Page 50 of Stand By Me

Clay watched him get behind the wheel and pull out of his spot too fast, barely avoiding rear-ending Clay's car. There was no doubt about where he was going.

Damn it. Clay closed his eyes for a second and breathed in and out, then slowly pulled out his phone. When he turned around, he saw his mother there, standing on the porch. As he met her gaze, she shook her head before tilting it towards the house.

She clearly had some things to tell him about himself.

He nodded even as his shoulders slumped. He was going to follow her inside, but first, he had a call to make.

He hit Mario's number.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

There went all the best-laid plans, Mario thought as he stared at the phone in his hand.

Clay had just given him the heads up about Ben, and now Mario couldn't get himself to move. He stayed on the couch, with his elbows on his knees, waiting for the inevitable.

He'd seen Ben angry numerous times, but rarely angryathim and never to the degree Clay had described. Usually, Mario would help Ben calm down—either by ranting with him if he was pissed off as well, or by listening to him go off until Ben had enough.

This time, though, neither was going to work.

Mario rubbed his hand over his face. They shouldn't have waited.Heshouldn't have waited. He should've told Ben about Clay way sooner. It wouldn't have been pretty, sure, but it would've still been better than the shitshow that was happening right now.

It was a struggle to get up, but he finally dragged himself to Roberto's room, warning him to put his headphones on if he didn't want to be an accidental witness to his fight with Ben.

"You're going to have a fight—" Roberto sounded disbelieving, but whatever he saw on Mario's face shut him up. "Never mind. I'll put them on, so come straight in later, if you want to talk."

Mario gave him what had to be the weakest excuse for a smile he'd ever managed and muttered thanks before closing the door again.

All he could do was wait, now.

He busied himself with cleaning the kitchen, but there was only so many times he could polish the counter before he risked destroying it.

Finally, the intercom buzzed.

"It's me," was all Ben said, but Mario knew that tone. All the best case scenarios took a hike right then and there.

He hovered at the door as he waited for his friend to come up and then opened it as soon as he heard him.

"Come in," he said quietly, but from the way Ben walked past him, the invitation wasn't needed.

Sighing, Mario closed the door before following him to the living room and perching on the edge of the couch. Ben was pacing back and forth in front of the TV.

Mario waited for him to speak first, and he didn't have to wait long.

"What the fuck? What the actual fuck, Mario? How—" Ben ran both hands through his hair. "I can't believe this."

"I was going to tell you tomorrow," Mario offered.

Ben snorted. "Yeah, I figured. But it obviously hadn't just happened yesterday, so, enlighten me. How the fuck did that even start?"

"I saw him at work." Mario sat back, keeping his gaze on Ben. "I got assigned to show the security team for the upcoming gala around, and it turned out Clay was on that team. We met at the museum a couple of times, then agreed to grab drinks. Things kind of… spiraled from there."

"That sounds nice." Ben's tone was mocking. "Really. One for the books. It's a shame it includes lying to me and—"

"I didn't lie!" Mario protested. "I knew you weren't going to be happy about this, so I wanted to wait until there was something real to tell you, something solid."

Ben paused and looked at him as if he was the stupidest person to ever live.

"Solid? You've seen him a few times—probably fucked him a few times, too—and now it's solid? Please."

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