Total pages in book: 119
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 571(@200wpm)___ 457(@250wpm)___ 381(@300wpm)
“Everyone noticed your chemistry, you know,” I pointed out. “You can’t honestly tell me that was nothing but a vacation fling. You spent every single night together.”
Every day too. They’d been practically attached at the hip.
He set down his burger, visibly uncomfortable, and kept his gaze downcast.
“He doesn’t remember me,” he said quietly. “I was in full panic mode when I saw who he was, and when he didn’t remember, I-I thought, shit, maybe I can pull this off.”
I felt my forehead crease with confusion. What was he talking about?
He let out a breath and glanced at me quickly. “I dated his daughter in high school—before I realized I was gay.”
Holy shit.
I almost dropped my jaw. Eyes definitely went wide.
“Before Ty made me realize I was gay,” he clarified pointedly. “Marina brought me home and introduced us, and…” He swallowed hard. “Yeah, so… I broke things off with her almost right away—after I’d freaked the fuck out to Corey. They were in the same class. I met Marina through Corey—they were like best friends.”
I…had nothing.
My mind was completely fucking blank.
“I understand that he doesn’t remember me,” he added. “I only saw Ty a few times back then—maybe two or three. He was known as the fun, cool dad who’d had a kid very young. Corey was obsessed in a cute way, always talking about the pizza rolls Ty prepared sometimes—and how Ty loved snakes and lizards.”
So that’s where that sick hobby came from? Ty had unknowingly introduced Lane to the world of creepy-crawlies.
“The moment Marina introduced me to Ty, I froze,” Lane admitted. “I managed to recover—I know they didn’t notice—but I was fucking ruined. I got through the introduction, and then I ran to the bathroom to fight a panic attack.”
Because of his reaction to seeing Ty…?
“Because—”
“Because of how his looks threw me,” he confirmed. “It was like being punched in the gut. He was so fucking hot—and that killer smile? Like, he just… I don’t know.” He became flustered and started fidgeting with his napkin. “Corey was already out by then, so he was on the receiving end of my freak-out afterward. I tried to play it off as a fluke. I tried to deny it, but…”
Yeah, that rarely worked once the realization had dawned.
I’d never had one of those moments. I’d just always been drawn to boys when I’d been one myself. Girls had never interested me.
But Christ. I couldn’t imagine the thoughts that must’ve run through his head upon meeting Ty down here.
That said…
“Okay, so after the shock settled,” I began carefully. “Do you think Ty would’ve reacted poorly if you’d told him the truth? This week, I mean.”
“I-I don’t know.” He shifted in his seat and absently brushed his fingers over his bandaged arm. “When we went to collect the monitor lizard on the first night, he mentioned Marina’s pregnant and that the father is no longer around. Which led to an impressive rant on how Marina’s always brought home losers.”
I winced. Hardly a motivator to be up front.
“I wasn’t gonna tell him anyway,” he admitted and deflated a bit. “That part of me has been in flight mode since we arrived. Like, it’s never natural for me to think, all right, so I’ll just come clean. Even though I’m a fan of nipping things in the bud—but that’s when I know something will eventually be revealed.” He nodded at me. “With you and Walker, for instance. I wanted to get that reunion over with because I knew it had to happen. But Ty not recognizing me…made me hope I could get away with it.”
I reached across the table and covered his hand with mine.
I got it. I understood that reaction.
That posed a problem, however. Flight mode came with consequences. I’d tried to run from Walker for the past two years, and it’d only made me miserable.
I’d have to be blind not to see Lane’s own misery now.
“What’s holding you back more?” I asked. “Your history with Ty—and his daughter—or your commitment issues?”
He stopped fidgeting and knitted his brows together. “I don’t have commitment issues.”
Uh.
“Not in the way you think,” he added quickly. “I want a good, healthy, long-term, loving relationship, Macklin. But as long as I’m a shitshow, I can’t expose that to someone I might get too hooked on. I’ll just screw things up and lose him.”
Oh Christ. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples. The number of times I’d heard Lane casually refer to himself as a shitshow or too complicated…
He’d conveniently made it impossible for friends to argue with him too, because so few people were granted access to all of Lane. As far as I knew, it was only Corey. So when I called Lane out on the self-criticism—and the bullshit—he just said I couldn’t possibly know the truth because he and I didn’t have that relationship. I didn’t know every side of him.