AllFreeNovel
Share Us
There was school to consider as well, and that was a slightly bigger one. The Gage Academy was an amazing art institution, and I enjoyed it very much. But I’d be lying to myself if I said there wasn’t an equal, if not greater, opportunity down in the San Bernardino valley.
I hadn’t stayed because I loved the neighborhood, even though I had. And I hadn’t stayed simply because I couldn’t bear to leave my childhood home, even though I’d never lived anywhere else.
No, I’d stayed in Seattle for a single, solitary reason. Which, in actuality, were three very distinct reasons:
The boys.
Tyler, Axel, Zane. These three men were everything to me. They were my friends, my confidants, my teammates in life. They’d shared my successes, picked me up from my failures. I’d been their coach, their cheerleader, their number-one fan. I’d screamed them on, through the dozen or more hockey teams they’d played with. And I’d been there to nurse their wounds when they lost, in every single aspect of their lives.
They were my best friends, yes. But now they were my lovers, too. I’d given myself to them; taken each of them on, in the most intimate of all possible ways. And perhaps only now, with our friendships finally at stake, was I realizing that I’d gone too far.
Shit.
All of these things joined a maelstrom of other random thoughts, screaming through my tired brain. They became background noise as I stepped from my Uber, thanked the driver, and pushed them to the rear of my mind.
The loft had always been a fun, cozy place for me. Right now it looked menacing against the evening sky, maybe because there was a chance it might be my last time climbing these stairs.
Oh don’t be so dramatic.
I was an eternal optimist at heart, which meant doom and gloom had never been my thing. But these were my most cherished friendships hanging in the balance. To lose them now, right when I needed them most, would hit hard enough to change me forever.
“Hey, Ari.”
Axel ushered me inside, licking something that looked like icing from his fingers. He wore his usual smile and his usual dress; a tightly-fitted muscle shirt that hugged his incredible body, right down to his loose-fitting, string-tie sweat shorts.
I entered the loft to the unmistakable smell of cake, or cookies, or something equally incredible that came straight out of the oven. Working the coffee shop, I was usually immune to such heavenly scents. Right now though, they made my stomach growl hungrily.
“Thanks for coming.”
Tyler kissed me on the cheek — the cheek, for fuck’s sake — as he swept in and took my coat. Zane nodded and smiled from the other side of the kitchen counter. I noticed he was popping something that looked like the letter ‘M’ out of a cake pan.
“What the hell is that?” I asked, licking my lips.
“Baker’s edge brownie pan,” he shot back. He held it up to show me the design. “It bakes edges only, with no middle. Nothing but chewy, chocolatey goodness.”
I was half-astonished, half turned-on. Reaching out, I went to grab one, but he slapped my wrist.
“They’re not ready yet — still too hot. Besides, we have to talk first.”
I frowned. “Talk first, eat later, huh?”
The guys nodded in unison. All my life I knew them to be a team, but right now I felt a little ganged up on.
“Alright,” I conceded, leaning back against the counter. “Let’s hear it, then.”
Tyler took my hand and led me into the living area, and the others followed. I could hear soft music playing from distant speakers; some woman singing in a haunting but beautiful voice. Concrete Blonde, maybe. Or Nina Simone.
What the—
There were scented candles lit also — two of them, in fact — filling the air with the warm fragrance of pumpkin and spice. I recognized them as candles I’d brought over to the loft last autumn.
“Okay, what the hell’s going on?”
“With what?” asked Axel.
“The music. The candles. You’re baking brownies…”
“What?” Tyler demanded. “We can’t invite you over and do something nice for you?”
