Page 37 of The Making of Jonty Bloom
“I’m not doing it.”
“I don’t blame you. Griff is being unreasonable. But then, it was ever thus. Our own fault, I’m sure. The price for overcompensation.”
Particularly by his mother.Take care of Griff. Look out for Griff. Don’t forget about Griff.But Devan felt a frisson of relief that his father understood how he felt. “If Griff couldn’t even bring himself to tell me to my face that he and Ravi were getting married in December, why the hell would he think I’d want to be his best man?”
“I’m on your side. But…”
Devan must have made a sound that his father heard because he stopped speaking.
“Is there something we’re not getting, Devan?”
Was this the moment to tell the truth after the three of them had agreed it was better to come up with a different story?
“Would you like to tell me the actual reason your wedding was called off?” his father asked. “Do you know of some reason why Griff shouldn’t marry Ravi?”
“Do you like Ravi?” Even asking that hurt.
“When you were going to marry him, we looked forward to welcoming him into the family. Did I think it was a good match? I’m not so sure about that. You got on well together, but he was a little needy. You know your mother loved him. She and his mother got on so well. Ravi came to see us a few times after…that terrible day and somehow his friendship with Griff deepened. Maybe marriage has come faster than I’d have thought. They’ve only been going out together for a couple of months, but Griff knew Ravi for the two years you went out with him. You used to let Griff tag along with you. Are you wondering if they…? Is Griff the reason you called the wedding off?”
Devan heard the shock in his father’s voice as he came to the right conclusion. He thought too long about what to say.
His father’s “Ahhh,” in reaction to his silence said everything.
Why not tell the truth? Now the pair intended to marry, and presumably Ravi was okay with Griff asking him to be best man, Devan’s humiliation was complete.
“I found Ravi and Griff in bed together the day before the wedding.”
“Oh no.” His father gave a deep sigh. “I guessed Ravi had done something, but not with Griff. Damn. My God, Devan, why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because I thought it would hurt more. Because Griff begged me not to. Because I didn’t want to look a fool. Because I thought I could pretend it had never happened.”
“I wondered why we’d seen less of you. So why are you telling me now?”
“Because I’ve been made a fool of for the last five months. I thought it was a one off, not the start of something. I’m not being his best man. I’m not coming to the wedding.”
“Hmm. You know what I’d do?”
“What?”
“Not be best man, but come to the wedding and bring a guy with you, someone that will outshine Ravi. You know how much he likes to be the centre of attention. Five months is long enough to get over the loss of a guy who clearly wasn’t right for you. Eight months is long enough to find someone better. So get on it.”
Devan gave a short laugh. “Do you think Ravi is right for Griff?”
“Well, they both like attention. I thought it might do Griff good to be with someone who’s as spoilt as him. Though marriage? I don’t know. But I’m not going to say anything to Griff, just as I didn’t say anything to you. You’re both cut from the same mould there. Awkward. Won’t be told. And you don’t take after me.” His father laughed. “But your brother has made his bed. Let’s see if sharing it with Ravi lasts another three months.”
The talk with his father had cheered him up, right until another text came from his mother.
The villa in Antigua is booked. So is your flight.
Devan let out a stream of expletives but managed to hang onto his phone. Just. It had been a terrible start to his day. He was pissed off, depressed, miserable, resentful, irritated, but above all angry. Which was fucking annoying because he’d actually thought being up here was doing him some good. He hadn’t told his dad not to tell his mum. Would he? Somehow Devan was grateful to leave it up to his father.
Would his mother expect him to forgive Griff for what he’d done? Time had healed nothing. Did it ever? The image of Griff and Ravi in his bed—fucking in my fucking bed—was crystal clear. The sound Ravi had been making was engraved in his heart. The idea that he could stand at his brother’s side and…support him while he married the fucking, treacherous, vain, self-centred, self-absorbed arsehole… And how the hell could he give a speech saying anything pleasant about Griff, who was equally treacherous, self-centred, vain and self-absorbed. There was no fucking way Devan would be at that fucking wedding.Fuck, fuck, FUCK!
He took a deep breath. It didn’t help.Goddammit!To think that once upon a time, he’d not been a guy who cursed. Not in anger anyway.
Maybe if he’d woken with Jonty lying naked beside him, or even better with the guy’s mouth around his cock, Devan could have rolled his eyes at his mother’s naiveté. But Jonty hadn’t been lying naked beside him, because Devan had talked himself out of trying to make that happen in spite of the hints Jonty had dropped.
Jonty knew he was only up here for a week. Ignoring what Mike had said, Devan thought Jonty was up for a bit of fun. But Devan had, for once in his miserable life, done the right thing and left Jonty alone. He was still trying to persuade himself that itwasthe right thing. Jonty was the wrong guy in so many ways. It was ridiculous to even think about him with his crazy hair, those piercings in his ear and eyebrow, the grin that lit up his face, the way he’d made Devan smile when smiling should have been the last thing he felt like doing.
