As Aiden drove away, a thought rang in the back of his head like distant church bells: never, ever lie to Oliver Jones. Seeing Oliver’s normally playful green eyes glint with anger had scared a gray hair onto Aiden’s head.
Aiden hadn’t meant to lie to him. When he’d told Oliver that morning that everything was fine, he’d known it wasn’t the whole truth, but it hadn’t seemed like a big deal. He’d wanted to see him so badly. It was embarrassing to admit, but he’d just lost his virginity to the guy. He’d needed confirmation that this wasn’t all in his head. The closeness he’d felt with Oliver, the intensity of their sex . . . he still had trouble believing it.
Was this what falling in love felt like?
It didn’t excuse what he’d done, but how could he have known things with Max would escalate the way they had?
For that matter, how could he have known Oliver would accidentally kiss Max? Aiden understood why it’d happened, and he wasn’t angry exactly. More like . . . uncomfortable. His brother and his boyfriend had kissed.
Oh God, what if Max is a better kisser than I am?
Aiden shoved that thought violently away and focused instead on a more troubling realization. Oliver, who had always been able to tell them apart, had gotten them mixed up. Looking back, Aiden wondered if that wasn’t the real reason he’d gotten so angry at Max.
All his life, he’d been a part of a matched set. The Kingsman twins. Never really his own person, but rather half of this separate identity. Then Oliver had come along, and he’d made it so clear, so obvious, that Aiden wasn’t simply Max’s brother. He was a whole person in and of himself, and that’d made Aiden want so badly to figure out who that person was.
It wasn’t Oliver’s fault he’d gotten them mixed up, but it’d poked a sizable hole in Aiden’s new inflated sense of self. Oliver wasn’t infallible, and Aiden wasn’t as different from Max as he’d thought. There was a very real chance this had led Aiden to overreact the tiniest bit.
If he was smart, he’d apologize to Max for accusing him of kissing Oliver on purpose, among other things. He wasn’t certain he could do that, though. Not right now, at least. He was still furious with Max for all the petulant stunts he’d pulled, and now Oliver wasn’t speaking to them to boot. Besides, Aiden couldn’t offer up an apology and expect that to be the end of it. He had to fix things for real, or Oliver would make good on his threat.
“If you ever lie to me again . . .”
Aiden shuddered as he pulled into his driveway and parked. He couldn’t risk losing Oliver. He’d have to work through his issues with Max ASAP, no matter how ugly or painful things got.
When he walked into the house, the sound of voices led him to the dining room, where Mom and Max were sitting with a bag of sandwiches open in front of them. Max was wolfing down what looked like half a cow on bread, in a manner that reminded Aiden of Animal Planet. Mom was watching him with a look of mild concern.
She smiled when she spotted Aiden. “Hey, honey. Want a sandwich?”
Aiden hesitated. He was starving, but after what had happened at breakfast, he didn’t want to risk sitting at the same table as Max.
Max glanced up, eyed him, and then went back to his sandwich as if Aiden weren’t there. Aiden took that as a silent promise of ceasefire and fell into a chair, reaching for a turkey club.
Mom nibbled on her own sandwich, looking nonchalant. “So, what were you two fighting about before?”
Aiden flinched. He did not want to have this conversation right now. He saw Max draw a breath as if to answer for them. Nope, not this time.
He blurted out, “Nothing. It was a little sibling squabble.”
Max shot him a sidelong look but didn’t contradict him.
Mom pursed her lips. “Sure sounded like a full-blown fight to me. I could hear you yelling from the living room.”
“Honestly, it wasn’t a big deal.” Aiden took a bite and pretended to fiddle with the wax paper, hoping Mom would move on.
He had no such luck.
“Oliver left in a hurry.” She set her food down. “He looked upset. In fact, I’ve been to sentencings that were less dour. Any idea what that was about?”
Aiden kept his expression neutral, but across the table Max wilted like old lettuce.
Mom’s eyes snapped over to him. “Max, is there something you’d like to say?”
Aiden glared at him. He’d always thought Max’s “twin telepathy” was a joke, but that didn’t stop him from broadcasting, Play it cool, play it cool, play it cool.
Max opened and closed his mouth several times. “It’s all Aiden’s fault.”
Goddamn it.
Aiden bristled. “How is this my fault?”
“If you hadn’t thrown such a giant tantrum, Oliver wouldn’t have left.”
“I threw a tantrum? Me? You’re the one who—”
“Boys.”
That one word, said with all the gut-wrenching force of a frustrated mother, stopped them both in their tracks.
Mom massaged one of her temples. “I don’t know what’s going on between you two, and frankly, I don’t care. I have my suspicions, but since you seem determined to act like children instead of young men, I’ll cut to the chase. Do you two remember having sleepovers with Oliver when you were children?”
“Of course,” Aiden said.
Max frowned. “What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Remember how he was the only one of your friends who was allowed to stay over on a school night?”
Aiden thought back. “Actually, yeah. Why was that?”
“Because your father and I knew he was having a hard time at home. We made a point of welcoming him here. He was such a sensitive boy, and a good influence on you two. We were thrilled when you all started hanging out again.”
Max rolled a shoulder. “Not for nothing, Mom, but what’s your point?”
“My point is”—her tone became sharp and cold, like a winter storm—“if I find out you two chased that young man off with your petty arguing, there will be hell to pay. Especially if you’re fighting over him like he’s one of your video games.”
We’re fighting over Oliver all right. But not the way you think.
Aiden peeked across the table, only to catch Max watching him. He was still frowning, but his eyes had a watery look that made Aiden’s chest clench.
I should say something. But Mom’s here, and I don’t think I have the words. Maybe Oliver’s right. I am stubborn.
Aiden finished his sandwich in two bites and stood up. “I’m going to my room.”
Neither Mom nor Max attempted to stop him. After a brief detour to the kitchen to throw his sandwich paper away and grab some water, he locked himself in his room.
For two whole hours, he managed to keep himself busy. He checked his school email, sent some of his old notes to a former classmate in need, and caught up on some much-neglected reading. Before long, though, he started to get antsy.
It went without saying that he missed Oliver, and although he was angry at Max, he was used to having him around. Normally, by this point in the day, Max would have cajoled him into a game of pool, or a movie marathon. Aiden had to admit, much as he’d complained that Max was stifling him, he had no idea how to be alone.
I thought my main motivation for patching things up with Max would be getting Oliver back. It didn’t occur to me I’d genuinely miss him.
He gave up on pretending to read and wandered out of his room. Mom had gone back to the office, but at some point, Dad had gotten home and was busying himself in the kitchen. That wasn’t all that unusual these days. Since Dad’s practice had hired more on-call dentists, he was able to get home earlier.
When Aiden entered, Dad looked up from the produce he was unpacking. “Hey, buddy. What’s going on with you?”
Aiden frowned. “What makes you think there’s something going on?”
“That sour face of yours, for one thing, and also the fact that I’m in an open and honest relationship with your mother.”
“Perfect.” Aiden wrinkled his nose. “Mom told you.”
“More or less. She told me what she suspects. Want to talk about it?”
“No. I appreciate the offer, but it would take a lot of explaining.”
Aiden expected his father to press the issue, but instead he shrugged. “All right. Then you can help me chop vegetables for dinner. I’m making chicken tortilla soup.”
Aiden pursed his lips. “In summer? We’ll die.”
Dad pulled several large tomatoes out of one of the grocery bags and tossed them to him. “You live in an air-conditioned house in an affluent region of a developed nation. You’re not going to die from eating soup. Especially not soup that was made by your father, a remarkable and talented chef. Now get chopping. Those tomatoes need to stew for twenty minutes.”
Aiden did as he was told, and after a while he fell into a rhythm. The sound of his knife hitting the wooden cutting board, along with sizzling onions and Dad’s off-key humming, made his mind wander. And by wander, he meant make a beeline for his debacle with Max and Oliver. How had so much happened in a few weeks? He’d rediscovered an old flame, become estranged from his brother, and maybe fallen in love.
And to think, none of this might have happened if Oliver hadn’t spotted Max at the store. But then, considering what a loser Max made me sound like in the beginning, it’s a wonder Oliver—
“Ouch!” Aiden had nicked the tip of his finger with the knife.
Dad materialized by his side. “Run it under water.” He took Aiden by the wrist and guided him gently over to the sink.
The lukewarm spray of the water didn’t hurt, but Aiden grimaced at the sight of the runny blood swirling down the drain. “It’s not deep, but I think I need a bandage.”
“I’ll get you one. Keep your finger under the water.” Dad disappeared only to reappear a moment later with a small first aid kit. “Let me see.”
Aiden turned off the water and held his finger up.
Dad took a cursory look before applying the bandage. “You’ll live. Though it was a near thing.” He winked.
Aiden tried to smile, but his facial muscles wouldn’t cooperate. He went back to chopping vegetables, more carefully this time.
“You seem distracted.” Dad’s tone was casual, but Aiden caught him watching Aiden out of the corner of his eye. “Penny for your thoughts?”
He’s not going to let this go until I talk about it. Damn emotionally supportive parents.
Aiden did his best to summarize the issue without revealing too much. “Things have been weird lately. Max and I are fighting, and Oliver isn’t speaking to me.”
Dad nodded knowingly, confirming that Mom had already told him as much. “What are you fighting about?”
“Lots of things. I think Max and I realized some things about ourselves this summer, and they weren’t all good things.”
“That’s part of growing up, kiddo. You didn’t think you and Max were going to stay the same forever, did you?”
“No . . . but also yes. I guess I never put much thought into it. Things have been one way for so long now.”
Dad set a large pot on the stove and poured chicken stock into it. “You know what we old people call that?”
Aiden shook his head.
“Growing pains. And believe me when I say the pain part is accurate. These are the years in which you’re expected to make all kinds of big decisions. Ones that will affect the rest of your life. And yet you don’t have enough life experience to know for sure what you should do. Seems kinda unfair, doesn’t it?”
“Well, when you put it like that.” Aiden scraped the chopped tomatoes into the pot as his dad instructed. “Can I ask you something?”
“Shoot.”
“When you and Mom were dating, how did you know you loved her?”
Dad dropped his knife and looked at him. “Why do you ask?”
“No reason.” Aiden fought not to blush.
“I see. Well, I suspected I loved her long before I worked up the nerve to tell her. I think we’d only been dating for a few weeks. I felt like I was floating whenever I was around her. She could make my heart skip with a look. I wanted to spend every spare minute I had with her.”
Aiden’s mind whirred. That was exactly how he felt about Oliver. He hadn’t thought he could fall in love so fast, but if Dad had fallen for Mom that quickly . . .
“Of course, that was more infatuation than love,” Dad added. “It wasn’t until later that I realized the difference.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing.” Dad smiled. “Literally. My heart stopped skipping. I stopped floating whenever she was around. The infatuation wore off, but what was left was better. Trust. Understanding. Genuine affection that was based on something more solid than attraction: friendship.”
Oliver and I were friends before we were lovers. Does that mean we’ll have what Mom and Dad have some day? Only if I fix things with Max, I suppose.
Dad put a hand on his shoulder, interrupting his thoughts. “Aiden, do you think you’re in love with someone? Perhaps someone who has recently come back into our lives? Someone dear to the whole family?”
Aiden’s face grew hot enough to boil the soup on the stove. “Um. Well . . .”
Dad laughed. “Damn. I owe your mom twenty bucks. Not that I’m not thrilled. Oliver’s a wonderful young man.”
“Don’t pay up yet. Every time Oliver and I take a step forward, something goes wrong.”
Dad turned back to the stove and dumped more ingredients into the pot. “I’m guessing your fight with Max is related. You know those growing pains I mentioned earlier?”
“Yeah?”
“Your brother is going through them too. And even though you’re twins, you’re experiencing them in completely different ways. Try to keep that in mind, and don’t be so hard on Max. On that note, don’t be so hard on yourself either. Legally, you’re adults, and I know young people think they know everything, but for the record, no one expects you to have all the answers. Okay?”
“Okay.” Aiden sniffled. “Thanks, Dad.”
“No problem.” He gave the now-full pot a stir with a wooden spoon. “I don’t need any more help in here if you want to go do something else. Maybe go down to the game room?” His tone was pointed. Max must be down there.
Aiden got the hint. “Yeah, I think I’ll do that.” He trudged reluctantly away. Dad had made some good points, but that didn’t mean Aiden was looking forward to talking to Max. If this time went anything like the last few times . . .
He made his way down the stairs and found Max in his usual spot on the sofa. Max glanced at him briefly before directing his attention back at the TV without a word. Silence was a marked improvement over yelling, at least.
Feeling strangely like he was at a job interview, Aiden sat on the opposite end of the couch. Max had a bag of chips open next to him and some baseball game playing on the TV. Aiden had always found that interesting about them: one of them watched sports but had no interest in playing while the other was the opposite. He considered making some sort of joke to break the ice, but nothing was forthcoming.
Instead, he asked, “Who’s playing?”
Max shot him a sidelong look. “You don’t know anything about baseball.”
“Well . . . maybe I’d like to learn.”
Max was silent for a beat. “It’s Team Rocket versus the Vampire Slayers.”
Aiden furrowed his brow. “Those aren’t real teams, are they?”
“Nope.” He grinned.
Aiden couldn’t help but smile back. “Very funny. You know, Team Rocket almost sounds like it could be a real thing.”
Max made a strange face, but Aiden wasn’t sure why. They fell into silence that was caught somewhere between uncomfortable and familiar. It reminded Aiden of all the times they’d argued in the past over much smaller issues. They’d mastered the art of ignoring each other while sitting in the same room.
That gave Aiden a thought. “You know we’ve lived together for twenty years, right?”
Max stopped midway through shoveling chips into his mouth. “Huh?”
“Most siblings don’t spend that much time under the same roof. They move out when they’re eighteen, and if there’s an age gap, they spend even less time together. But us? We had bunk beds as kids, spent our teen years in the same house, and then when it was time to go to college, we rented an apartment together. We’ve never lived apart from each other except for that one year in the dorms, and even then we saw each other every day.”
“What’s your point?”
Aiden shrugged. “I dunno. I’ve been thinking about how easily you and I blew up at each other. Everything was fine one minute, and then it wasn’t. Why was that?”
“You know my theory.” Max sniffed. “Oliver.”
“Be real, Max. Oliver couldn’t have done all this. I think there are a lot of nuances to our issues, but one I’ve been ignoring is the fact that I’m going to a different school in a year.”
“What’s that got to do with anything?”
“Well . . . to be honest, I’m scared to leave you. It’s been you and me since day one. When we left for college, I knew that if I made zero friends, I’d still have you. Soon, I’m going off on my own, and I won’t have that safety net anymore.”
“I thought that was what you wanted.” Max’s tone was bitter as black coffee. “I’ve been holding you back, remember? This is your chance to go off and be someone else. Someone besides my twin.”
Aiden’s chest clenched. “I know what I said, and I stand behind it, but . . . that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss you every single day. Aren’t you a little scared of being on your own too?”
“No.” Max paused. “I’m a lot scared. I’ve been avoiding thinking about it. If I pretend it’s not going to happen, then maybe it’ll go away.”
Aiden laughed. “Same. That’s the point I’m trying to make. I think as next year looms closer, you and I have been dealing with this on some level, but in different ways. You’ve been clinging to me, and I’ve been pushing you away. We’re both trying to make it hurt less when the inevitable happens and we have to learn how to live separate lives.”
Max fell silent, eyes bright in a way that made Aiden wonder if he’d teared up a little. After a minute, he shoved the bag of chips within Aiden’s reach. “Way to get all sappy, dude. I blame all those foreign films you’ve been watching. They’ve made you broody.”
Aiden figured that was as close to an olive branch as he was going to get right now. He ate some chips as a sign of goodwill, and they spent the rest of the evening in civil silence. They even managed to get through dinner without snarking at each other, though that might have had something to do with the hawk-like way their parents monitored their every exchange.
All in all, when Aiden went to bed that night, he felt as though progress had been made. He was optimistic that with a few more mature conversations, they could get this sorted out. And then Oliver would come back. The thought made Aiden wriggle with delight beneath his covers.
It sucks that we’re losing these days together. We have so few left before the end of the summer. But if it’ll make everyone happy and stop all this fighting . . .
Oliver had said not to call him until everything was fixed. Aiden wanted to respect that, but if he didn’t give updates, how would Oliver know his feelings were being taken seriously? What if Aiden sent him a quick text?
He grabbed his phone off the nightstand and composed a message. Hey, I know you said not to contact you, but I want to share the good news. Max and I did some talking after you left. We haven’t worked through all our issues yet, but it went well. I think this whole thing will blow over soon. Which is good, because I miss you so much.
He read it over to check his spelling and then hit Send. For half an hour, he pretended to care about his Facebook feed while he waited for a response. When none was forthcoming, and when exhaustion threatened mutiny, he went to sleep.
His alarm woke him at 8 a.m., same as always. He turned it off and immediately reached for his phone, cracking one eye open enough to see his notifications.
His heart almost stopped. He had a new text.
Please be from Oliver. Please be from Oliver.
Sure enough, it was. His heart sprouted wings and floated up into his throat. A second later, however, it came crashing down as he read the message. It contained the four words most feared by anyone who was in a relationship.
We need to talk.
“Uh-oh,” Aiden said to his empty room. He texted back.
Sure. Want to meet up, or should I call you?
He stared at his screen for several minutes, tapping it so it would stay lit, but Oliver didn’t reply. Eventually, Aiden rolled out of bed and got dressed just to have something to keep him from bursting out of his skin.
The second he heard a vibration, he dove for his phone so hard, his headboard smacked against the wall.
I want to do this in person, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to. I don’t know if I can handle a phone conversation either.
All the air left Aiden’s lungs at once. Worst-case scenarios blared into his skull. He typed with trembling fingers.
Did you change your mind about breaking up with me?
The response was immediate, thank God.
No, not at all. I’m so sorry if I’m scaring you. There’s something I have to do that I don’t want to do, and it’s hard.
Aiden was halfway through composing a response when another text popped up.
I’m going back to the city with my mom. She’s picking me up in an hour and taking me home. I know summer’s not over, but honestly, I think if I stay here, I’ll be doing more harm than good. Max still resents me, and I don’t want to be the carrot on the stick that encourages you to fix things with him. You should want to fix them because he’s your brother. So, I’m leaving.
Aiden read the message three times in rapid succession before it sank in. Oliver couldn’t leave right as things were looking up. On reflex, he hit the Call button.
The phone rang once before going to voice mail. He tried again, and the same thing happened. Oliver was rejecting his calls.
Aiden texted back. Oliver, don’t go. Max and I are doing so much better, and yesterday I realized I wanted to fix things because I genuinely missed him.
Oliver replied right away. How do I know you’re not just saying that?
Don’t you trust me?
There was no response. In Aiden’s head, he imagined Oliver turning to him and saying, You’ve lied to me before.
Shit. He tried a different approach. Can’t you give it a week? I’m sure everything will be fine by then.
A minute passed. Then, That’s exactly the problem. In your head, you’re already calculating how to do this quickly, not well. You and Max have serious, deep-rooted issues that can’t be fixed with a wave of a magic wand. Deal with your shit, and deal with it knowing that when it’s finished, I’m not some prize that’ll be waiting for you. You need to prioritize your family over the guy you’re dating.
I am prioritizing Max, Aiden replied. But you’re so much more to me than the guy I’m dating.
Aiden considered saying more, telling Oliver that he thought he was falling for him, but he couldn’t. Desperate as he was to keep Oliver around, he wasn’t going to sully the first time he said those words by doing it over text, during a fight. Besides, Oliver would think he was trying to manipulate him. He couldn’t bear it if he confessed his feelings, and Oliver thought it was a cheap ploy.
His phone vibrated with another message, only this time it seemed more like a portent of doom.
I’m sorry. I wish I were strong enough to stay away, but I’m not. This isn’t the end, though. When all is said and done, I’ll be here, whether it’s next summer or another ten years from now. I’m turning my phone off now. Goodbye, Aiden.
Despite Oliver’s words, that sure felt like an ending. This couldn’t be it. It couldn’t.
Aiden climbed to his feet and wobbled unsteadily, his vision clouding over with tears. He had to fix this somehow. But what could he do?
He could drive to Oliver’s house and beg him to reconsider.
No, that would make things worse. Oliver would be furious and even more convinced that leaving was the right thing to do.
He could let Oliver go, for now. In a week or so, when everything was better, he could call and ask him to come back. But Oliver couldn’t keep uprooting his life and moving back and forth between the city and the suburbs. His parents would get fed up with that in no time, especially his dad.
If only it were simply physical distance threatening to keep them apart. Aiden could live with that. But there was emotional distance too. If Oliver wasn’t speaking to him, how could they keep this budding relationship alive? When classes started again, and they both got caught up with school and friends, it’d be sure to wither and die.
Aiden couldn’t afford to play a long game here. He needed to do something now, or he’d risk losing Oliver forever. A glance at the clock told him he had forty minutes left until Oliver’s mom came to pick him up. He needed to think of something fast.
His body was urging him to act, to drive over to Oliver’s house and scoop him into his arms, but he’d already nixed that idea.
A puzzle piece slotted into place in his head. Maybe I can’t go to Oliver. But there’s someone who can.
Aiden was up and out the door so fast, he didn’t remember moving. He skidded to a halt in front of Max’s door and opened it with such force, the hinges groaned in protest.
Max—who was sprawled across his bed—startled at the noise, blinked at Aiden, then squeaked like a mouse. He pulled his sheets up over his bare chest. “Dude, can’t you knock?”
“Oh, calm down. I see you naked every time I take a shower.” Aiden tossed his phone at him. “Read this.”
“Is this some self-help article about overbearing siblings? Because it’s too damn early for—”
“Just read the fucking text log, Max.”
That woke Max up. He took the phone and tapped on it, blinking at the light from the screen. He scrolled up to the start of the conversation and read, eyes growing wider by the second. “Oh wow. He’s leaving. Gotta say, I didn’t see that coming.”
“You have to stop him.”
Max almost dropped the phone. “Me? Why me?”
“Because he won’t listen to me, but he will to you.”
“I don’t want to stop him. He can go back to the city if he damn well pleases.”
Aiden huffed. “You don’t mean that. No matter how angry you are at me, Oliver is your friend. If he leaves, we might never see him again. Look me in the eye and tell me that’s what you want.”
Max’s gaze immediately dropped back down to the phone screen. He seemed to be rereading the texts. “Do you really think he’ll go, though? Seems a little extreme to derail his summer plans just to teach us a lesson.”
“No, if Oliver says he’s going, he’s going. I’ve never known him to make empty threats, and he has this whole self-sacrificing streak. Normally, I find it endearing. I promise he’s packing his suitcase right now. We have to act fast. There’s time for you to get over there and convince him to stay.”
“Didn’t he say he’s not coming back until we’ve fixed things? I dunno if you’ve noticed, Aiden, but shit isn’t fixed between us. I don’t see any reason why I should go over there and embarrass myself.”
His words hit Aiden like a blow, and strangely, it felt like they dislodged something. Something that had been clogging up his chest. Words came bursting out of him before he could stop them.
“Max, I’m in love with Oliver.”
Max blinked. “You’re what?”
“I love him. I love him so much, it hurts. If he leaves, I don’t know what I’ll do. It could be forever this time. Please say you’ll help. Not only for me, but for all three of us. It can’t end this way.”
Max wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “I’ve suspected for a while now that you two are in love, but I wasn’t expecting you to admit it so soon. Or to me. Once upon a time, I would have thought I’d be the first person you’d tell, but since that hasn’t been the case in the past . . .” His tone was defensive, but his face was nothing but pain.
Aiden couldn’t understand how he’d missed it before. Oliver had told him several times that Max was hurt, but he must’ve been refusing to see it. It was obvious to him now. All those things Max had said, all the times he’d lashed out . . . They suddenly made sense.
For being the alleged “smart twin,” Aiden had been remarkably unobservant.
“I’m sorry.” Aiden sat on the edge of Max’s bed. “I mean it. I shouldn’t have shut you out like I did. If I’d told you about Oliver and me from the start . . . but instead I kept things from you and pushed you away. Then I acted all shocked when you felt left out. Some brother I am, huh?”
Max eyed him. His expression was a mixture of suspicion and hope. “You mean that?”
“I do. I was so convinced this was all your fault, but I have an equal share of the blame. I’m willing to accept that.”
“How do I know you’re not saying all of this because you want my help?”
“Oliver said something similar. I guess I have a lot to prove before I regain your trust.” Aiden tried for a joke. “We both know how stubborn I can be. I admitted I was wrong. Doesn’t that show how serious I am?”
Max snorted and then looked angry with himself, like he hadn’t meant to. “Do you still think I’ve been holding you back all these years?”
“Yes and no. I think you never missed an opportunity to take the lead, but I also think if I’d really wanted to strike out on my own, I would have done it sooner. It comes back to that whole safety-net thing. Blaming you was easier than examining my own actions. Or inactions, I suppose.”
“I guess that’s fair.” Max appeared to consider his words before saying, “Honestly, I could have done more to encourage you. I treated you like my kid brother when we both know that’s a joke. I guess I didn’t want you to figure out what you ended up knowing anyway: you don’t need me.”
“I do need you, though, Max. I never should have said I don’t. I love knowing there’s someone who’s always in my corner no matter what. I need your humor. I need your support. And I need you to get me to put on real clothes and leave the house every now and then, because otherwise I’ll become one of those weird recluses with twelve pet reptiles who writes articles about how millennials are killing the sock industry.”
Max laughed. “That’s sweet of you to say. I suppose me and you have some work to do when it comes to setting boundaries, but if you’re game, I’m game. Though I gotta admit, this seems a little convenient.”
“‘Convenient’? We fought for three straight days and sent Oliver running for the hills.”
“. . . You raise an excellent point. All right. I’ll try to convince Oliver to stay. I gotta admit, it’s a lot more fun having him around.”
Aiden took his phone back and checked it. “We have twenty minutes left until his mom comes to get him. That’s enough time to drive to Oliver’s house.”
“Not for nothing, but why does it have to be me again? You’re his boyfriend.”
“It’s because I’m his boyfriend that I can’t go. If I show up, he’ll think I’m saying what he wants to hear. But if you go, he’ll know you and I are on the road to recovery, and more importantly, he’ll know that you don’t actually blame him for all of this.”
Max flinched. “Fuck. I guess I should apologize for that while I’m at it.”
“You’re a good person, Max.” Aiden stood up and offered him his hand. “Let’s get you on the road before it’s too late.”
Max eyed his hand. “I would take that, but I’m not wearing any underwear.”
“Oh. Right. Maybe put some clothes on first, and then you can go.”
“I think that’d be best.”