“What was that?”
“Nothing.”
“Are you okay?” The sleepiness of his voice has been replaced by concern.
“No… I need Asher to come to Detroit. My father had a heart attack and he might not… I mean he…” I can’t say it. I’m cold, and my nose is running. I clear my throat from the scratch I feel and continue. “All his bloodline needs to get tested for genetic heart disease. I don’t want Virginia to worry, but I don’t want the kid to be alone either when someone talks to him. Can you make sure he gets on a plane today and let me know when he touches down so I can pick him up or send someone to do so?”
“Of course. Want me to come?”
“That’s nice, but you have your work and your boyfriend. I’ll be ok.” I see Emma sneaking out of our father’s room, holding her stomach and her shoulders shaking. “I’m sorry, but I have to go. Text me when he arrives, all right? Thanks.”
I hang up quickly and run to take my little sister in my arms. For someone who hates human contact, I have the feeling I’ll be hugging my family a lot in the next few days. If that’s what they need, that’s what I’ll do. That’s what I always do.
13
Luke
“Who was that?” Bruce asks, half asleep.
I should have broken up with him last week, but I didn’t. In a perfect world, I’m not the kind of guy who plays with someone’s feelings. I tried to put a little more space between us, but I failed miserably.
“Dex.”
“Dex? As in Virginia’s hot friend who wants to fuck me?”
“Huh?” What is he talking about now? Even if I know it can’t be true, jealousy spreads. I’m jealous of my current boyfriend saying my ex-whatever wants him. Speak about a fucked-up situation.
“That’s what Julie said last time when I asked why he was so intense around me.”
I want to laugh or choke, I’m not sure. Julie is such a bad liar. I can’t believe she said something so ludicrous. “I have to go.”
I kick off the blanket and rush to get dressed. I used to wake up hard as a rock, but for the last week, my dick is flaccid most of the time. Bruce really doesn’t do it for me anymore.
“Luke, wait, can we… I’m sorry, I didn’t think Dex’s attraction to me would make you jealous, sweetie. Please, let’s talk about it.”
Shrugging, I frown. “It’s not about Dex.” Or not entirely. “I really have to go. Dex needs me to take care of something. I might be out of the state for a while. I’ll call you when I can.”
Bruce stands to stop me, but I’m faster than the Flash and out the door in less than five minutes. In the middle of West Hollywood. Without a car. Fuck! Why did I let him pick me up at the parlor last night? I check the time on my phone. Quarter after five in the morning. Parents with young kids don’t sleep, right? I walk away from Bruce’s house to be sure he doesn’t run outside to start one of his endless conversations about our feelings and call Ian to ask him to pick me up.
“Hey, Luke, a little early, don’t you think?”
Dick. “No shit, Ian. I need you to pick me up. We have to talk about Dex.”
I know that might have him fall from his high horse. He won’t be able to stand the fact that I know something about his best friend that he doesn’t.
“Sure, where are you?”
I give Ian the address and wait for him. I’m pretty sure Dex doesn’t want me to share the news, but Ian and Virginia will hear it from their parents anyway. The Porters and Crawfords are extremely close. Also, I believe Dex needs the gang to support him, and for once, they might get their heads out of their asses for him.
Once Ian picks me up, I tell him what I know. I can see the hurt on his face that Dex didn’t call him.
I try to appease him. “He certainly didn’t want to bother you with his problem.”
“He hasn’t for the last twenty years…”
“We need to find Asher. He’s not at Virginia’s.”
“How do you know?”
I shrug. I know because Ryan shot me a quick text last night telling me Virginia finally answered one of his texts and he was going over there. He didn’t want me to wait for him today at the parlor, because if he had the slightest chance to spend the whole day with her, he would. I’m pretty sure that doesn’t involve having Asher in the next bedroom, listening to his mother moaning. One more reason why you shouldn’t have children. They hear it all and you come less.
“Let’s try Ryan’s house,” I tell Ian.
“Why don’t we swing by there, then pick up Julie, Gia, and coffee, and organize it for all of us to leave for Detroit as soon as possible?”
“You want to go to Detroit for Dex?”
Ian nods. “Of course, he’s my fucking best friend. He might think he doesn’t need us, but he does. And he’ll need Virge. If his father dies, he’ll need her arms.”
I’m dumbfounded. He does seem to know his bestie and how to take care of him.
“Why do you look so stunned? I’ve known him since we were kids. I know how he works. Am I hurt he didn’t call me? Yes. Am I surprised? No. Do I know why he called you? I have an idea. He’s different with you than with any of us. He thinks he has to take care of us. We all know how to take care of ourselves, but he wants to control every situation, he wants to fix, and he thinks that’s the only way we’ll love him. It’s not, but I let him do it. It gives him a sense of security he needs. He thinks he’s hard to love, but he’s not. He’s just hard to get close to.”
We arrive at Ryan’s to find Asher in bed with a cute girl. Ian and I just raise our eyebrows and ask him to come with us, telling him it’s about Dex but not sharing more. We discussed it on our way, and we believe it will be better for Asher to have his mother there when we announce that his grandfather is dying and that it might be genetic.
“Can we drop… umm… her?”
Her? I send him a pointed look to show him my disappointment that he doesn’t remember the name of the girl he spent the night with. He shrugs as if he doesn’t have a care in the world.
We drop her at her place on the way to Jules and Ian’s, then the five of us drive to Virginia’s. I feel like a school bus driving to its demise.
* * *
Once we arrive at Virginia’s, it’s pretty clear what she and Ryan have been doing.
“Aren’t you glad you covered yourself, angel?” Ryan says while Ian, Asher, and I grunt.
I close my eyes, trying to remove the visual from my mind.
“So to what do we owe this pleasure?” Ryan asks, making his way back to the bed.
I throw up a little in my mouth. Ian talks, but Ryan and Virginia aren’t listening. They’re too busy smooching and eye-fucking each other.
“If you two could get your hands off each other for a few minutes, we would already be on our way out,” I snap. I’ve been awake since five, and I need them to understand how fucking important this is.
Virginia’s eyes widen before looking at each one of us. It’s finally clear to her we’re not here to congratulate her for getting her head out of her ass. “What is it?”