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Percy waved him off. “I get it. He’s bloody charming. He makes liking him so easy.”
True biz. Anthony let out a big laugh, then dropped his hands to the table. “He never lied to me about what he wanted, but he was so…much. So kind and affectionate. And it was so genuine that I started falling in love with him. My pain was my own fault, really, but it still sucked.”
“Was he with Ravi at the time?” Percy couldn’t help but ask.
Anthony made a quiet choking sound. “With Ravi? Like, Ravi from the café?”
Percy nodded miserably. “An intern at my work told me he and Ravi were together—properly together. And he swore up and down that wasn’t true, but I saw them last night.”
“Kissing?” Anthony asked with a deeper frown.
Percy sighed. “Well…no. Just sort of embracing. Intimately.”
Anthony’s face softened. “I make it a point not to involve myself in Wren’s personal life anymore, but I know Ravi pretty well, and I can tell you with a hundred percent certainty that he’s not dating Wren.”
Percy shuddered, wondering if everyone was in on some kind of joke to make him look like a fool. “I saw them holding each other.”
The look on Anthony’s face was pure pity, and Percy hated it with every fiber of his being. “They’re friends. Look, I don’t know what Wren said or did to upset you this much. Whatever it is, I’m sure it wouldn’t surprise me. But Ravi’s not interested in him, okay? He’s just been to hell and back recently, so Wren was probably just giving him some comfort.”
Percy deflated and curled into himself. He rubbed his hand down his face, then tried for an apologetic smile, though he wasn’t sure he succeeded. “Sorry. I’m a bit of a mess, and all of this is so unfamiliar to me.”
“It was for me too,” Anthony told him. “But you need to understand that the Deaf community is a lot more touchy-feely than most. And Wren’s just…that kind of guy. He makes you fall in love without even trying, and then he walks away, and we’re left behind to pick up the pieces.”
Percy wanted to pretend like he wasn’t in pieces—that the short time he’d spent with Wren hadn’t affected him at all. But he was tired of lying to himself. He stared at his phone and thought about the waiting message, and he still wanted to go.
“Do you think it’s worth being his friend? I mean, if your circumstances had been different, would you be?”
“Yes,” Anthony told him. “And I hope to get there someday. There were things Wren handled very poorly when he and I were together, but I can tell he’s learned. And it’s difficult for me to hold on to anything now that I’m with Seth.”
Percy bit his lip, wishing desperately he had a better friend—one who knew him so he could unload all the things that had been festering inside of him. But he couldn’t dump his trauma on this poor man who was just trying to be kind.
“He was my first in a long time,” Percy said. “It was probably a mistake, but I walked into it thinking I wasn’t interested in anything more than one night.”
“Then being with him changed that?”
Percy rubbed at his eyes. “I wish I could say no. I want to say no. It would be the responsible thing. I haven’t come here to fall in love. I’ve come to leave some of my past behind and to be with my sister and my niece.”
Anthony stared at him, and then his eyes went wide. “Oh my God. I…why didn’t I put two and two together? Jesus Christ, you’re Percy. Percy James.”
Percy looked startled. “…I am. Yes.”
“You’re Penelope’s brother.”
Percy sighed. “It really does seem as if everyone associated with the Deaf community spends time at that coffee shop.”
Anthony slapped his hand over his face. “No. I’m Lila’s caseworker.”
Percy felt like he’d been doused in cold water. This was Lila’s caseworker? And he’d just spilled his guts about one-night stands and everything else. Panic began to grip his chest. “Please don’t use any of this against Penny. I know I’m a disaster, but?—”
“Hey. Hey. It’s okay.” Anthony took his hand and squeezed, and it was a long moment before he could find a full breath. Eventually, Percy managed to look into Anthony’s face, and the man’s expression was soft and almost apologetic. “I’m advocating for her, not against her,” Anthony said. He gave Percy’s fingers one last squeeze before pulling away. “The fact that you’re here—taking ASL and everything—that only speaks for you. I’m not going to use a mistake we both made against your relationship with your niece.”
Percy licked his lips, trying to shake some of the trembles from his fingers. “I know I sound like a complete disaster.”
“You sound like a man who’s been through it and is a lot stronger than he’s willing to give himself credit for,” Anthony told him, then suddenly looked torn. “But there might be a slight conflict of interest with me teaching this class. At least until the adoption is finalized.”
Percy groaned, dropping his face into his hands. “Of course there is. Bloody fucking hell.”
“Look, let me have a conversation with Luke. He’s too busy right now for this specific class, but I bet he’d find time for private lessons. They’d cost more, and it would only be until the hearing, but?—”
