16. Oliver
Chapter 16
After Toby brought me some clothes and I kissed him one last time, I go to the guest room to find Leland. He’s lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. I lie beside him, and he doesn't even look my way.
“I’m fine, Oli. Go and enjoy your party.”
“That look downstairs said everything but I’m fine. Talk to me. What happened?”
Leland sighs, and I wait for him to be ready to talk. “I’m not gay,” he says finally, and I hide my smile.
“Okay. We already knew that.”
“Then why did I let him touch me like that?”
“Do you regret it?”
Leland sighs again and rolls over on his side to face me, propping his head on his palm. “No. Tonight was just a lot. I see you getting the life fucked out of you multiple times, and I guess I just got curious.”
I peek at him, and his brows are pinched. “How did it get to that point?”
Leland huffs a laugh. “Vince is persistent.”
“Did he force you?”
“No,” Leland rushes out. “Not at all. He was just saying all this dirty shit in my ear, and I got carried away.”
“Tell me. It might help so we can figure this out.”
“I’m not going to lie. I was watching you with your guys, and I wanted it so damn bad. Not you, per se. Just what was happening to you. You were so lost to it, Oli, and I wanted a chance to forget.” I nod, letting him know that I understand. “Then Vince walked up behind me, telling me how sexy I was and how bad he wanted to touch me. And that he could tell that I needed someone to take care of me. It’s like he pulled the one thought from my head and ran with it.”
“Then what happened?”
“I told him I wanted a closer look. He walked me forward and was whispering at me to watch them sink inside you, how deep they were, how good it felt for you. He asked if he could touch me, and I told him yes. You know the rest.”
“How did you feel when he was touching you?”
“Amazing. It was the best thing I’ve ever felt. I thought I’d be weirded out because it was a man’s hand, but it made it so much better.”
“What made you freak out?”
Leland flops over on his back to stare back at the ceiling. “I wanted more.”
“Oh.” No fucking wonder he ran out of the room. Leland obviously isn’t ready for that step. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I know Zac and Vince are pushy, but if anyone is going to give you a good experience, it’ll be them.”
“I’ve never wanted a man before, much less two. What makes them different?”
“Maybe you see something in them that you need.”
“What if this isn’t what I want?”
“Then they’ll back off. Zac and Vince are a lot like my guys. They can read you better than you can read yourself. They know what you need before you do.”
Leland’s quiet for a long time and then sits up on the side of the bed. “I think I need to go home and think about some things.”
“You’re more than welcome to stay here, Le. I don’t know if you should be alone.”
Leland smiles at me over his shoulder. “I’ll be fine. I just need to sleep it off.”
“Then sleep here,” I insist. I know about Leland’s depressive episodes, and I now know how serious they actually are. Something like this could set him off, and I never want him to suffer alone again. “I can sleep in here with you. It will be like old times.”
“Except now I’ve seen you naked,” Leland laughs.
“There is that. Look, the party is over. I’m sure Jace has already rushed everyone out, including Zac and Vince. We can go downstairs, watch movies, pig out, and then in the morning, I can convince Toby to make his famous breakfast.”
“Shouldn’t you be spending time with them? This is a big night for you.”
“They would want me to do what makes me happy, and that’s spending time with you.”
Leland swallows, and I see the emotion in his eyes. “Thank you.”
I give him a smile and roll from the bed. I go grab him some of my clothes to change into and toss them into him before going to look for the guys. They’re all relaxed in the living room, and just like I suspected, the room is empty.
“Is it okay if Leland stays here tonight?”
“This is your house too, Angel, you never have to ask. Is he okay?”
I shrug. “I think so. I just don’t want him to be alone.”
“That is why you’re perfect, Darling. We can disappear so you guys can have the TV.”
“You don’t have to leave. I think it will do him some good to be around friends.”
Toby jumps to his feet and lays a smacking kiss on my cheek. “We’ll get changed and grab some snacks.”
Just like that, they know what I need. I didn’t think for a second they would tell me no, but if they did, I would have gone home with Leland in a heartbeat. I start grabbing pillows and blankets to lay out on the floor, and I’m just setting the last one out when Leland walks downstairs. Jace gives him a one-armed hug on his way into the living room and then gets comfortable on the couch. Leland sits down beside me on the floor with a laugh when Toby walks in with his arms overflowing with food. He sits in front of us with a flourish.
“I had no idea what to bring, so I brought options.”
“Did you bring the whole fucking kitchen?” Aiden laughs, snagging a bag of chips over my shoulders. He kisses my cheek and then ruffles Leland’s curly hair.
“Don’t you think I’m a little old for that, asshole?” Leland grumbles, trying and failing to get his hair back under control.
“Not as long as it still pisses you off.” Aiden grins and pops a chip into his mouth.
Jace pulls Toby down beside him and turns on the TV to scroll to find something to watch. Leland and I get comfortable on the pillows before we start digging through all the food Toby brought.
With my best friend and my guys at my side, I feel like my life is complete.
I wake up the following morning, confused as hell about where I am, until I see the back of Leland’s head beside mine on the pillow. Last night hits me as I stretch my sore muscles with a smile.
“Good morning, Darling,” Aiden says quietly. He helps me stand and gives me a soft kiss. “Toby’s making breakfast. We didn’t want to wake you guys last night.”
“That’s okay. I think this is what he needed.”
“He’ll always need his best friend, but he’ll especially need you now. You know this is a confusing time for him.”
“Have you talked to Zac or Vince?”
Aiden nods. “They called Jace this morning to check on him.”
“Good.”
Aiden runs his hand down my back and softly pats my ass. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’m the luckiest guy in the world.” I kiss him again and start getting carried away until I hear Leland cough.
“As much as I liked seeing your ass last night, I don’t think I want a repeat just yet,” Leland says, making us laugh.
“Fine. I’ll save it until after you leave,” Aiden answers.
“Just for that, I’m staying until you have blue balls,” Leland counters, which makes me laugh harder. This is how they were growing up, and I see some things never change.
Aiden’s face turns serious. “Stay as long as you need, man. I’ll be in the kitchen.” Aiden gives me one last kiss and disappears around the corner.
“They know how confusing this can be,” I say in explanation when I turn around and Leland’s sitting there with his brow raised. “We all came to terms with ourselves just like you are.” I sit beside him. “How are you feeling about everything now?”
“About the same. I think I need to stay away from them for a while.” Zac and Vince aren’t going to like that, but I’m not pointing that out. Or pointing out that them not backing off is exactly what he needs. “So, what’s Toby’s famous breakfast?”
I laugh and get back to my feet. “All I’m saying is, I hope you’re hungry. You can use the bathroom in the guest room, and I’ll meet you in the kitchen. There’s extra toothbrushes under the sink.”
I make my way to Jace’s room, the one we all usually end up in, and take care of business. I brush my teeth and go back downstairs to find the guys laughing about something in the kitchen. Without missing a beat, Jace opens his arm for me to curl into his lap at the kitchen table. I do without a second thought and soak him in.
“Good morning, Angel.” He kisses my upturned lips. “How’s Leland?” Could I love them anymore? They are just as worried about my best friend as I am.
“He’s okay, just a little confused. He wants to stay away from Zac and Vince.”
Toby snorts from his place at the stove. “That’s not going to happen. If anything, it will make them push harder.”
“Exactly,” Aiden agrees. “Leland needs something that I think only they can give him.”
“They have to be careful with him,” I whisper.
“They will, my love,” Jace assures me, kissing my forehead.
Leland rounds the corner and slides in front of us at the table. Toby brings over the food and we dig in. We laugh, talk, and it truly feels like I’m with family. Leland doesn’t have good examples of parents either so he needs this too.
I just hope he can find it for himself.