Chapter 5 #2
Propping my feet on our black coffee table, I said, “He’s in trouble, Mason.” As an ache slid across my chest, I rubbed it with the heel of my hand.
“What sort of trouble?”
“The guy he’s with is definitely abusing him.” I winced. “He even hit him.” If I’d been there, I would have lost it on Tate.
“Jesus, Lucas. That’s not cool.” He scoffed. “Fuckers like that are bullies, pure and simple. And you know how I feel about bullies.”
“Yeah.” A memory struck me, of Mason going after a kid in elementary school who’d hit me with a rock on the playground. Mason had shoved the kid so hard, he’d landed on his ass and scuffed his hands. My brother never took shit from anyone. “Ezra wants to break up with the guy.”
“He should. But he better be careful. My buddy Jonah went through hell with his husband, Ryan, when they tried to get away from a hookup Ryan had before they got together. The hookup went stalker on them.”
“Shit, seriously?” Would Tate try something like that? Probably. I tensed my lips. “I was thinking I’d be around when Ezra breaks up with this guy in case he tries to hurt him.”
“Does this boyfriend have a gun?” Mason asked.
“What?” I popped my eyes open. Shit, that never crossed my mind. So many people out here had them.
“You need to find that out first. I don’t want to scare you, bro, but you could step into a landmine here, you know? Be prepared.”
“Yeah, I will.” This was a lot to take on. But Ezra was worth it. He deserved peace. I breathed in deeply.
“Lucas, I gotta ask.”
“What’s that?” I teased a fold on the hem of my shirt. Now I wanted to talk to Ezra even more.
“What’s really going on here? I mean, I know you have a good heart and want to help someone in need, but…”
“Nothing. Nothing’s going on.” I swallowed hard. Was Mason sensing the weird feelings I’d been having?
“Bro…Come on.” He huffed a sharp laugh. “Why are you so invested in him?”
I find him incredibly attractive? I squirmed on the couch. “We just hit it off during our shoot. And it was glaringly obvious his boyfriend was a dick.”
“You hit it off? How?” Mason’s smirk carried through the phone.
My gaze darted across the coffee table. “I don’t know. We had fun. I made him laugh and he barely ever smiles and—”
“Dude, you like him.” He choked out a chuckle. “Are you going bi on me?”
“What? No. It’s nothing like that.” I hopped off the couch and paced in front of the sliding doors, raking my fingers through my bangs. “It was all friendly. Ezra has a boyfriend.” Fuck, that was a dumb thing to say. It sounded like I was talking about a woman.
“What’s this guy look like?”
“He’s, uh, he’s good looking. He’s got longer hair, a slender build, brown eyes and…” My cock twitched. Now I couldn’t think of him without my dick fucking with me?
“So, you like twinks.” He erupted in a belly laugh.
“Stop it, Mason.” A smile tugged at my lips. The fucker would full-on tease me now. “Be serious.”
“I am serious.” He sighed. “Look, Lucas. You know you can talk to me if you’re having a sexual awakening. It happens.”
“I’m not.” Glowering, I peered at the pool area below and Evan stretching out on a lounger with two women chatting him up. I should join them. I’d prove I wasn’t having a sexual awakening.
“Bro, sometimes it’s not about gender. Sexuality is fluid.” He took an audible breath. “One of my buddies is married to a guy who thought he was straight. Think about it.”
My stomach tied in a knot. Was this happening to me? But what if I couldn’t accept it? “Mason, I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” I murmured.
“So, you do like him.”
“Yeah, I think so.” Fuck, I was admitting it to another human being. “How would I know? I mean, maybe it’s just a weird phase.” I stopped and glanced at the girls Evan chatted with. They were attractive. I’d take them to bed.
“You need to talk to Rowan. He went through it. I always knew I liked dick.”
“Gross, Mason.” He always had to go there. I didn’t need to hear about his sex life. I huffed.
“What? You might find you prefer it, just like your dear old brother.” He chuckled and stopped. “Just don’t hide it. Be true to yourself.”
“Yeah, okay. But first I have to help Ezra get away from his abusive boyfriend.” I shuffled into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, smacking my lips. My mouth was dry.
“Little dude, you have a savior complex, but I love it.”
“Do not.” With a snicker, I shook my head and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade. He might be right, though.
“Anyway, let me know what happens, okay? And I can have Rowan call you. What do you say?”
“Let’s hold off on that.” I twisted the cap open. It would be weird talking about this with a guy I didn’t know.
“Sure. So, talk to you soon?”
“Yes, soon. Bye, Mason.” I ended the call and sipped my drink. I should check on Evan at the pool.
My phone vibrated in my hand. “Fuck.” I peered into the screen. It was a text from Ezra.
Ezra
Tate wants to have dinner tonight. I think I’ll break up with him then, since we’ll be in public.
“Shit.” I set my phone on the island counter and tapped the screen.
Lucas
Where? I can be close by in case you need me.
Ezra
He wants to take me to Ocean Club.
Damn, that was a nice place. Expensive. I worried my lower lip. The restaurant was in an outdoor mall. I could pretend to shop while he took care of business.
Lucas
What time? I can hang out at the stores, so I’ll be close by.
The ringer on my phone went off, and Ezra scrolled across the top. He was calling me? I set the phone on speaker. “Hello?”
“Hey, I thought I should call instead of chatting by text.”
“Okay. So, when are your reservations?” Warmth flooded my chest. His voice sounded amazing.
“He has reservations at six.”
“Okay, I’ll be there. Then you can text me and let me know if you need me. I can take you home, too.” I chewed my thumbnail. With how controlling Tate was, he’d insist on driving them to dinner.
He exhaled. “I don’t know, Lucas. Are you sure? I can take an Uber home and I doubt he’ll cause trouble there.”
“I have nothing else to do, and I don’t trust the guy. What if he gets physical in the parking lot?” My chest clenched. I’d be there, regardless. Was I being stalkerish? No, I was protecting him.
“I don’t want to put you out.”
“You’re not putting me out. I’ll be there. Text me as shit goes down. When you can.” There, I wouldn’t give him a way out. Knitting my brows, I said, “I’d be worried sick if I wasn’t there, anyway.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll text you as things develop.” He huffed a sigh. “Thank you, Lucas. You being there will give me strength.”
My chest swelled, and a grin teased my lips. “Great, I’ll see you soon.” I’d be taking him home tonight. It might be a shit show, but I’d be with him. God, I was a mess. Was Mason right about everything? I glanced at the clock. Six couldn’t come fast enough.