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“Just let me die,” Emil groaned.
Renzo laughed, but the sound wasn’t mocking. “Come on, baby. If it helps, I’m still absolutely fucking wild about you, and I wish you were here. I wish you’d stayed so we could have made out until the very last second before I had to leave.”
Emil’s cheeks burned for a different reason now. “I’m sorry I fucked it up. And I won’t see you until after the new year, and…”
“About that,” Renzo interrupted.
Emil swallowed back the rest of his sentence and let out a shaking breath. “I totally get it if you want a little more time.”
“Actually,” Renzo said, and Emil swore he could hear his smile, “Matty’s not having it that you’re going to be alone for the holidays, so if you don’t mind spending Christmas with a couple of guys you barely know, who can only sort of cook a holiday ham, we’d love to have you.”
Emil didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what to think.
“It’s not pity,” Renzo added. “In case you’re working yourself up over that. Matty really likes you. And he does feel a little sorry for you, but not in a bad way.”
“Thanks,” Emil said from behind a groan, but he was smiling now too. “Uh. I think…yeah. I think I would like that.”
“Good. Great. So I’ll see you tomorrow,” Renzo said in a rush. “Bring pajamas and slippers if you have them, and try to get here before noon because that’s when the festivities start.”
Emil felt a sudden rush of panic. “Are there going to be other people?”
“It’s just me and Matts this year,” Renzo said. “And you.”
And him.
Because they wanted him there.
He was wanted.
“I’ll see you at noon” was all Emil managed to get out, and then silence carried them for a while until Emil was brave enough to say good night and hang up.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
“Does he know,”Matty demanded, pacing the room with his arms crossed over his chest, hands splayed out in his ultimate posture of irritation, “that it’s Christmas? That he’s late and that’s rude?”
“I’m sure he’s battling holiday traffic, bud,” Renzo said. He didn’t want to admit to his brother that he was low-key panicking too. Matty’s anxiety always manifested in anger, and Renzo was more the type to just shut down.
But he’d gone to bed thinking everything was good. And Emil had been mostly communicative that morning. But right around ten, he went radio silent, and it was fifteen past noon. Granted, Renzo said that noon was the preferable time for him to show up, not a requirement, but his messages had gone unread since late that morning, so he didn’t know what to think.
There was every chance Emil was back in his head and he’d decided to run again.
And if that was the case, Renzo was going to hunt him down and beat the shit out of him. Probably more verbally than anything, but he’d bring Matty along to get a few swings in.
He couldn’t let this happen again. He couldn’t allow someone close to let them all down.
“Call him,” Matty demanded.
Renzo rubbed at his face. “No. That’s not safe, and you know it.”
“I don’t care. I don’t care…about safe,” Matty said, stomping his foot. His nostrils flared, and his cheeks went very pink, and Renzo snapped into action.
He moved across the room and stood in front of his brother, capturing his gaze for as long as Matty was comfortable holding it. “We’re not going to do this, bud. This is Christmas, and Emil was an invited guest. And I know you put a lot of effort into his gift, but sometimes things don’t work out. Throwing a tantrum isn’t going to change Emil’s mind.”
“Why would he not come? What did you say?” Matty demanded.
Renzo’s eyes widened. “Cute that you blame me.”
“He was sad. And lonely,” Matty told him, taking a step back. “Maybe you were mean!”
