“I know I deserve that,” Keith acknowledged after another fraught silence. “I was young, stupid, and bigheaded. In my defense, I’ve been trying to make it up to you for nearly eight years.”
Jacob stiffened, and no one dared breathe a word. Lucas stood, pretty sure this wasn’t any of his business. “Lucas?” Keith asked pleasantly. ‘Any chance you and Evan can go watch TV while Jacob and I talk?”
Lucas nodded and grabbed the excuse and his coffee cup, turning expectantly to Evan, but Evan just pressed closer into Keith’s side and whispered something. Keith smiled and dropped a kiss on his head.
“I didn’t even know you were gay,” Jacob commented in bewilderment.
“Bi,” Keith corrected and squeezed Evan’s hand in encouragement.
“Can I have some milk, please?” Evan whispered, and Keith hesitated and looked at Lucas. Lucas noticed he hadn’t touched his coffee.
“Sure,” Lucas said, trying to diffuse the situation, and Evan smiled. He still didn’t move.
Evan muttered something else, and Keith frowned. “In a few minutes.” The pout that instantly appeared on Evan’s face couldn’t be mistaken for anything else.
“But Daddy,” he whined, then slapped his hand over his mouth. The silence in the room was epic.
“What the actual fuck?” Jacob ground out, and Lucas winced. He didn’t shout, but the words sounded even more deadly if at all possible.
Keith sighed and made Evan stand. He tipped his chin up, and Evan looked at him. “I’m sorry. I forgot.”
“It’s all right, baby. It’s Daddy’s fault, not yours. Why don’t you go and watch TV with Lucas, and then I’ll bring you some milk and cookies in very soon?”
Evan looked like he was walking to his death, but Lucas recovered as well as he could, having absolutely no clue what was going on, and Evan meekly followed him into the TV room. Jacob had mentioned going to see his brother, but the hate in that room had nearly been palpable, and why was Jacob acting so mean in front of Evan? Why would he criticize his brother for living the same sort of lifestyle he had done? It made zero sense. Lucas closed the door because he had a feeling Evan didn’t need to hear whatever argument was happening.
Evan flopped rather dramatically on the couch, and Lucas clicked on the TV, scrolling through the channels until he hit a Hallmark Christmas movie and Evan brightened, so he turned the volume up and sat down.
“I know I owe you an explanation.”
Jacob scoffed. He was stunned, angry, and incredibly hurt and pointed to the closed living room door. “You called me a pervert for wanting exactly what you have got out there. You told Grandad I was into little boys, and I mean the underage sort.”
Keith nodded solemnly. “Yes, I did.” Jacob sat down, stunned that Keith had so readily agreed, but then stood up.
“I’m not interested in whatever you have to say.”
“I know I hurt you, Jakey.”
“Don’t call me that,” Jacob spat out. He couldn’t cope with a childhood nickname. Not now.
“And I’ve tried so many times to see you to apologize.”
Jacob folded his arms and leaned back on the counter. He hadn’t been interested in whatever Keith had to say then, and he sure as shit wasn’t interested now. “That’s why you brought him? To rub my face in it?”
Keith shook his head. “Oh God, no. Absolutely not. I hoped if Evan was with me it might make you give me the time of day.”
“How long have you been together?” Jacob asked because he was obviously a masochist.
“Three years.” Keith took a closer step. “I am so fucking sorry for what I said and for what you’ve been through.”
Jacob looked up, remembering why he’d been so angry with Keith. It hadn’t even just been that stupid comment. They’d been close when they were kids. Then Mom and Dad had died within weeks of each other, and they’d gone to live with Grandad, who was a bastard honestly. Except Keith being six years older had escaped to college in two months. As a child he doubted he had forgiven his older brother for what he considered desertion, even when Keith tried to tell Jacob their grandad hadn’t given him a choice of colleges and he controlled the purse strings until they were both twenty-one.
Keith had never known how bad it was in that house. Not that Grandad had ever hit him or anything, but the constant barrage of criticism had been almost unbearable. And straight after college, Keith had enlisted, so they’d barely seen each other. He’d come home once after just as he’d persuaded his grandad to let him go away to college, gone on his laptop without permission, and found the porn. Jacob hadn’t had to worry about a strong password. Grandad didn’t even have a cell phone, but Grandad had waited until Keith had left, then basically thrown him out with nothing. All because of Keith thinking he was better than Jacob.
Jacob had lost three people when his parents had died, and every time Keith had reached out later, Jacob had firmly ignored him. He looked at Keith. How ironic was it. “You’ve driven a long way.” The last email he’d ignored said Keith was in Maine somewhere.
“I got a chance to relocate. We’ve been in Norfolk three months, and Evan works at home.”
Double irony. His brother was suddenly in driving distance, and he was moving four thousand miles away.
“He has some anxiety issues and mild agoraphobia. It was a big deal him coming here, and I changed my mind this morning about putting him in this situation, but then Evan insisted on being here.” Keith smiled fondly. “In his own way, he’s very protective.”
Jacob took a steadying breath as shame crept in. He hadn’t meant to take anything out on Evan, his behavior to a little was completely inexcusable but he wasn’t sure he was ready to forgive Keith either. “I’ll get him some milk.” Jacob stood up and got Evan a glass of milk. Keith didn’t say a word, even when they both walked into the living room. Jacob’s eyes went straight to Lucas’s, who was watching Evan, who didn’t seem to be able to sit still. Keith took one look at him and turned to Jacob. “Do you mind if he plays with something in my bag?”
Jacob shook his head, but he did mind. He minded very much. Keith smiled over at Lucas and passed Evan a small bag he’d carried in. Evan eagerly dragged out a coloring book and some pencils. “I’m sure Evan would love for you to help him.”
Evan smiled and offered a pad to Lucas. “Do you like dinosaurs or airplanes?”
Jacob opened his mouth to explain, apologize, something, but Lucas stunned him by smiling and shrugging. “You choose because I like both. Now if you had puppies, you might have a fight on your hands.”
Evan’s face brightened, and he giggled. “Do you like puppies?”
Lucas nodded and got down on the floor, dragging the coffee table between them. “I used to have a dog growing up, and I always wanted another, but I can’t look after one at the moment.”
Evan nodded sagely, then brightened. “Mrs. Shaw’s Sadie is having puppies any day. I bet she’d let you have one.” He glanced over at the two men sitting at opposite ends of the couch. “Would your Daddy let you have a puppy?”