Page 26 of So Worth More
I quickly sent her a text to ask if it was okay and received a thumbs up in reply, I looked over at Andy, “Gem said that you can have her number. I’ll send it now.”
He smiled at me, genuine happiness lighting his eyes, “Thanks Will.” Sending the message over and getting a quick, “Thanks,” from Andy took all of a minute. Thinking about all that Brad said earlier and how I’d gotten over my initial impression of Gemma, I decided to send a follow up text to her.
Will: Look, I’m not sorry that you and Henry are over. Yes, he’s my friend, but over the weekend I didn’t like how he treated you. I think you deserve better than that and hope that the next guy that comes along sees it. Thank you for making the best of a bad situation at the cabin and for helping me with Andy. Maybe once the #Andill ship sets sail, we could do coffee?
I kept an eye on my phone, watching it go on read as the others talked around me. I let out a bark of laughter at her response. I really had her all wrong.
Gem: Yas! *three laughing emojis* #Andill forever! I’m up for that.
The others were shooting me questioning glances. “Just my phone,” was all I said, not wanting to go into the whole ship thing. I’d tell Andy about the hashtag thing when we were on a better footing, though. He’d love it.
Brad, deciding that he didn’t care about the relationship drama any more, moved the conversation along. Between them, he and Andy were doing most of the talking, letting Henry and Pete stew about whatever was bothering them.
A commotion at the bar drew my attention and I recognized a familiar face. I couldn’t be sure until I got a closer look, but I thought he might be a guy my younger brother Charlie was friends with.
“Be back in a sec,” I said to the group as I got up to go and check on him. As I drew near, I saw that it was Max, my brother Charlie’s best friend. It seemed like a guy standing far too close to him, holding on to his arm, wasn’t taking no as an answer. To make matters worse, Max seemed a little out of it.
Walking over to him, I wrapped an arm around his waist, removing the guy’s arm, and glared at the jerk. I didn’t use my height to intimidate often, but it was useful here. Max was a fair bit shorter than me, with white blond hair and delicate features. Basically bait for creeps like this guy because he was so cute. Thankfully the other man got the hint, melting into the crowd.
Turning Max to face me, I put my hands on his shoulders, but had to move in closer so he could hear me over the noise of the bar. “You okay?” He sniffled a bit and I brushed his tears away with my fingers, as he shrugged. “Want me to take you home?” Max nodded.
“Will, I lost Charlie. Have you seen him? I think he left me. I don’t feel well.” He was slurring slightly and didn’t seem very steady on his feet.
“Charlie was here?”
“Which bar are we at? We were in the Green Rooms and he was acting strangely…” Max was almost incoherent, the words coming out slurred. “Charlie isn’t a bad guy, Will. He was bad to you, but he was jealous. I didn’t think he would take it that far.”
“Max, Charlie slept with my boyfriend in our bed and I caught them. I think he wanted to get caught.”
“He misses you.”
“I doubt that very much.”
Max hung his head, all energy gone. “He’s not the same anymore. He left me! He never would have left me before.”
Irritation bloomed at my brother for leaving his friend like this, and I wondered what’d happened as getting this wasted was out of character for Max.
“Did you guys have a fight?”
“He’s drinking too much, Will. I’m worried something is going to happen to him.” Max covered his mouth with his hands and lurched away from me a bit.
“You gonna get sick?” He nodded. “Let’s try some fresh air,” I suggested, leading him towards the door. The crowd was thick around us and I had to push our way through. There was no way to get back to the others to say bye, so I decided to text them when I got outside instead.
Outside, Max leaned on the side of the building looking a rather alarming shade of green. A minute later, he threw up in the gutter. “Dammit, no way are you getting an Uber now.”
When he finished, fresh tears appeared. “I’m sorry, WilI! I ruined your night.” Pity flared and I gave him a hug before towing him to my car.
“I’ll take you home.”
Twenty One - Andy
What. The. Actual. Fuck?! Did I just see Will take another guy home? I’d pushed through the crowded bar when I saw Will leaving, wondering what was going on. When I’d eventually gotten outside, I caught him hugging a little blonde guy before putting an arm around his shoulders and leading him away.
I stood dazed for awhile until I was jostled by a group of people leaving. Coming to my senses, I went back to the others. Something must have shown on my face because they all were concerned. “I think Will just took home a hookup!” I blurted out.
“No chance.” “No!” “No way, there must be an explanation.” The last one was Brad’s voice of reason.
“When I got outside, he was hugging this blonde guy. Then he put his arm around him and they walked off together. That looks bad, right? I’m not just making something out of nothing?”
