Page 52 of Body Check

Gavin forced himself to take a slow, deep breath.

Everything was fucked up between them and he didn’t have a clue how to fix any of it. He’d thought maybe this job would help Thad, help him find some stability in his life, and maybe lead to a better relationship between them.

But it felt more fraught and chaotic than ever.

“Please, make yourself comfortable,” he said grandly as he gestured for Thad to precede him into his room.

“So, what was it you wanted to discuss?” Thad asked a few minutes later, lounging in a chair by the window, sipping one of the overpriced bottled waters from the mini fridge he’d helped himself to. “Brotherdearest.”

So much for the orgasm wiping away Gavin’s tension headache. It had come roaring back with a vengeance now.

Gavin took a seat on the edge of the bed and forced himself to take a few deep breaths and soften his jaw.

“I want to discuss why you were so rude to Dakota and me.”

Thad grinned. “It’s fun watching you get riled up.”

“Foroneof us, maybe,” Gavin said drily.

“Can’t win them all,” Thad said with a shrug.

“You came to me begging for a job and I got you one. What more do you want from me?”

“What do I want?” Thad laughed hollowly. “I want all those years of my fuckinglifeback. I want my record clean. But since I can’t get any of those, how about an apology?”

“You made your decisions,” Gavin said tightly. “I never forced you to?—”

Thad rose to his feet. “And I’ve spent every goddamn day since that summer we turned eighteen regretting them. So.Fuck. You.”

Without another word, Thad stormed out the door, leaving Gavin stunned and reeling in his wake.

It wasn’t until Gavin began to shiver that he realized he’d been sitting on the edge of the bed in damp shorts, chilled from the air-conditioner and staring blankly into space.

He stood slowly, every part of his body feeling heavy and unwieldy as he walked into the bathroom. He’d known Thad resented the way things had gone, how much their lives had diverged, but he’d thought … he hadn’t known howangryhe truly was. How much he resented Gavin.

And Gavin had no idea how to fix that. No idea how to apologize or repair it or …

With numb fingers, he stripped off his shorts, stepping into the shower and turning it on as hot as it would go. Even as the room filled up with steam and his skin turned pink from the water, he stood there, staring blankly at the tile.

Eventually, when staying upright cost him more effort than he could manage, he turned off the water and got out. Wrapped in a too-tight robe the hotel provided, he towel-dried his hair and sat heavily on the bed. His phone slid toward his hip, sliding across the sheet.

A notification flashed on Gavin’s screen, and he stared at it blankly for a while before he mustered up the energy to check it.

It was from Dakota. A text saying,Hey.Everything okay?

Something about the normalcy of text messaging settled him, made the strange, vague feeling begin to fade.

Gavin shook his head to clear it, then typed out,No. But mostly I’m sorry you got dragged into it.

It was a few moments before another message popped up.To be honest, I’m not even sure what the hell I got dragged into.

I wish I could tell you.

You can. If you want.

Gavin hesitated, not sure how to explain. He finally settled on,No, I mean I don’t even fully understand it myself.

Oh. Well, fair enough.

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