33. Chapter Thirty-Three
I feel Chris’s gaze on me the moment I step out of the revolving doors of the Flashfire Ad Agency building. He said he’d be waiting out front for me, and there he is. Chris has never let me down before, but I was worried. With everything going on, I can’t help but worry about him. Between the drinking—which he hasn’t done in over two weeks as far as I know—and the chance he could find out about me and Cole, I wasn’t sure he’d pull through. But there he is, waiting for me like he said he would be.
I told him he didn’t have to take a half day from work for this, that I could take a rideshare both ways, but he insisted. I think this is his way of trying to make up for the fight we had. Not that he needs to, but if it’ll make him feel better, I won’t stop him.
“So, how did it go?” he asks, drumming his hands on the steering wheel as I get in.
“Hard to tell, but I think it went well.”
He slaps me on the shoulder. “I’m sure it went great. When will they call you?”
“Said they have a few more interviews tomorrow, but they’re calling everyone on Friday.”
“Great! Just in time for you to celebrate getting the job at Mark’s show.”
“We’re going to that?” I question, raising a brow.
He drives off. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“Wasn’t sure if you’d want to.”
I undo the top button of my shirt, feeling like I’m being choked. I’ll definitely have to go shopping for new clothes if I end up getting this job.
“I’m going to assume that’s because I’ll be around alcohol, but I’ll be fine. I’m telling you, it’s easier than I thought it was going to be.”
“Have you gone to a bar since you’ve stopped drinking?”
“No, but Cole has alcohol all over the house and I haven’t touched it.”
“So you’re not calling him Dad anymore?”
He shakes his head, and it takes him a long while to say anything to that.
“I’m still pissed.”
That’s it. That’s all I get.
“Which is why you need to talk to him, Chris. Talking to him doesn’t mean forgiving him, but maybe it’ll make you feel better to get it off your chest.”
“If I thought I could talk about it without punching him in the face, I would.”
“Really? You really think you’re going to hit your father, Chris? Come on. I know you’re mad, but Cole is a good father. He’s done his best your whole life, and your mother never made it easy. The guy made a mistake. You can’t hold that against him for the rest of his life.”
“Actually, I can,” he says, glancing in his side mirror and switching lanes.
I sigh, looking out the window. “Is that what you want?”
“What I want is for my dad to have not cheated on my mother with a guy and ruin their marriage.”
“How do you know their marriage was fine before that?” I fire back.
He scoffs, turning onto the highway. He doesn’t answer me. Which is answer enough. It seems he just wants an excuse to be mad at Cole. But why?
“I’m serious, Chris. I don’t want to fight with you, but I don’t like seeing you all fucked up over this either. Does your mom know you know? Don’t you think you should find out the truth before you go making up stories in your head?”
“I know enough,” he growls, slamming his hand on the steering wheel.
I want to keep arguing with him, but it’s useless. He’s stuck on this and isn’t going to change his mind until he’s ready to. He needs to figure this out on his own, but that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop trying to help him. But I need to find a way to stop being so defensive over Cole before I give myself away. Cole and I already almost got caught once. We can’t get that close again.
“Let’s go in the hot tub,” Chris suggests.
I chuckle. “Seriously?”
“Yeah, why not? It’s the perfect day for it.”
“You got an extra suit?”
I follow him to his room, and he digs through his drawers to find me one. He tosses me a plain black one. Without hesitation, he drops his pants and gets into his own. Now, I do not check out my friend. I have no interest in Chris. But I will say this is one of the things I’ve appreciated about him most, and one of the things that has shown me how much he truly does not care that I’m gay. He never stopped changing in front of me. Which is why I’m so confused over him being pissed at Cole for being with a guy.
I change too, tossing my clothes into my room on the way to the stairs. When we head down, we pass Cole who is just getting in. Neither Chris nor I pay him much mind, but I feel his gaze on me as we move towards the back door.
It’s late afternoon and it”s getting warmer outside. Pretty sure it hit sixty today, which is a good start. Soon enough, the weather will be warm. There will be sunbathing, more swimming, and beach trips.
Chris opens the hot tub, turns on the jets, and messes with his phone. Guns N’ Roses starts playing from somewhere above. I look up and see speakers along the overhang of the house that I didn’t realize were there.
“Technology is pretty fucking cool,” Chris comments.
We put our phones on the table beside the tub and get in. The moment I sit, I realize I can see into Cole’s office from this angle. Which isn’t an issue until he walks in and stares directly at me. Isn’t even hiding it. Just staring at me as if to prove a point. He doesn’t look happy. But why the hell would he be mad at me? I haven’t done a damn thing.
“Bryson?”
I blink and bring my attention to Chris. Thankfully he doesn’t look over his shoulder to see what I was looking at. “Sorry, what?”
“The show on Friday. Are we going together?”
“Yeah, if you want to.”
I flick a quick glance back to the office. It’s empty.
What the hell.
“Wasn’t sure if you were going to invite your friend.”
I raise a brow. “My friend?”
He gives me a knowing smile. “Yeah, the one you went out with the other night. Tomas.”
“Oh, no. We’re only friends. The normal kind. Trust me, there’s nothing there.”
“You sure about that?”
I settle deeper into the water. “Absolutely. Tomas is nice, but he’s not my type.”
“So what is your type, Bryson?” Chris asks with a smirk.
Your father.
“Just not him.” I shrug, not really wanting to get into this. It’s a weird conversation.
“Come on, we’ve never talked about this,” he pleads. When I don’t answer, he adds, “I’ve never seen you with a guy. What about your ex? What’s he look like?”
I shake my head, sighing. “Definitely not my type. Not sure why I was even with the guy.”
“Let me see him anyway.”
I groan and grab my phone, pulling up Daniel’s IG account and handing it over to Chris.
Daniel isn’t ugly. Far from it. He’s a good-looking guy, just prettier than I like my men to be. And I say that as if I’ve been around long enough to know.
“He’s kinda cute.” Chris hands me my phone back.
“I didn’t say he was ugly. I just said he isn’t my type.”
“So you go for a more rugged guy? You like to bottom, Bry?” He waggles his brows.
“Jesus, Chris. Are we really having this conversation?”
He shrugs as I put my phone down. “Well, we haven’t talked much in a few years. I figured you spent time in college figuring out what you like and don’t. And maybe you wanted to talk about it, and maybe I want to know more about my best friend. I miss you.”
Well, that warms my heart and makes me feel like a complete dick for having sex with his dad.
Chris can’t even forgive his father for cheating on his mother all those years ago. He will never, and I mean never, forgive either of us for this. And that means only one thing.
It can’t ever happen again.
And I actually mean it this time.
Seeing Chris like this? The way he used to be. The way I remember him. It’s a breath of fresh air. I can’t lose this friendship.