Page 37 of Social Sinners

“What makes you think that?” I asked.

“First I hustled you, then I freaked out, and I’ve been really standoffish with you. I can leave if you want me to?” he told us. While his words said he’d leave, the look in his eyes spoke otherwise, and I didn’t want him to go any more than he did. Especially not if he was becoming as important to my brother as I thought he was.

“Dude, no one wants you to leave. Trust me, I can hold my own, and if I want someone out, they’re fucking out.” When he flinched, I knew my words came out far too harshly, so I softened them, “but we don’t want you to leave. Look, you and Jay are getting close, and I can see that,” he blushed, letting me know my guess about them was right. “Why are you so damn afraid of me?”

“You’re big, you’re intimidating, and you never smile,” he blurted out in a single breath.

“What? I do too smile, tell him, babe,” I turned to Easton for assistance.

“Not as much as you should be,” Easton replied, totally bursting my bubble. “Well, since we’ve been home you’ve done it more. We’ve had our challenges this year, but things are getting better.” He leaned over, kissing me. Kissing Easton was by far one of my favorite things to do, but one was never enough. I always wanted more. More of him. I swear I could wear his skin and still wouldn’t be close enough to him.I meant that in a totally non-creepy way. Ugh, there’s no way to make that statement out to be anything other than creepy.When we parted, Nathan was staring longingly at us.

“Nathan,” Easton began, “were you kicked out of your house for being gay?” He nodded, agreeing. What the fuck is wrong with people? How can you do that to your own kid? I growled low, but unfortunately, it was loud enough for Easton to hear and he knocked my knee with his in warning.

“Um, hmm,” I cleared my throat, trying to play it off, “sorry but that kind of shit is what actually does piss me off. Look kid, I’m gonna be upfront with you. Unless you steal from us, do drugs, or hurt my brother, we won’t have a problem. Cool?”

“Yeah, cool. But why are you being nice to me?”

“Because you’ve given us no reason not to be. You hungry?” I asked him, feeling a change in subject was due before this kid completely shut down on us again.

“Yeah.”

“Well, all right then. Let’s go see what kind of a mess those two made of the kitchen.” When we got upstairs, I was surprised to see a stack of sandwiches sitting on top of a plate, “What’s this?”

“Um, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches,” Jay said, scratching his neck. “Neither of us can cook.” I shrugged, grabbed one and took a big-ass-bite out of it.

I glanced up, finding all eyes staring back at me, “What?”

“Nothing we shouldn’t all be used to by now,” Easton answered, shaking his head. After we’d all had enough and the plate was empty, it was pool time. In a few weeks, we wouldn’t be able to use it without turning the heater on. I should probably see about having some sort of retractable gazebo or something of the sort built around it so we could use it year-round. The rest of the night went off without a hitch. We left Jay and the boys downstairs around midnight and headed off to bed.

My phone screeching woke me from a dead sleep, “Diamond.”

“Son, it’s Sal.”

“Um, hey, Sal. Kinda early for a call don’t ya think?” I pulled the phone away from my ear, noting the butt crack of dawn time displayed on the screen, “it’s five thirty in the morning.”

“I know, and I’m sorry. Look, this isn’t a friendly call, obviously or it would’ve taken place after having had my coffee. Your mother called the office trying to reach you. I’m sorry, but your father passed away last night.”

Well fuck me sideways, now I’m wide ass awake. “Wow, um, okay. Thanks.”

“I’ll text you the number she left with me. I didn’t want to send the news the same way, felt far too impersonal to do that. For what it’s worth, I’m sorry. Let me know when the arrangements are made so I can schedule Ventura. Please let me know if I can help with anything else.”

“Will do. Thanks again.”

“Everything okay?” Easton asked through a yawn.

“My dad died.”

“Oh shit. Sorry babe, I don’t know what to say,” he offered, running soothing strokes with his fingertips along my spine.

“Guess I better wake Jay and tell him,” I wasn’t sure how he was going to receive this news. After pulling on a pair of boxers, I headed down to his room.

“Jay?” I knocked, but when he didn’t answer, I opened the door and peeked inside, “you up?” A body bolted across the room, running into the en suite bathroom. I caught a glimpse of it in the moonlight before the door slammed shut.Nathan. “What the fuck?” I wasn’t mad, more shocked than anything.

“It’s not what it looks like,” Jay said, trying to defend something he didn’t need to.

“Yes, it is. You’re an adult Jay, it’s not like either one of you are gonna get pregnant.”

“You’re not mad?”

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