Page 87 of Piece Us Together
“Jax has been meeting with him once a week for lunch. I have to say, my pet is loving having yours as a new friend.”
“Carter loves having him, too. He’s—well, he’s had a hard time of it, lately.” Travis fiddles with his cards, a furrow developing between his brows. He looks at them instead of us. The one thing Travis can never lie about is Carter. It’s like his love and concern for the boy outweighs all else, even the best of his defenses. “Jax—all of you, really, but Jax most of all—has given him something he really needed.”
“Can I ask what?” Wells asks softly. If there’s one thing all of us respect, it’s protecting our subs. He’d never hold it against Travis for not sharing.
Travis shares, though, and he does it with a smile. “Someone who is just like him. Or close enough to not feel so fucking alone.”
Now it’s my turn to frown at my cards, running my thumbnail along the edge of my ace. I was under the impression that Carter and Nolan were friends. I was also under the impression that Carter and Maison were close. Maison nearly shot me when he came to save him, after all. Even with Maison asking for discretion, I assumed Carter would at least be aware of Nolan’s submissiveness if nothing else.Do they not get along? Is it because of Maison?
“Hunter?” Travis asks.
“Hm?” I look up from my cards to find them all looking at me. “What?”
“I asked if you’ve got yourself a sub these days.”
One, sort of. Or maybe two.
Except they’re not actually mine at all, are they?They likely never will be.
“No.” I see Wells adjust in his seat. I can only imagine the thoughts going through his head. This is the moment where keeping the secret blends into a lie. This is the moment the line dissolves. I’ve never been much for lies, but here I am. With Maison’s sad blue eyes and Nolan’s relieved ones in mind, I look at my newest friend and say, “I haven’t played since the night we met.”
Travis whistles low. “Sorry. Hell of a way to start a dry spell.”
“Hell of a way,” Wells says in a wry voice that no one but me catches. “But at least you got some things out of that night, right, Hunter?”
I glare at him as Travis asks, “Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“A damn good friend,” I say with my glare still on Wells. Then I turn to Travis with a smile. “Two, if we count your boy.”
He winks at me. Laughs. Then he throws his cards down and says, “I fold. This goddamn hand is bullshit.”
“When do you leave for Florida?” Wells asks me, suspiciously changing the conversation.
“I’m not going this year, actually.”
“What’s in Florida?” Travis asks.
“My parents. We do Thanksgiving in Florida and Christmas about an hour from here, at my sister’s house. I can’t make it out there this year, though.”
Wells tsks. “I told you not to let those assholes stick you with another class this semester. You were already too busy last year as it was.”
“You don’t get tenure by turning the head of the department down,” I argue. “I’ll be fine. I’ll sit at home and eat pie and grade papers with drunk history re-runs on the TV.”
“For fuck’s sake—that’s pathetic, man.” Wells frowns at me, looking more concerned than he really needs to be. This won’t be my first holiday alone. College kicked my ass too hard for me to always make it home. “I feel bad that I don’t have a dinner to invite you to, unless you want to grade your papers on the car ride?”
I wrinkle my nose. I can already name three reasons why that’d be awful. First, I get sick if I read in the car. Second, it’s a seven-hour drive each way, if I’m remembering correctly. Third, Wells has awful taste in music. “I’ll be okay.”
“And Liam will be busy with the restaurant and Booker—you’re doing that thing with your sisters, right?”
Booker sighs, but none of us who truly know him buy the long-suffering act. He loves his sisters. They have him wrapped around their fingers. “Yes. Maggie has a new boyfriend. I’m going to scare the fucking shit out of him.”
We all laugh.
It’s not until Wells says, just a little too sadly to be genuine, “Man, I hate to think you’ll be home alone. I know you love Thanksgiving.”
I narrow my eyes at him as I realize there’s one person’s plans that haven’t been discussed yet. Wells is looking right at him, too.This fucking asshole.
He looks about to ask Travis what he will be doing.