,” Benji said. “Maybe if we’d all talked at the start, feelings wouldn’t have been hurt.”
“Maybe.” Joshua kissed his forehead. “It worked out anyway. Forgive me for lying?”
“Yes. Of course.”
“How about me?” Van asked. “I got the secret out of Joshua, so I knew.”
“And he hated not telling you,” Joshua added.
Benji stared for a beat, and then shrugged. “Forgiven. I don’t want to keep dwelling on it. I’d rather enjoy the rest of our day together. As a throuple.”
“No.” Joshua crossed his arms and pouted. “Keep saying it, and I won’t blow you later tonight.”
The threat worked; Benji made a show of locking his lips with an imaginary key.
Van laughed, then grabbed his guys’ hands, and led them up the sidewalk to the steps.
A pan guy, a bi guy, and an ace guy walk into a senior center . . .
. . . and into an amazing future full of possibilities.