Page 33 of Inevitable

“Sounds good. I can’t wait to get home.”

Ezra hung up, but instead of getting on with things, Drew just stared at his phone. Ezra had called their place home. He’d done it without thinking, almost offhandedly, and Drew fucking loved it. His heartbeat seemed to be extra forceful as he tried to get his errant thoughts under control. Ezra had made it clear that nothing could happen between the two of them, so the least Drew could do was honor the guy’s wishes and ignore the longing looks Ezra sometimes sent his way when he thought Drew wasn’t looking.

No matter how difficult it was.

Drew picked up dinner, and just as he was parking his car, Ezra walked down the street. Drew took a moment to admire the view. Ezra’s lanky body in black skinny jeans and a leather jacket was hot enough to make the snow melt. As was becoming customary, a jolt of excitement went through Drew’s belly, and he couldn’t seem to force his eyes away. He turned back to his car and started taking his things out from the passenger seat, where he’d stowed his bag and the food earlier.

God, he wanted Ezra. Needed him. Craved closeness to him with a hunger that was starting to rival what he felt for Bas. But just like with Bas, it seemed he was going to have to push those feelings down and settle in at the friend zone.

Story of my life.

“Just in time,” he told Ezra as the man stopped beside him.

Ezra eyed the bags. “Thai?”

“You said you liked it.”

Ezra cocked his head and regarded Drew with an unreadable expression. “I do. Not exactly a holiday food, though, is it? You don’t mind?”

Drew shook his head.

“We don’t really celebrate Christmas, so I don’t care.”

“Bas said that, yeah. How come?”

Drew shrugged.

“It’s not really something that’s important to me, so we treat the holidays like it’s just an extension of the weekend. Anyway, there’s still a few days until Christmas, so Thai food is very acceptable.”

Drew fidgeted, feeling a strange kind of edginess settle in that made his limbs buzz with nervous energy.

“Did Bas call you?” Ezra asked as they entered the building.

“No.”

“Well, he texted me not to wait for him. His session is running long.”

“He’s playing with The Illumination again tonight, right?” Drew asked, even though he knew already since Bas had been talking about it even more than usual over the last few days, looking simultaneously excited and nervous.

“Yeah. He’s been happy lately, hasn’t he? Less stressed, at least.” Ezra unlocked the apartment door, turned on the lights, and moved out of Drew’s way.

Ezra hung his jacket on the rack, pulled off his boots, and went to stash his books and laptop in his room.

Drew went to get changed, and when he got back to the kitchen, he found Ezra laying out the food already.

“Bas is a perfectionist,” Drew said as he took a seat and picked up their earlier conversation like they’d been talking the whole time. “He gets this vision inside his head of how everything is supposed to sound. And then he tries to replicate it, but he always feels like what comes out pales in comparison to what he hears in his mind.”

“Does it?”

“I’ve got no clue. I can’t hear what goes on inside that head of his. All I know is that lately, he’s been almost easygoing about his work. I haven’t seen him like that in months.”

“Sometimes it feels like you two read each other’s minds.”

Drew chuckled. “We don’t. Half the time I’ve got no clue what he’s thinking.”

“I bet you see more than you think you do.”

Drew thought about it for a moment. “I’ve known him forever, so I can anticipate what his reaction would be in certain situations.”