Chapter Thirteen
Everett
Everett watched the lanky brunette flash him a grin before he sank into the booth, facing Everett.
“I’m glad you called me.” Matt said as he shrugged out of his wind breaker. The late August morning brought a cloudy sky and the threat of rain. The gloomy weather matched Everett’s mood.
“Me too. Thanks for coming.” Everett talked to Xavier for half the previous night. When he woke, he felt a little better, but needed to get an opinion from someone not involved in the whole mess.
“I have to say, I was a little shocked to hear from you. And you know Craig is going to skin you alive when he finds out you met Mr. Internet without backup.”
A waitress came by with a coffee for Matt. Neither Matt or Everett ordered breakfast, but the waitress promised to come back and check on them in a few minutes.
“Yeah, Craig will be pissed.” Everett admitted. “And then he’s going laugh his ass off at me and the mess I’ve made of everything.”
Matt raised an eyebrow and stirred a couple spoons of sugar into his coffee.
Everett filled Matt in. Because he already knew about Puck1073 and his submissive blog, it was easier to explain. Matt listened patiently as Everett told him about the other day when he’d agreed to meet his online Dom. Everett sighed. It had only been a few days, but he got so wrapped up in Xavier that he didn’t know what he’d do if Xavier decided that making things right with Andrew was more important to him than his relationship with Everett.
When he got all the details out, Matt set his coffee on the table and leaned back. He rubbed the back of his neck and gave Everett a sympathetic look.
“There’s only one thing you can do, Everett.”
“What’s that?”
“Well, you started something with Xavier and now you’ve got to see it through. He’s your boyfriend and your Dom, and you owe it to him and yourself to see this through. You can’t back out now because Andrew doesn’t approve. Believe me.”
Everett recalled a certain uncomfortable scene not to long ago at Craig’s engagement party. “You and your brother don’t get along well, if I remember correctly.”
Matt laughed. “Yeah. That’s putting it nicely. Cam,” Matt glared down at the table. When he raised his gaze again, Everett could see an underlying sadness there. Clearly the rift with his brother bothered him. “Cam doesn’t understand the lifestyle we’re in. Not only that, but Cam has been furthering his own agenda for years under the guise of doing what was best for me. We don’t see eye to eye on pretty much anything.” Matt shrugged a shoulder and his face brightened a little. “But I have Steve now. And Craig. I have friends at the restaurant and the club. I don’t need Cam in my life.”
“Andrew’s my best friend. He’s been my only family for years. I went through something shitty, and he was there for me. He never turned his back on me.”
“He’ll either come around, or he won’t and there’s probably little you can do to change that. You can apologize, and you can even mean it, but that doesn’t mean he has to accept your apology.”
Everett frowned. He stared into his untouched up of coffee, then shoved it away.
“Hey, I hate to run, but I’m helping set up one of the private rooms for a demo later.” Matt shifted his weight and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. He tossed a bill on the table, enough to cover their coffees and include a nice tip. Then he pulled out a card and handed it to Everett. “Come by the club sometime and we can talk more if you want. Steve and I are usually there all weekend.”
Everett nodded and tucked the card into his back pocket. “Thanks, Matt.” Everett rose and followed Matt out of the diner. He had footage at home to edit and upload.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t much help.” Matt shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked nervously on the balls of his feet.
“No, you were great. Really. It was nice to talk to someone who isn’t in the middle of it.” Everett sighed. “I understand Andrew might not come around, but the whole thing sucks. He’s my best friend. I don’t want him to hate me, but I don’t want to hurt Xavier.”
Matt reached out and put a hand on Everett’s shoulder. He gave it a gentle squeeze. “Give him time, Everett. You did the right thing, by coming clean with him right away. I think that will go a long way to making him feel better about it.” Matt glanced at his watch. “Okay. I’m officially running late. I have to go.”
Matt must have seen the look of regret on Everett’s face because he laughed. “Don’t worry, Everett. Yes, I’m in trouble,” he winked, “but sometimes I like being in trouble.”
Everett laughed. “I don’t even want to know.”
Matt winked. “Call me sometimes and we’ll do this again.”
Everett nodded. “I’d like that.”
“Me, too.” Matt said, then turned on his heel and hurried up the street. He looked over his shoulder and tossed a hurried good-bye wave at Everett before disappearing around the corner.
Everett hadn’t taken two steps before his phone rang. He smiled when the screen lit up with Rory’s name. “Hey.” Everett answered brightly.
“Hey yourself. You were supposed to check in. Remember.”
“Oh, shit.” Everett’s stomach sank. “I’m sorry.”
“Oh sure, now he’s sorry. Now that I dragged my ancient ass across town to check up on your beautiful butt and you’re not even home. Not that I’m complaining that you left your apartment, but now you need to tell me where you are so I can come see you for myself.”
Everett rattled off the name and address of the cafe he’d just left. He shook his head. They might think he was nuts, but it was close to his apartment and he wanted to talk with Rory.
“Get your ass to a table and stay put.” The call ended abruptly, and Everett stared at his phone. He wished he would’ve remembered to check in with Rory. Andrew and Rory were his family. Andrew, his best friend who had been like a brother to him for years now. Rory, who’d been a surrogate parent. Rory took him under his kinky, rainbow wings. He’d helped him build the Murphy Dungeon and helped him find a decent therapist after his attack. He’d filled in so many gaps in Everett’s life.
Despite knowing Rory wasn’t mad, and that he wouldn’t want Everett to go into guilt mode for forgetting to check in, he did anyway. He’d gotten so wrapped up in Xavier that he forgot about everything else. Everett furrowed his brow as he slid back into the booth he’d not long ago vacated. Maybe Andrew had a right to be upset. He’d ignored his friends, two of the people who meant the most to him.
While he waited for Rory, Everett shot out a text to Andrew. He apologized for ignoring him. Apologized for not apologizing sooner, or in person. Apologized for yesterday and anything else he could think to apologize for.
Rory dropped into the booth opposite to him. Purple hair now, instead of blue, cropped slightly shorter than it had been last time Everett saw him. Rory raised an eyebrow. “You were supposed to call me.”
Everett’s cheeks heated. “Yeah. I’m sorry. I got distracted.”
“That distraction wouldn’t happen to be a sweet, sexy, brunette who dances like a dream and only has eyes for you would it.”
Everett dropped his gaze. “Sorry. I meant to call.”
“You should be sorry. I’m an old protective queen and you’re the kid I never had.” Rory put his elbows on the table, twined his fingers together and set his chin on his knuckles. “Tell me all about him.”
Everett squirmed in his seat. He knew Rory would drag every last sordid detail out of him. He glanced around then leaned a little closer to Rory. “He’s a Dom.” Everett’s wrists tingled under the leather cuffs. Even thinking about Xavier lit Everett up inside. He started at the beginning. He told Rory about the Dom who’d piqued his interest and the in-person meeting that turned Everett’s world on its ear.
“We have so much in common, Rory. Being with him is the easiest thing in the world. I'm like a love-sick teenager because I haven’t talked to him since last night, early this morning actually, and I already want to hear his voice.”
“So why did you look like someone shit in your cereal when I walked in?”
Everett took a deep breath and sighed on the exhale. “Xavier is Andrew’s younger brother.”
Rory gave Everett a sympathetic smile. “And your friend is less than happy with you fucking his baby brother?”
Everett grimaced. “Dude. Blunt much?”
Rory shrugged. He never walked on eggshells.
“He seemed more upset by the idea of Xavier hurting me, than me hurting Xavier. I understood that he’s protective of me, but I didn’t expect this.” Everett wrapped his arms around his torso. “I hurt him, Rory. He got mad and I panicked a little and I flinched.”
“Andrew, he’s the big muscle bear friend?”
Everett nodded. “He’d never hurt me. I know that, and he knows that I know it.”
“But in the moment, it wasn’t your rational brain doing the thinking. Your instinct took over. Your emotions were heightened, and you did what you needed to do to feel comfortable and safe in the moment, and there’s no shame in that. Andrew can be hurt by it all he wants, but if he’s any friend at all he’ll understand.” Rory reached out and rubbed Everett’s arm. “Now, tell me…did you show your Dom the Murphy Dungeon?”
Everett’s cheeks heated to inferno levels. “Yes.” Everett groaned. “To make it all worse, Andrew spotted it.”
Rory covered his mouth to hide a smile. “Oh, God. Everett. That’s rotten luck.”
“Don’t I know it. I finally use it and then it turns into one more reason for my best friend to hate me. He’s mad I hid it from him.”
“Why would he be angry that you hid your sex life from him? Unless…”
Everett pointed his finger at Rory. “No. Do not go there.”
“Unless he’s sad your sex life never included the possibility of him participating in it.”
Everett shook his head. “No. Absolutely not. We’re like brothers. And he’s straight.”
“Oh honey, we both understand how deep the closet goes.”
“He can’t have feelings for me.” Everett said in a dejected tone.
“Why not?”
“Because then I’m the biggest asshole alive, because not only did I not see it, ever, not even a hint, not even once. But then I went and hooked up with his brother.” Everett covered his face with his hands and shook his head. “If you’re right I’m going to kick your ass.”
“That won’t help anyone, dear. Besides, I could take you with one arm tied behind my back.”
“You’re getting senile.”
Rory glared at him, but Everett could still see the affection and warmth in Rory’s eyes. “Watch it, Pup.” Rory’s phone pinged, and he pulled it out, glanced at the screen, then tucked it back into the inside pocket of his blazer.
Everett smiled at his friend. “How goes it with hot cop?”
“He has a name you know.”
Everett grinned. “I remember.”
Rory smiled, but it seemed forced. “He still wants more than I can give him.” Rory plucked a napkin out of the holder and twisted it. “I’m not sure how much longer we can keep going like this. I love him, but it kills me sometimes when I realize I’m not enough for him.”
Everett reached out and put his hand over Rory’s. “You’ll figure it out, Rory. Both of you will. You and Nick care about each other too much to give up without a fight.”
Rory shrugged a shoulder. “You’ll have to have faith enough for the both of us.” Rory sighed. “Come on. Let’s go up to your place and day drink. I’m sure you have some wine laying around.”
Everett stood and wrapped an arm around Rory’s thin waist. “While day drinking sounds fun, I think you should talk to Nick. Hiding in my apartment won’t solve your problems.”
Rory smirked. “Worked for you, didn’t it? You landed that sexy little brunette.”
Everett poked Rory in the side. “That sexy brunette is off limits.”
Rory sighed. “Fine. Be greedy.”
Everett untangled himself from Rory and squeezed his shoulder. “I have hours of footage to edit together, but how about you and I double date one night. Me and Xavier and you and Nick. We’ll all go out somewhere.”
Rory grinned. “You’d leave your apartment for me?”
Everett shook his head. “Why does everyone think I don’t leave my apartment?”
“Because you don’t.” Rory scoffed, and his smile faltered. “I’ll have to see if Nick is up to it. Okay?”
“I can live with that. Take care of yourself, Rory.” Everett gave Rory another hug, then set out for home. He had hours of footage to edit if he wanted to get a new video up.
Everett had sat down to work when Xavier texted and invited himself over for dinner after work. Sort of. Everett squirmed as he read the text again.
Xavier: Shower. Shave. Plug.
Everett pressed down on his hard-on with the heel of his hand.
He was never going to get any work done.