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14
TOMÁS
As soon as I walked through the door of Eddie’s Drive-In, the coffee aroma hit me, bringing back memories from my childhood in Forestville. I breathed it in, the familiar bittersweet tang stirring a mix of nostalgia and restlessness inside me. Funny how smells had such strong associations, even decades later.
The diner looked the same, cozy and worn, with greasy red vinyl booths lining the walls under old photographs of logging crews and the town’s early days. Locals crowded along the counter while others lingered over plates of Eddie’s famous apple pie.
I slid into an empty booth by the window, the cracked seat creaking under me. My leg bounced with pent-up energy, matching the chaotic spin of my thoughts. I’d been in town for over nine months, only leaving when I had a shoot and returning right after. Tiago’s guest room had somehow become my home, and how insane was that?
What was I doing back here after all these years? Forestville had never been enough for me, not when fame and fortune waited beyond its borders. Yet here I was, drawn back like the tides to the shore. I’d expected to be bored out of my mind by now, but I kept returning. Even Paris hadn’t managed to keep my attention, and I’d been drawn back by this strange connection. Was it my brother who beckoned me? Or was there something else at play?
A part of me had never left this place. I hadn’t realized it until Tiago had settled here. I’d figured we’d left Forestville in the rearview mirror, but I couldn’t deny that the reunion and Tiago buying a house here had changed something for me as well.
I gazed out the window. Across the street, Forestville High bathed in the golden light of the summer sun, and a quiver of longing stirred inside me. I’d had a good childhood here. A great one, even. On some level, I craved the simplicity I’d scorned in my youth, a life anchored in the rhythms of small-town life rather than the breakneck pace of the fashion world. But Forestville couldn’t be my reality anymore, could it? Its tranquil peace was way beyond my restless spirit. Nothing here could fill the void inside me, so why couldn’t I stay away? The idea of living in my brother’s house for the rest of my life, forced to be content with the crumbs of his time and affection, was…dramatic. Ridiculous. I was being a massive drama queen, and I needed to quit it right fucking now.
The scent of fresh coffee wafted into my nostrils as a full mug slid onto the table before me. I glanced up. Auden regarded me with a warm look, cradling a mug in his big hands. “I got you your coffee, Tomás. Black as the night, just like you prefer.”
I grinned. “Wanna divorce your husband and marry me instead?”
He settled into the seat across from me, his gray eyes glinting with humor. “I love you, but no. Hell no. I’m not letting go of Keaton for anything or anyone.”
My heart warmed at the love in his tone. “Nor should you. When you find something that rare and precious, you hold on to it.”
“I intend to.” Auden’s eyes softened. “He makes me so, so happy. Happier than I ever thought myself capable of.”
“I couldn’t be happier for you, and I mean that with all my heart. Now granted, I was a little offended you didn’t discover your bisexual side earlier, as I’m sure we could’ve had some fun, but I’m willing to overlook that.”
“How magnanimous of you.”
I chuckled. “You wouldn’t have gone for me anyway. Marnin would’ve been your first choice. You guys were closer than brothers.”
Auden made a face. “I do think of him as my brother, so I’d appreciate you not putting incestuous thoughts about him in my head, thank you very much.”
I held up my hands. “Say no more. I’ll shut up about it.”
“You have my eternal gratitude.”
I sipped my coffee. “Thanks for meeting me,” I said softly.
“Anytime.”
“You’re not gonna ask why I wanted to talk to you?”
He shrugged. “You’ll tell me when you’re ready. And if not, I still don’t mind spending some time with an old friend.”
Auden was like a rock and always had been. Dependable, strong, unflappable. He’d been the peacemaker, the one who kept us in line and prevented us from pulling stunts that were too crazy.
“I admire you, you know that?” I said.
“For what?”
“For being so…so okay with who you are, with your life. Like, you discovered you were bisexual, and you never missed a beat. Just embraced it and kept going, only now with Keaton by your side. I envy you for that flexibility.”
He scratched his beard. “I think it comes from having such a strong foundation, from having grown such deep roots here. A tree that has deep roots can weather any storm. It’s the ones with shallow root systems you have to worry about.”
“Do I have shallow roots?”
“That’s for you to figure out.”
