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They made felt Christmas trees and hung them on the wall, and they gave each other gas station and dollar store gifts wrapped in newspaper. It was the best of the worst years of his life, and now he wanted to do the same thing for his friend.
“What if we close up shop for a week once the season dies down and take a big family vacation? You can even invite Khai to come along. We can get a beach house and we can all take turns on night duty so you can get some actual rest.”
Jori’s eyes were wide and red like he was about to cry. “Yeah. Maybe…yeah. Let me think about it?”
Caleb nodded and didn’t press the issue, but he knew damn well Jori wasn’t going to turn him down. He shifted toward the end of the couch, then his phone started to buzz, and he glanced at the screen to see Luke’s name.
“Text,” he spelled quickly against Jori’s palm before opening it.
Luke: Shop business. Come now. Fast. No DST.
NoDeaf Standard Timewas their code for emergency, which could be anything from an exploded oven to some Karen having a screaming fit because the barista couldn’t hear her speaking. But he knew Luke wouldn’t call him in if it was for nothing. Caleb been avoiding work the last few days just to let himself calm down and get over the fact that his condo was half-empty—not that he knew what Cameron had taken since he hadn’t been brave enough to look yet.
But if Luke was giving the Bat Signal, it was time to go.
“Work emergency. Want to roll in with me?”
Jori shook his head, then rubbed his fist in a circle over his chest. “Sorry. Khai has classes all morning, and I don’t want to take Mila in if it’s going to be loud.”
Caleb nodded, then stood up and pulled Jori into a hug before pressing a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. He dropped his hand into Jori’s to spell instead of giving him sign space, and kept him half in a hug. “You text me if you need me. Any time. I’ll do overnights.”
Jori’s brow furrowed as he put the letters together, then his face softened and he shook his head before dropping his forehead into the crook of Caleb’s neck, letting out a long sigh.
“Thank you,” dropping the sign from his lips—a kiss of affection that meant the world to Caleb.
They were family, after all. They wouldn’t just die for each other. They’d live for each other.
Saying goodbye to the cold pack and hello to his pressing headache, Caleb headed back to the street, hopped in his car, and made the drive down to BrewBiz.
As he came around the corner, he could immediately see what the fuss was about. There was a traffic jam of cars waiting to turn into their tiny strip-mall parking lot, and there was a line at the door that stretched out toward the street. Caleb’s heart was beating in his throat, and he went around the corner, taking the back alley with the No Entry sign and parking next to the delivery van.
He could feel his pulse thudding from inside his neck, and he took a couple of calming breaths as he walked in through the kitchen doorway. Without Jori there, the room was still apart from the flashing light on the oven indicating a timer was going off, and it only took a second before Wren hustled in and threw the oven door open.
Caleb gave him a second, then knocked on the wood baking table and Wren whipped around, pressing a hand to his heart. “You scared the shit out of me!” he signed with one hand, the other holding a wobbling baking tray. He set it down and Caleb saw the cookies that were from Peyton’s dough delivery. Wren’s mouth formed a small, perfect o and his index fingers pinched against his thumbs.Do-do?
Caleb’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Luke texted me. What’s going on? The line outside is bigger than our grand opening.”
“Nothing. Go home,” Wren signed, but Caleb could see from his expression that he was hiding something.
Caleb’s lips thinned.Pop-cork.
Wren wasn’t giving in. “We’re fine. It’s fine.”
“Tell me or I’m going to go out there and find out for myself,” he warned.
Wren threw up his hands in defeat. “Fine. Let’s go into your office.”
Caleb led the way, ignoring his rage and pretending like his knees weren’t shaking because while a line of customers should be a good thing, the look on Wren’s face said it was anything but. He got the door open, flicking on all the lights, then turned and rested his ass against his desk, lifting a brow at his brother.
Wren’s fingers twisted together—his nervous habit whenever he was trying to gather his thoughts and make sure he got his signs right. He shook out his wrists, then squared his shoulders like he was about to tell Caleb he was going off to war.
“Someone posted the video the other night.”
Caleb’s frown deepened. “What video?”
Wren dragged his tongue over his lips, and Caleb could see him sucking in a deep breath, then letting it out. “When you and Cameron were…” The sign they were all using for Cameron now was ‘dick’ which had amused him at first. Now it just sent dread pooling in his stomach because he knew what Wren was saying.
Thevideo.
