Page 13 of Inevitable

Ezra threw the duffel over his other shoulder. “I’m fine,” he grunted.

Drew took a step closer. “You sure about that?”

Ezra scowled. “Even if I wasn’t—which I’m not saying I am—what’s it to you? You and your boyfriend”—he nodded toward a point somewhere behind Drew’s back—“are planning to ride in like white knights?”

Drew glanced behind himself, his eyes immediately landing on Bas. He was standing a few feet away from them, just watching and waiting.

“That’s Bas,” Drew said.

“Is he here to kick my ass or something?”

“No.” Bas came to stand next to Drew, his body warmth seeping into Drew. He immediately felt calmer.

“Believe me,” Bas continued. “I’m definitely not a fighter. Not a boyfriend either.”

Ezra’s expression was full of suspicion. He took a step back, ready to start running again.

“Sorry for interrupting your hookup, in that case.”

Bas laughed. “That’s not happening either. It’s freezing. Can we continue this inside?”

“Go ahead. I’m leaving.” Ezra started to turn around again.

“Don’t.” The frantic undercurrent in Drew’s voice made Bas raise his brows at him. “You should come with us,” Drew said, ignoring Bas.

Ezra’s scowl deepened.

“I have no idea what’s going on here, and frankly, I don’t give a shit, so the two of you can just leave me the fuck alone.”

Ezra turned to leave yet again, but Bas stopped him.

“We’re not trying to entice you into our sinister sex chamber. We’re just friends,” he called to Ezra’s retreating back. “Best friends. I mean, we live together. But it’s all very PG.”

Ezra turned slowly and stared at Bas like he thought Bas had lost his mind. “Congratulations?”

Bas laughed. “I like him,” he told Drew.

Ezra didn’t seem to reciprocate the sentiment. He shook his head and backed away, lifting his chin toward Drew. “I never look at any of my friends like I’d give anything to fuck them into the mattress, so I don’t think you two are quite as platonic as you claim to be.”

He turned around and jogged away through the thickening snowfall, leaving Bas and Drew staring after him.

“You’re worried about him,” Bas said quietly.

There was no point in denying that. “Yes.”

Bas shook his head.

“There’s something about him,” he said slowly, eyes still on the large office building behind which Ezra had disappeared. “I think we ran into him for a reason. He might not like it, but I think he needs you.”

“Since when are you an advocate for destiny?”

Bas shrugged. “Stranger things have happened. I don’t think it’s the last we’ll see of him.”

5

Bas hated when Drew was out of town. It was ridiculous to feel that way, especially when Bas fell down the rabbit hole of work all the time, so there were a lot of nights he and Drew ended up sleeping in different places. And even if they were both at their home, they still slept in two different rooms and two different beds.

But it was different when that separate bed Drew was sleeping in was on the other side of the country.