Chapter 22
That night Rico was restless and it wasn't because the small sofa was uncomfortable. He slept in plenty of uncomfortable places, but that was back before he met Mitch, when his mind was clear, his heart free of this hopeless yearning, and his body wasn't being torn apart by this screaming need for a man that was only as far as a flight of stairs.
If only he didn't get a taste of Mitch, this would be a lot easier. This was a torture of his own making for getting it on with a self-professed straight guy.
His phone sounded with a text from Sam, but Rico decided he would rather hear a friendly voice so he called him. "Hey, Sam."
"I was just checking up on you," Sam said.
"I'm still alive and awake," Rico told him.
"It must be weird staying over there," Sam said.
Rico couldn't deny it. "Kind of. I'm sleeping in one of the rooms downstairs, and I have a two-by-four within easy reach."
"I'm sure you won't need it," Sam said a little worriedly.
"I hope not. Maybe it was Stella who broke in here trying to get at Mitch," he said with a groan.
"Aha. You're more than a match for her, you know. You just have to make your stand and not back down," Sam lectured him.
"I think I'll hold on to the last of my dignity instead."
Moving on to a more cheerful subject, Rico got an update on the wedding preparations, and then they said goodnight. Setting his phone aside, Rico had another go at falling asleep but failed.
Since he wasn't sleeping anyway, Rico got up and patrolled the downstairs. Nothing was going on until he heard footsteps on the stairs and saw that Mitch was coming down.
"Everything OK?" Mitch asked.
"Yeah. I was just checking around," Rico told him.
"Couldn't sleep?" Mitch said casually, but Rico heard it as an accusation. He was so on edge around him that anything he said might rub him the wrong way.
"I'm fine," Rico said defensively and tried to walk away.
"If you hate being here..." Mitch started to say, and Rico spun around to face him again.
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" he asked. Mitch seemed glad to have him stay over, but maybe he changed his mind.
"No, but if you really don't want to be here..."
"You need backup. That's the only reason I'm here. Not because I want to be." Rico let out a loud, frustrated breath. He knew he was getting defensive again.
"For God's sake. It was raining like crazy. Sammy was already asleep so I couldn't drive anywhere unless I wanted to wake her," Mitch said in that harsh voice he used when he got fed-up with him.
"I get it," Rico said evenly. He had heard it before, and it didn't make him feel any better then either.
"No you don't or you wouldn't have that look on your face," Mitch said.
"What look?" Rico said but he made sure not to meet his eyes.
"That pissed off look," Mitch stated.
"You have a pissed off look," Rico accused him right back and raised his gaze off the floor to glare at him.
"That's because you won't believe me," Mitch said leaning forward into his space.
Rico watched his jaw clench under his beard, traced the outline of his lips as they pressed together. The more closely Rico looked at him, the more he lost his will to fight. "Does it matter?" he asked feeling hopeless. "I mean, whatever happened, this whole thing opened my eyes. I need to cut my losses."
