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“Archer has hauled him out of the bar more than once, driving him home before he does something stupid.” For whatever reason, Archer Thorn has been a godsend when it comes to East.
“Yeah, I heard he’s an officer now. God, you used to have the biggest crush on him. The two of you on a first-name basis now?” Something in my face must have changed because Morgan’s dark eyes go wide. “Holy shit. You fucked Archer Thorn? He’s queer?”
I shrug. “It’s nothing serious. We’ve scratched an itch a time or two. He’s a friend.”
“Goddamn.” Morgan whistles. Sobering, he adds, “I’ll talk to East. I really fucked up with him, didn’t I?”
“You were a kid yourself. None of that shit should have been on you. He’s doing good at the shop, though. I think he really loves it, he just doesn’t know how to let himself love anything.”
We’re quiet for a moment, both looking out over the water. He wants to say something, I can feel it, so I wait, giving him the space he needs. “She would have hated what’s happened to us…all of us.”
I nod. She would have. Allison Swift was all heart. You had to be to see something in Gregory. I might have only been eight when she died, but I know she loved her kids more than anything in this whole damn world.
Before I can figure out what to say, if anything, I hear the sound of a car behind us. Morgan turns to see who it is, but I already know. Even if I hadn’t suspected it earlier, I would know from the rush of heat that blasts off Morgan.
Rhett is here, and just like that, the spell is broken.
“I should go.” I stand, unwilling to be here and cause more drama between them. Morgan pushes to his feet too, grabbing his shoes and shoving his feet into them.
We walk side by side back up to the house. Rhett leans against his beamer, arms crossed, watching us.
“Fall right back into your friendship even though he’s ignored you for ten fucking years?” he asks, because of course he does.
“Jesus Christ, Rhett. Stop trying to antagonize him,” I say, just as Morgan curses, “Fuck you. What’s between me and Dusty has nothing to do with you.”
Rhett shrugs. “Just making an observation.”
“How about you both stop acting like kids?” I say, tossing a look back and forth between them. Neither is immature on his own, but together all bets are off.
For what it’s worth, Morgan ignores him. “I’m going inside to check on Dad. Thanks for coming.” He reaches a hand up to brush my hair off my forehead the way he used to. It’s been so long and surprises me so much that I flinch, and Morgan stops…drops his hand, turns, and goes back inside.
When I hear the door close, I breathe again.
“You’re going to get hurt,” Rhett says. “He won’t stay. He’ll leave us all behind just like he did ten years ago.”
I don’t mention what prompted him to leave the way he had because we both know he was going regardless. “I’m an adult. I can take care of myself.”
“What is it you see in him? He’s selfish and—”
“No. He’s not. He’s a lot of things, but selfish isn’t one of them.” As our friendship grew, I shared more with Rhett. He knows why I kissed him that night, knows I’ve been in love with Morgan my whole damn life, which he’ll never understand.
“You deserve better,” he says.
“Like you?” I snap, though I know that’s not what he meant. Rhett isn’t queer. He kissed me back that night because he was drunk and sad and wanted to punish Morgan. We’ve discussed it a lot over the years. He’s never been with a guy, and while we’ve become friends, there’s no romance between us. Morgan might not let many people in, but he always let me in. Rhett, we talk and spend time together, but he’s never opened up to me the way Morgan has. I don’t know if Rhett knows how to ever let anyone in—even his ex-wife.
“You know I don’t want that with us,” Rhett says.
“I don’t either. I was just proving a point. Let it go. What’s between me and Morgan is just that. What you both need to do is focus on fixing what’s going on in your family.”
He loosens his tie and pushes off the car. “That’s never going to happen, and you know it.”
Rhett doesn’t say goodbye, just heads for the house, leaving me out here alone.
CHAPTER FIVE
Morgan
I go into the kitchen, the food I prepared still sitting there untouched. My pulse speeds too fast, and my stomach churns—I left Rhett and Dusty out there together—but I ignore it. They’re friends, and I have no claim over Dusty.
