Page 63 of Sparring Partners
“I wasn’t being secretive or evasive with him. The reason I didn’t tell Adrian about us was because I didn’t think there was anything to tell. It was so long ago, it’s almost like it never happened.”
“Nice to know, Luca.” Incredulity turned to peevishness.
Luca swore silently. He had one touchy man in his life, he didn’t need two.
“He was pissed off?—”
“I get why, even if you don’t. Hearing about it from his boyfriend’s ex, over a drink, isn’t exactly ideal is it? I put my foot in it, and I’m sorry for that. But come on, Lu. I’m your employer, we work closely together, we socialise. We have a history — conveniently forgotten or not — so don’t you think telling him might have been the smart thing to do?” Alex’s brows arched, inviting Luca’s response.
“Yes, I suppose.”
For a moment they said nothing, the silence broken only by the steady beat of rain against the window.
“I was taken aback by his reaction. There was something aggressive about it. More understandable now I’ve got the full picture, but it still bothers me,” Alex said quietly.
“What exactly are you trying to say?”
A light flush coloured Alex’s cheeks. A flush, light or otherwise,nevercoloured Alex’s cheeks.
“Look, I just don’t want to see you getting hurt again. In any way.”
Luca blinked as Alex’s words sunk in. “You think he’d harm me? That he’s a danger?”
“Lu, that’s not?—”
“But it is, though, isn’t it? Christ, Alex. Do you think I’d be fool enough to let myself get into a situation like that, let alone remain in it?”
He stared at Alex, at the redness deepening by the second, not knowing whether to be angry, shocked, upset or incredulous. One thing he did know, and that was that he had to reassure his oldest friend — and set him straight.
“Adrian is not what you’re suggesting. Not in a million years. He’s blunt, and he’ll attack first if he thinks he has to. Life, as far as Adrian’s concerned, is black or white. I know all that. It’s part of who he is, but it’s only one part. The other, that’s for me to know.” Luca squeezed his friend’s arm. “Don’t think what you’re thinking. Please. Because there’s no need to.”
“Okay, okay. I trust you, and you know that. But his reaction, for all you’ve said, still bothers me. I’m not going to pretend otherwise.”
Luca puffed out a long breath. It wasn’t his story to tell, and it wasn’t any of Alex’s business. But Alex, past lover, present friend and the brother Luca had always wanted, was concerned. Luca needed to allay Alex’s disquiet.
“I know why he reacted like he did. It doesn’t mean I have to condone it, but I can understand it. Or mostly.”
“How do you mean?”
Luca hesitated. It was his last chance to say nothing, but he’d already gone too far, further than he should have.
“When Adrian returned to take over the family farm, he brought somebody with him.” No names, no details, only the broadest outlines; enough, he prayed, to stop any further questions. “It went wrong. There was somebody else involved on — the boyfriend’s part. Adrian told me he was the last to know. It’s made it hard for him to trust.”Don’t even go there with his brother…
Alex fell back into the sofa. “And me casually dropping it into the conversation about you and me?—”
“That’s pretty much what he said. It made him the last to know. Again.”
“I suppose it does put a different spin on things. But for all that, it doesn’t stop me from feeling edgy. I can’t help it. Because I don’t want you going through any more crap. Everything that happened with Bruno, which wasn’t really that long ago?—”
“Bruno? What’s he got to do with anything?”
“You were knocked sideways by what happened.”
“I was. Yes, you’re right.Was. Past tense. I have, as they say, moved on. And I have moved on. With Adrian. Touchy, difficult Adrian. He made a fool of himself. It was embarrassing for everybody, but I unwittingly laid the groundwork for it by not telling him about you and me.” Luca held up his hand to stop the interruption he saw coming. “Before you say anything, no, I’m not shouldering any of the blame for what happened. Adrian’s behaviour was down to him and him alone. But, yes, in hindsight, I can understand it — mostly. He now knows the situation between you and me. Most of all, he knows I’m not anything like the guy he came back here with. Maybe now you can see why I don’t need some kind of Save Luca intervention.”
“I’ll always be ready to jump in to save you, whether you like it or not.”
Not even a year ago he’d been standing on quicksand. Being dragged under, he’d been only too ready to be pulled to safety by the lifeline Alex had thrown him. But that was then. Now, he was back on solid ground.
