I lift my head, giving him a wry smile. “Me neither.”
He gives me that easy grin again, like nothing’s changed.
I force myself to smile back, pretending nothing has, and trying to ignore the part of me that knows it has, along with the urge to walk away.
Chapter fifty-six
Tom
The digital display on the kettle ticks up to seventy-five degrees.
The perfect temperature, according to Jay. It gives you five minutes to let the tea diffuse, and five minutes to stare at the cup. By then, it will have reached fifty degrees. The ideal drinking temperature.
I prepare three cups. Earl Grey for Jay, bold and strong for our Earl. Genmaicha for Yosh; he needs his green tea and loves the creamy roasted flavor of the popped rice. Rooibos for me, caffeine-free, because I’m already hyper enough as it is. You know that saying about how owners start to be like their dogs? Same goes for tea.
With the tray in my hands, I turn around. Jay has parked himself in my antique Queen Anne chair. His legs are crossed, hands resting on the armrests, looking like a literal Earl Grey surveying his domain. Yosh’s posture is visibly tense. Neither ofthem is saying a word. They hadn’t even bothered to greet each other.
This is going to be fun.
I carry the tray over and set it on the coffee table. The tension eases a little with my arrival.
Yosh gets his cup first, because fuck the rules of this game.
Jay takes his own cup, then pours mine as well.
Never knew tea service would be a perfect snapshot of our dynamics.
Five minutes to stare at the cup. Nope. Not happening.
“So,” I say, picking up my tea. “What brings you here, Jay?”
Jay raises his own cup, taking a slow inhale of the steam. Then he looks at me.
“We need to talk.”
“About?”
He closes his eyes and when they open, they’re pointed at Yosh, then back to me.
“Family. Loyalty. The way things have been handled.”
“If you’re not here to apologize, brother, there’s the door.”
Jay smirks.
“I want to apologize for what happened the other day. It wasn’t my intention to cause such a stir. But I’m also here to emphasize the importance of honesty. It’s my job to protect my family and I don’t like being played.”
We both look at Yosh. Shit. I didn’t mean to.
Jay, on the other hand, fixes him with an accusing stare. Yosh tucks a strand of hair behind his ear, his eyes sliding away.
“You weren’t being played, Jay. Yosh and I just didn’t think it was relevant.”
I say it like I’ve always known about Yosh’s past, like it’s no big deal. Jay doesn’t deserve the satisfaction of knowing I only found out the other day when he called it out.
Jay narrows his eyes. “I also don’t like…”
He clips his fingers between his brows, then sighs.
