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Oscar hadn’t hurt me; not like he did Elic. The things he did to his stepson made bile rise in my throat. It wasn’t until I met Elic that I’d found out everything I’d been told was a lie. With the help of Dash, I returned to the house and packed my belongings.I had to get out of there as fast as possible, close another chapter in my love life.
Fortunately, Oscar was in jail thanks to Elic telling the police what happened to him. Oscar had been there since. He couldn’t afford bail. Elic’s boyfriends, who were two members in the same band as Dash, hired an attorney and were going after Oscar for everything they could, in hopes he’d never see the outside of those prison walls again. I was grateful for what they were doing and was cooperating with anything that was asked of me.
Oscar had tried calling me from prison. I changed my phone number, needing a clean break from him.
Elic and I sort of formed a bond over what happened, or I’d like to think we did. It wasn’t the way I’d like to have met him, yet I didn’t regret coming into his life. I waited a bit to get in touch with him after we exchanged numbers, letting the proverbial dust settle.
“I figured it was time.” I’d been told I trusted too easily. Was it so awful to find the best in everyone? With Elic, I knew I could trust him, and I could certainly use a friend.
“We’re happy to have you.” He opened the door to the restaurant.
The sound of people talking hit me first. Next was the rustic interior. Wooden beams were high on the ceiling, bringing the eye toward them and the fans which helped circulate the air. The design flowed well from the outside in. Round tables were pushed near each other with enough room to move past, while also being able to speak to those nearby.
A blond-haired, gorgeous man lifted his head as if sensing my presence. Hazel eyes met mine. I only knew what color they were because I got lost in them the last time I saw Dash. He didn’t notice me staring back then, which was good.
A night years ago, I’d slept with his brother, Slater. I was backstage, and one thing led to another. It was meaningless sex.Slater hadn’t held me captive like Dash had. When Dash had volunteered to help me pack and move my belongings, I saw him in a different light. He was no longer the hot rockstar who probably slept his way through people. Honestly, I didn’t know if he was the type or not, which I shouldn’t have assumed. The Dash I saw the day in Oscar’s house cared about my well-being. He wasn’t superficial.
A slow grin lit Dash’s face. He had a bit of scruff today with his hair pulled back in a bun. I couldn’t decide which I liked better. He was sexy with it up and down.
Pushing his chair back, Dash got up and came toward me. Jeans hugged his legs as his booted feet thumped on the floor. So that was his motorcycle I saw outside. There was no reason for him to dress like this otherwise, especially since the July heat had settled in for the summer in eastern Pennsylvania. He’d mentioned he rode one, but I hadn’t seen it before.
“Tristan,” he said when he got close. “It’s great to see you again.” He leaned forward like he was about to hug me but pulled back at the last minute.
“You too.”
“Are you ready to eat? This is one of my favorite dining experiences. Did Elic explain it to you?”
I shook my head and glanced at Elic, who smiled. “I’ll let Dash do it,” Elic said, then slipped away to his boyfriends.
If Dash wouldn’t have been standing here, I would have felt unmoored by Elic’s quick departure. As I glanced to where he took a seat on Casper’s lap, Elic whispered something to his lover, who looked my way.
Dash stepped into my line of sight. “Ignore them. They’re always scheming.”
“Scheming? About what?”
Instead of responding to my question, he shrugged and changed the subject. “Once a quarter, we get to be the guineapigs for Cade’s new menu options. She’s Reed and Casper’s sister. Well, Casper’s stepsister. Anyway, she manages the restaurant and likes to swap out the specials seasonally with new ones geared toward the upcoming change in weather and holidays. What we’re going to try today will be fall-themed comfort food, which I am here for.” He rubbed his flat stomach over his shirt.
“Does she ask for feedback?”
“Yeah, she expects us to be honest. That’s why it’s only family and friends here.”
“What if I don’t like it? I wouldn’t want to hurt her feelings.” Upsetting people was hard for me. It was funny, considering I had alienated all of my casual friends when I dated Oscar. That was what I did though. The second I fell in love, that person became my entire world. Some friends would take me back, but I was at the bare minimum before I met Oscar. There was no hope of winning them again.
Looking around the room of smiling faces, I hoped to make new friends today.
“You’d have to do a lot to make her hate you,” Dash said. “She’s got thick skin. Besides, she’s not the chef. Cade takes notes and they brainstorm on how to improve the dishes. Look at it this way: if you aren’t honest and the food isn’t good, they’re going to end up serving shitty dishes to their customers. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
I frowned. “No, that would be terrible for everyone.”
“Right.” He grinned. “Honesty is best. Come on, you can squeeze in between me and Reed. I’ll save you from my brother unless you’ve still got a thing for him.”
Tearing my eyes off the people at the tables, I looked at Dash, really looked at him. He tried to hide behind a smile that was too big and too forced. There was a vulnerability beneath it.
Carefully, I put my hand on his forearm, not knowing how he’d react to me touching him. It was meant to be comforting. “I don’t have any interest in Slater,” I told him honestly. “What happened between us was years ago. I didn’t think about him after it happened until I saw Elic with members of your band. Then you were there that day, bringing what happened between Slater and me out in the open.”
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
“You didn’t. My point is, I didn’t—don’t—think about your brother.”
