“I wasn’t.” Katt sighed. “It kind of made sense. I mean, they wouldn’t want it going around campus what they’d done, which would draw them into a closer-knit society. And it would prove how much they wanted to be part of the brotherhood if they were willing to…”
“Sounds like a lot of bullshit to me,” Lucas scoffed. “I’d bet both my nuts they’re all a bunch of closeted, repressed gays just looking for reasons to do—andwatch—gay shit, and still call themselves straightalphamales.Pft.Ain’t nothin’ morealphathan that man right there.” He gestured at Samson.
The big man smiled small, then returned his focus to Katt. He had yet to remark on the situation, though he seemed to hang on Katt’s every word as if analyzing everything that Katt said.
“Pardon me for saying,” Sean joined in. “But you don’t seem like the fraternity type. Why would you go to these lengths just to join theirbrotherhood?”
Katt shook his head. “I had no interest in it, until…” His words stopped as a band of pressure squeezed his chest.
“Until what?” Mickey asked softly, resting his chin on Katt’s shoulder.
“Until Todd invited me to join,” he whispered.
“Why did that change your mind?” Garrett asked.
Katt sniffed and stared at his lap. “Todd… was my best friend from my intro story.”
12
“So, wait…” Garrett squinted. “Your intro story wastrue?”
Katt nodded. “Most of it. I didn’t actuallyblowhim. But the other stuff we did… yeah.”
“What else wasn’t true?” Marcus asked.
Sighing, Katt said, “The part about him threatening me not to tell anyone, after we went back to school.” He shrugged. “Todd never spoke to me at school. Then, right after school started, his family moved away. By then, we weren’t friends anymore, so he never wrote or called. I didn’t see him again until I went to college.”
Samson pulled a chair closer. “Did you know he was there at the same college?”
“No.”
“Did you approach him when you found out?” Samson asked.
“I didn’t know he was there until he invited me to join his fraternity.”
“Were you telling the truth about him being the one to end your friendship as kids?”
“Yes,” Katt whispered.
“What did he say when you spoke to him at college?”
Katt cleared his throat. “He said he missed being friends with me and was hoping we could be good friends again. He thought that my joining the fraternity would give us a chance to reconnect.” Katt lowered his eyes. “I really thought he meant it.”
“You don’t think he was being sincere?” Garrett asked.
Katt swallowed hard. “No.”
“Why?” Samson asked. “What made you think his intentions weren’t sincere?”
After a couple of attempts to get started, Katt explained about his call to Franco. “All of this,” Katt said thickly, his voice tight. “It was a lie. Fucking amanwasn’t part of the initiation. I mean, I really thought he wanted…” He swallowed hard. “… to be friends again. I don’t know why he did this.”
The men exchanged knowing glances.
“What?” Katt sniffed.
“It’s just athought,”Garrett said. “But maybe the reason Todd ended your friendship before was because… well, maybe that day in the fort, he realized helikeddoing stuff with boys and it freaked him out.”
Mickey hugged Katt’s arm. “And maybe he was upset with you because he thought youdidn’tlike it.”
