Page 39 of Toren

Toren had known Donovan for a very long time, and Donovan had never even mentioned a father. He was raised by a single mother until she married Donovan’s stepdad when Donovan was in middle school. They’d been together ever since, the perfect little blended family.

“Paid off their mothers to relinquish custody.”

“But not yours?”

“Not mine.”

“Why did she bother deathbed-confessing the whole thing if she loved you enough to keep you herself?” Donovan asked, and Toren winced at the callousness of the question, but Andrew seemed to take it in stride.

“She didn’t want me to be alone. She wanted me to know I had brothers.”

“I already have a brother,” Donovan said.

“Yeah.” Andrew cleared his throat and stood up, brushing his hands over the tops of his thighs. “It’s probably nothing, anyway. I don’t even know for sure. You just look so much like him, it would be something if you weren’t. I shouldn’t have even said anything. I’m sorry.”

Andrew tried to make for the door, but Donovan stood and used his body to stop Andrew from getting out of the room. The moment was clearly for them, and Toren didn’t want to interrupt it, but Andrew’s twitching fingers were an invitation Toren didn’t want to ignore. He joined Andrew and Donovan in the middle of the room, brushing his knuckles over the top of Andrew’s hand before threading their fingers together gently.

“I can take a DNA test if you want,” Donovan offered, the casual words at war with the tense expression on his face. “If it would mean something to you and your brothers.”

“Would it mean something to you?”

“I don’t know.” Donovan pursed his lips. “My mom has never said anything about my father, so I don’t know if what you’re saying is true.”

“Frank is as much a dad to you as if you were his own son,” Toren offered, not wanting any potential revelations to change the solid relationship Donovan had with his stepfather or his stepbrother.

“Knox is always going to be my brother,” Donovan said. “Even if I end up with more.” He looked at Andrew, studying his face thoughtfully.

Toren had met three of Andrew’s four brothers, and while there were fleeting similarities between them, he really had to see all of the men side by side to notice them. With Marshall and Donovan, though, the resemblance was uncanny.

“You can get my phone number from Toren,” Andrew said. “Whatever you find out, or if you don’t find anything out at all, I…this is not the way I wanted to meet you for the first time. I just couldn’t keep it in when I saw you.”

Donovan’s mouth twitched into a smile at that. “Duly noted.”

Andrew looked at Toren, apologetic, before leaning in and kissing the corner of his mouth. “I’m going to use the bathroom before we go, alright?”

Toren nodded, keeping their fingers joined until Andrew was too far away to maintain contact. Andrew slipped out of the room, closing the door behind him and leaving Toren and Donovan alone in the bright quiet of the playroom.

“Well, that’s not how I expected my night to go.” Donovan sat down on the couch and propped his feet up on the table, crossing them at the ankle.

“Mine either.” Toren sat on the table, shoulders sagging.

“Were you on your way home to fuck?”

Toren’s cheeks flushed, but there was no point in lying to his best friend. “Obviously. And were you on your way here to fuck? I didn’t even know you were in LA.”

“I was feeling feisty and bored.” Donovan shrugged one shoulder toward his ear. “A dangerous combination.”

“I’m heading back home tomorrow,” Toren said.

“And coffee on Monday, then?”

“Just tell me when.”

A silence fell between them, punctuated by the sound of their breathing.

“You like him a lot, don’t you?” Donovan asked.

“I’ve never been with someone like him.”