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Micah nodded, but he didn’t feel any less confused. “His girlfriend kicked him out, and he needed a place to crash. Like you said, he does have his uses, like how he knows a hell of a lot more about this farm and pack business than I do.” He shrugged. “Besides, it gets lonely out here.”
“So, he’s just your roommate?”
“And my best friend.” August knew that. They’d all grown up together, ran during full moons together, and at one time, the three of them had been nearly inseparable. “Ant, what’s going on?”
A blush crept into August’s face, staining the tops of his cheeks with flecks of crimson. “When Meredith gave me your number, she said a lot of things. Namely, she told me you’d signed a lease on an apartment with your partner.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Micah groaned, but at least he managed to bite back his caustic assessment of August’s big-mouthed, gossiping friend.
“You know, she makes it really hard for me to like her.”
Surprisingly, August snickered. “I know. She means well, though.” He linked his fingers together behind his back and scuffed his toe across the hardwood floor. “So, you’re not screwing Ian, huh?”
“No, sweetheart, I’m not screwing Ian.”
“And he’s not your partner?”
“We were in the middle of the pharmacy. I couldn’t exactly tell her he was my beta.” In hindsight, he probably shouldn’t have volunteered as much information as he had. He’d know better in the future. “I told her I’d just ended the lease on my old apartment and was moving into my family home with my business partner.”
“Well, this is awkward.”
They both laughed, and the tension that had saturated the atmosphere since August’s arrival began to dissipate.
“This doesn’t mean I forgive you,” August added. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Micah Hayden.”
“I know.” August hadn’t issued an outright denial, though, and that kiss certainly hadn’t been a for-old-time’s-sake kind of kiss. “How about we start with dinner and a movie?”
Chapter six
“Salem’s Lot,Pet Sematary, orCarrie, the original 1976 version with Sissy Spacek.” Micah held up the DVDs and smirked, clearly pleased with his choices.
After dinner, they’d put away the leftovers, cleaned the kitchen, and August had heated the pie per Miss Lula’s instructions. Then they’d moved to the living room, where he’d curled up on the loveseat with a glass of water and a killer headache.
He and Micah had a lot to discuss, twelve years’ worth of secrets, to be precise. Maybe there had been some miscommunication about Ian, but that didn’t change the past. It didn’t change the things Micah had said or the way he’d ended things between them, and damn it, August wanted answers.
Unfortunately, he’d barely made it through the first movie, and he didn’t have much confidence that he’d last through another Stephen King classic. “Actually, I think I’m going to call it a night.”
“You look like shit,” Ian commented, though he didn’t look away from the television.
“You do look a bit pale,” Micah agreed. “Are you feeling okay?”
August waved away his concern as he bent over to pull on his shoes. The world spun, and he clenched his teeth to muffle the groan that rolled up from his chest.
“It’s just a headache.”
“Let me drive you back.”
“I’m fine, Micah.” His tone was sharper than he’d intended, but he felt like shit and just wanted to make it out to his car without a big production. “I’m just going to go home, take some aspirin, and sleep it off. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
He managed to get to his feet, but he had to stop twice and use the arm of the sofa for support when he began to sway. Blood roared in his ears, his vision blurred, and with each heartbeat, white-hot pain lanced through his temples.
“Whoa, easy there.” Micah moved quickly, catching August around the waist and tucking him against his side. “You havetwo choices. You can either stay here, or you can let me drive you back to Meredith’s place.” His voice softened, and he nuzzled against August’s cheek. “I’m not letting you behind the wheel, though.”
Micah’s warmth and strength surrounded him, chasing away the chill, and August leaned into him with a quiet sigh. “Okay,” he agreed.
“Which is it, sweetheart? Are you staying or going?”
“You drive,” August mumbled, pressing even closer to his mate. “All my stuff is at Meredith’s.”
