Twin Ties 1: My Brother's Lover (20 page)

“Really?”

“Really. Out of everyone in the world,
you
are the one I most want to be with, and I find it insulting that you think so little of someone I care about.”

Shifting uncomfortably in his hard seat, Evan kept his focus on his lap, popping the last piece of sausage in his mouth and washing it down with some juice. He apologized softly, saying, “I’m sorry.” There was silence between them for a full minute. “What’s Luka like? I didn’t get to talk to him for too long. But he did seem different than you.”

“He is,” Alek admitted. “You know, if you’d be more comfortable on the bed, please sit there instead. I should’ve given you a cushion.”

“I’m fine,” Evan said, blushing. “Actually, I think I’ll stand.”

He got up and paced around Alek’s room, drinking coffee as Alek spoke.

“Luka’s a personal trainer. He’s funny and laughs a lot. His hair is too long and he doesn’t shave as often as he should. He wears lots of flannel shirts and likes to show off his body. He acts like my little brother, but I’m okay with that. I trust him with my life. He’s part of me. He might be the best part of me, actually. I take care of him, too. All we have is each other.”

“What about your parents?”

Alek tucked his hair over an ear and folded his hands on the table, leaning forward. “We were raised by our mom. Dad was pretty much a sperm donor. Never met him. Mom hated everything about the guy and never talked about him. We reminded her of him, so she didn’t like us much either. She was a single mom with a brutal, thankless job, so I don’t blame her. I just wished she cared more. When we were teenagers, she got remarried and had her ‘real’ kids who she loved. Luka and I were unwanted, so we left as soon as we could. Luka agreed to move in with Presley and Carter, and I followed him here. I went to college and got my degree in business management and finance. Luka worked to cover the bills so that I could stay in school. All the money I made bussing tables and slaving in kitchens went to tuition. I owe him so much for that. He wanted me to have a career, move to New York or someplace where I’d have better opportunities, but he needs me here, so I’m here. I won’t abandon him after everything he’s given me.”

“I-I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry. That’s horrible, what you’ve been through. But I’m glad you’ve had Luka. He sounds like an amazing brother.”

“He is,” Alek agreed.

“I wish I had that too.”

“You will. You said you just found Brennan?”

Evan nodded, his eyes still lowered.

“Then give it time. You two are connected in ways you can’t even fathom. You share a bond that makes you closer than anyone else in the world.”

Evan chuckled doubtfully. “I don’t know about that.”

“Trust me,” Alek urged gently, and Evan finally met his eyes. There was hope there, and a hint of a smile.

The stop by the clinic took about an hour. Evan and Alek both decided to get the full work-up and get tested for everything. Evan let Alek drive him home afterward, feeling doubly violated after his time on the exam table. He was quiet but Alek held his hand the whole time at the clinic, and continued to do so in the car afterward, and that was nice. It was enough to help Evan keep himself together.

They pulled up to the house and there was a truck in the driveway. Brennan didn’t have a vehicle and, for the first time, it really struck Evan how strange that was. He pushed the question away and refocused, getting out of the car.

Alek came around to his side and looped his thick arms around Evan’s neck, resting them there. There was a small, happy smile on Alek’s face as he leaned in closer and closer. Evan parted his lips, closed his eyes and hummed as the soft, hot fullness of Alek’s lips brushed across his in a tease before pressing in more firmly. Evan grabbed Alek’s belt and pulled his hips towards him, fitting their pelvises together, grinding gently against him as he licked back over Alek’s tongue.

Evan didn’t hear the house’s front door open, or the two men come out of it.

Luka cleared his throat loudly to alert them to his and Brennan’s presence. Evan jumped back from Alek instantly, as if shocked.

“Whoa,” Luka blurted, looking between them. “
That’s
who you’ve been flipping over? Evan?!”

Baffled, Brennan gaped at Evan as Alek reclaimed Evan’s hand and also encircled Evan from behind with his other arm for good measure. Evan began to feel like a deer caught in headlights but, fortunately, Alek reacted by doing his best to soothe Evan.

“Yeah. We’re together. What’re the odds, right?” Alek said easily enough. “You must be Brennan. It’s nice to meet you. I’m Alek, but you probably already figured that out.”

“Hey,” Brennan waved, baffled. “This is so... I mean, out of all the people for us to each hook up with...”

“Is that all I am to you? A ‘hook-up’?” Luka asked prissily, folding his arms.

Brennan rolled his eyes and nudged him. “You know what I mean.”

“It’s a small world, I guess,” Alek offered. His fingers were dragging in gentle swoops over Evan’s chest, over the hammering of Evan’s heartbeat. “And I guess we have similar tastes. Makes sense when you think about it.” He turned his mouth to Evan and whispered, “I’m gonna walk you inside, okay?”

Evan nodded, feeling very uncomfortable. His gaze skittered around, not focusing on anything.

As they passed between Brennan and Luka, Alek smiled, “Excuse us for just a second.”

Once inside, Alek turned Evan to face him and said, “Hey. You’re fine. Breathe.”

Evan shivered and folded his arms. “I didn’t think they’d be here. I don’t know why, I just didn’t. And we put on a nice little show for ’em too, didn’t we?”

Alek pulled him in, hugging him to his chest. “You think
that
was a show? That was nothing. And I have news for you, Evan. I’m gonna be kissing you in public a lot, because yours is a mouth that should be always well-kissed, and if anyone has a problem with it, they can deal with me. But I can guarantee you that my brother and Brennan are absolutely not about to attack you for kissing your boyfriend goodbye.”

Evan smiled despite himself and nuzzled against the heat of Alek’s solid body before saying, “So we’re... I mean, you said that you’re my—”

“Boyfriend? Yeah, is that okay?”

Biting shyly at his lip, Evan nodded. Alek kissed him once more time, chastely, gently, then said, “I’ll call you later. Or you can call me. I have to work for a couple hours tonight but I’d like to see you again tomorrow if we can work it out.”

“Okay,” Evan agreed, relaxing more and more as Alek’s finger brushed against his cheek.

Alek left him rooting through his dresser drawers for some clean clothes, pulling the bedroom door closed before he headed back outside.

Smiling at Brennan, Alek took his hand to shake it, marveling at both the resemblance and differences between him and Evan.

“Is he okay?” Brennan asked quietly, nodding toward the house.

Alek nodded. “You guys just surprised him. He likes his privacy. So how’d the date go? I see it’s gone into day two, so it couldn’t be too bad.”

Luka smirked and retorted, “I was the perfect gentleman. Ask Bren. But yeah, we had a great time.”

“Hmm, so Brennan’s your official new cuddle toy then, I see? Careful you don’t smother him in his sleep, ya big monkey,” Alek teased, liking the way it got Brennan to smile and laugh.

“You need a ride back home I guess?” Luka said, checking that his keys were still in his pocket.

“If you don’t mind. Or I could text Carter.”

Luka clapped Alek on the shoulder, leaning into him a little in his familiar, comfortable way. “Nah. I should go get freshened up anyway before date number two starts in a few more hours.”

“Really?” Alek smirked slyly.

Brennan’s gaze darted between the twins. He looked dumbstruck by their easy closeness, the way Luka was touching Alek like it was the most natural thing in the world. Alek couldn’t help but sneak a few glances up and down Brennan’s body, comparing it to Evan’s and also simply appreciating how gorgeous Brennan was, too. One glance at Luka showed Alek that his brother was looking at Brennan in a similar way. With both of the twins’ attention on him, Brennan grew a little shy, but it just made Alek smile.

“Do me a favor?” Alek said to Brennan, his tone soft and sweet. “Take care of Evan for me?”

“Of course.”

“Very nice to have met you.” Alek took Brennan’s hand in a lingering hold. Luka kissed Brennan goodbye, but didn’t make a big production of it.

“I’ll call in a little bit.”

“’Kay. Thanks for everything. Really,” Brennan told Luka softly.

“My pleasure.”

Tugging down the long sleeves of his cotton shirt so they covered his hands, Evan sat cross-legged on his bed and brushed his fingers over the buttons on his phone. He was glad to have the bandage on his arm covered from where they drew blood, especially after wondering if Brennan noticed it, and he was glad to be alone, away from prying eyes.

Those were the only things he was glad of. The jittery, nauseated feeling hadn’t gone away. Without Alek there to distract, Evan slipped farther and farther back into his ever-present fear and self-doubt. What happened the night before was too vivid, too raw. The things he’d let Alek do to him—the things Evan
enjoyed
—it was too much to process and be immediately okay with. The berating voices in his head niggled at him, picking apart his reasoning and excuses, leaving him only with guilt, regret, and self-hatred.

He dialed Jimmy.

From the other end of the line, he heard, “Hello? Evan?”

“It’s me. Can you come over? Please?” He could hear how choked and weepy he sounded already and despised it.

“What’s wrong? Evan, what’s wrong?!”

“Just come over, okay?”

He hung up rather than face more questions.

Meanwhile, and not too far away, out on the front stoop, Brennan was listening to his voicemail just as a call started to come through. Groaning inwardly, he answered.

“Yeah?”

“Brennan? Thank god, I thought I had the wrong number. How are you? I’ve been trying to call.”

“I know. Sorry, it’s just been crazy, getting settled in and all. I meant to call you back. Look, it’s not really a great time.”

“Oh. Well, I was just calling because I wanted you to know, I’ve put in for some vacation time. In a couple of weeks I should be able to get down there to see you.”

“Oh. Good. That’s good. Does Evan know?”

“Not yet. Do you mind not telling him? I hate to get his hopes up in case my boss nixes the request and I have to cancel. When I know it’s definite I’ll tell him myself. I just wanted you to know that I’m trying my damnedest to see you, son.”

Brennan cringed at the endearment. “Thanks, Charlie. I’ve gotta go.”

“Okay. Can I call you later? Maybe we can talk?”

“Sure. That’d be great,” he said. It came out sounding more hollow than he would have liked. The ‘too-little, too-late’ feeling he got whenever he talked to Charlie was there again, unshakeable.

“Bye, Brennan.”

“Bye.”