Page 29 of Love Spell

The whole world would be fawning over their story and Timo would be recovering from a dozen ghastly wounds in hospital and Noah would be there at his bedside saying, “Meh, whatever, dude.Leave me alone.”

Because he was an idiot.The fact of the matter was that Noah was an ungrateful, useless little idiot who couldn’t even play his part in the universe, who had no idea how the world worked or how to follow cues.Son of a bitch.

There was a knock at the main room door.

Timo flew off the bath edge, didn’t bother to towel his feet, didn’t pause, spraying water everywhere.With no trace of a limp he ran for the door as if to disable a bomb.

He’s come back.He’s figured it out.Noah had realised his mistake and knew how the night would end and all was forgiven.

Of course Timo would welcome him back with open arms because everyone made mistakes and their bond would be all the stronger for the traumas and missteps they’d endured along the way.

Noah would be begging for a second chance.Timo should be stern with him after his mistake.Of course, he wouldn’t be.He was too much of a softy.One look at Noah pleading for Timo’s forgiveness and Timo would melt.

Timo ripped open the door, catching his breath against the wild throbbing of his heart.

“Hey.”Arthur held something out.“You left your car keys downstairs.”

Timo stared at the hand, at the keys, at the face, red with intoxication.

Arthur rattled the keys impatiently at Timo to get him to take them.

Timo still stared.

Arthur’s gaze travelled to his rolled trouser cuffs, landed on his mud-stained knees, and his own stare grew fixed, eyes widening.

A slow grin spread over Arthur’s stupid face.“So … how’s your night going?”

Timo snatched the keys out of his wobbly hand.“You’re lucky I don’t have a knife.”He slammed the door.

* * *

On Sunday morning, Timo breakfasted alone aside from unknown guests and Ranveer, the two of them likely being the only ones of the party not hungover and getting up at normal operating hours.

Timo meant to go for an early ride since there was no way he could run for a few days but his foot should be manageable on the bike pedal.He didn’t want company, only a race with himself.Up the slopes?No, head for the sea and perhaps he could drown himself by mistake.

Ranveer didn’t believe in small talk.It was one of his many charms.He was also technically vegetarian and tee-total.Although technicalities sometimes met in the great, dirty crossroads of Real Life and things happened.He’d had a drink with the rest last night but you’d never know it now.

“Ranveer?”Timo looked up from his coffee in the sunny breakfast room.

Ranveer arched a brow at Timo, his default instead of a “What?”

“Did someone pinch the keys out of my pocket last night at dinner?So they’d have an excuse to come knocking on the door later?”

Ranveer finished chewing his bite of toast, giving the question careful consideration.“Do you want them to have pinched your keys?Or you to have dropped them?”

Timo tapped the tabletop with one finger.He was irritated to discover he’d not thought of it that way.Ranveer was the kind of person who was always pointing out things Timo hadn’t thought of.One of the very few people Timo knew who managed to do this, and not the least of the reasons that Timo was convinced Ranveer was the smartest person he knew.

He looked past Ranveer when he spotted a big, broad-shouldered guy enter the room who wasn’t Maksim.Nearly as big as Maksim, but this man had a ponytail and — “Lars?”

Ranveer looked around.

Timo hadn’t spoken loudly enough to carry across the room.Lars found a window table and pulled out two chairs, turning to look back the way he’d come.Sure enough, Rhys followed, carrying a card he’d picked up with menu specials.Before he sat, he pointed out something on it to his husband and Lars grinned, nodding.

Timo sprang up.

The two men had hardly dropped into their seats before Timo was at their table.“Rhys?What are you doing here?”

His eyes widened to see Timo.“This is a surprise.Why shouldn’t we be here?I am the one who introduced you to this place.”

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