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Connor watched helplessly as Steve brushed by Trey, his head down and staring at the floor, and went out. Connor felt a rising tide of shame for the regret he felt at watching the love of his life walk out the door.
Again.
Chapter Eighteen
TREY EYED CONNOR. He couldn’t miss the guilt on his face, the sheepish way he grinned, the placating way he rose to his feet and planted a kiss on his cheek, even though Trey was drenched in sweat. He’d run well beyond Gas Works Park, all the way into the University District—a good eight miles.
The last thing he’d expected to see was Connor with another man, a hot one at that, looking ready to get busy, right there on the living room floor. Ah well, it was a nice backdrop. How could he blame Connor for doing something Trey would have no hesitancy about doing himself?
But he wasn’t about to tell Connor that.
It was time to play the suspicious spouse to ascertain if there was anything to worry about. Trey left his marks when he was ready, not the other way around.
He looked at the closed door and then back at Connor, who’d moved back to the couch, where he was cowering.You should take pity on him, poor guy. He answered himself.No fucking way.
“So, I’ll ask one more time. What was going on here? Because it looked to me like if I hadn’t come along when I did, I might have seen a lot racier scene.” He snorted. “Maybe something worthy of Pornhub.”
Connor closed his open mouth and tore his red face away from Trey to stare out the window. Trey watched as he gulped a few deep breaths. At last, Connor rose and smiled. “Come on. Nothing was going on here. I’m flattered you were jealous, but I was just comforting an old friend.”
“As one does—on your knees.” Trey snorted. “Yes, I find a guy on his knees in front of me super-comforting.”
“Stop it. Let’s not make too much of this. He was in tears, and I was merely hoping to make him feel better. I do that by showing compassion and concern and not through sex.” Connor shook his head, frowning.
Trey sensed something off. He told himself to dial back his paranoia. “Sorry. I just care about you so much, I can’t bear the idea of you with another guy.”
“Oh, come on, Trey. It was nothing like that.” Connor scratched the back of his neck, then his nose. He shifted weight from one foot to the other. He smiled again, but it was sickly.
What the fuck’s going on?
“Why don’t you go take a shower? You’re ripe!” Connor giggled again. “I’ll fix us some lunch. A nice healthy salad? There’s arugula and those heirloom tomatoes from the farmer’s market.”
Trey stood his ground. “Quit it.”
“What?”
“Trying to change the subject. Who was that guy?”
And at this last question, Connor faltered, looking down, then up, over Trey’s shoulder as if there was an answer written on the hardwood floors or the plaster walls.
“Who? If nothing was going on, you can tell me.”
He could see Connor debating, perhaps grasping for a lie. He knew the signs well enough from his own experience. His dad always used to say, “Don’t shit a shitter.” Maybe Trey had something to worry about now? He hadn’t really thought so when he’d walked in. He’d simply wanted Connor to squirm a bit. But now, his reluctance was telling him hedidhaving something to worry about. Maybe.
“Go take a shower, hon. We’ll talk when you’re done.”
Trey gave him the side-eye. “Tell me.”
Connor sighed when it was obvious he couldn’t win this one. Trey wasn’t about to be evaded. “It was my ex. Steve.”
Trey kept his silence for a good while, hoping Connor’s discomfort would rise. Finally, he moved into the living room and sat on the couch, a couple feet away from his new husband. He stared straight ahead, not giving Connor the benefit of eye contact, even though he knew Connor was staring at him, desperate for Trey’s understanding. Without looking at him, he said, “Really? What was he doing here?”
Connor started to answer with an unintelligible word or two, then stopped.
“Trying to think of a lie?”
Connor’s cheeks, reddening, tattled on him. But he said, “No, no. Not at all.” He went quiet again and then said, “He had a dog, a little Pomeranian named Macy. She passed away.”
Trey cocked his head. “You never told me you had a dog.”
