Page 34 of Watch Over Me

The thought stopped James cold, and he leaned against the closest bench, feeling as if he'd been struck over the head.

He didn't just want to kiss Eddie or to have sex with him. He didn't have a harmless crush.

He wanted a real relationship, a partner. A shot at makingit work with somebody at his side.

WithEddieat his side.

And while even thinking that was scary, the tentative hope that was now filling his chest, the hope of all that the two of them could be if Eddie was willing…

Maybe James had finally found something worth all the risk.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Eddie expected to hear from his brother on Sunday, since the plan had been for Jeremy and Martinez to notify him in the morning, but when by eight o'clock in the evening, Robert still hadn't called, Eddie didn't know what to do. He'd spent the whole day trying not to worry and instead distracting himself by overthinking everything that had happened—or hadn't happened—with James last night.

Waking up at six from a vivid dream of the two of them—a redo of the night with a much different ending—had set up the tone for the rest of the day.

He did his laundry, he vacuumed, he even scrubbed his bathroom and kitchen clean, which he usually hated, but none of it stopped him from imagining what it would've been like, if James had actually kissed him.

They'd both wanted it—at least Eddie thought so, before another wave of doubt came over him and he started worrying that maybe it was all in his head.

Because James wasn't a shy man. If he'd wanted to, he surely would have made a move.

Wouldn't he?

On the other hand, Eddie could have been the one to lean in and kiss James. He would have gotten his answer then.

That prompted him to pick up his phone once again. Maybe he should reach out to his brother first, not sit back and wait for Robert to do so.

The intercom buzzed right as the phone rang in his hand, startling him enough to almost drop it.

Robert's ID flashed on the screen.

"Hey." Eddie stood up. "Wait a second, please,somebody's downstairs and I have to—"

"It's me, let me up," his brother said and hung up.

"Such a charmer," Eddie muttered under his breath. It was a compliment he'd always heard about Robert, but he'd never experienced said charm himself. All he got was stuff like this, as if waiting for a polite end of a call was a waste of Robert's precious time.

After buzzing him in, Eddie looked around the room for a perfunctory check. Good thing he'd cleaned today, or he would have no doubt heard about the mess.

Loud knocking prompted him to open the door, and he waved his brother inside.

"Come on in."

"Hey." Robert tugged his jacket off and handed it to Eddie, who rolled his eyes but put it on the coat rack. One would think that a guy would be casual in his brother's home, but not Robert. He was still staying in place by the door because Eddie hadn't specifically shown him to the couch.

"Take a seat." Eddie gestured towards it. "Would you like something to drink?"

"Water, please." Robert crossed the room and sat on the couch, his back straight. "I'm sorry I haven't called beforehand," he added like an afterthought, as if he'd only now remembered that he hadn't quite followed the proper protocol for a visit.

"It's fine," Eddie told him as he filled two glasses with water.

"So you weren't doing anything?" Robert pressed, and Eddie's hackles raised, but he forced himself to relax.

His brother didn't mean offense. Probably.

"Nothing I can't stop when somebody drops in for a visit." Eddie handed him a glass and took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, facing him.

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