Chapter 23
The sight of his full lips now wet and sparking sent a thrill down Nolan’s spine.The intensity of Cam’s kiss sprang to Nolan’s mind as he remembered their ill-advised embrace.He blushed at the memory,but held up his hand to silence his best friend before he could say anything more.
“You should know,I’m going to your dad’s.”
“I don’t think…”
“I’m going,”Nolan said,cutting Cam off.“I have to talk to him.”
Cam nodded and turned his head away in an attempt to hide his wounded expression.Nolan felt tears spring to his own eyes before he hurried out the door.He rushed down the stairs and was halfway out the front door before he saw for the first time the torrential rain.Nolan cursed his distracted thoughts for not allowing him to notice earlier the monsoon that was raging outside.His thin T-shirt and snug-fitting jeans were soaked by the time he got to his car.
As he struggled to fit his key into the car’s lock,he noticed something odd on the hood of his car.He swiped rainwater out of his eyes and tried to understand what he was seeing.Several deep gouges had been etched in the red paint of the car’s hood and in one section were three ragged holes,each about the size of a dime.
“What the hell?”Nolan took a step back to get a better picture of what was going on and he soon saw the tool that had made these marks—a ten-inch-long heavy-duty screwdriver that was unfortunately now sticking out of the side of his flattened left rear tire.Nolan screamed in rage as he pulled the screwdriver from the tire and flung it as hard as he could into the bushes.Hot,angry tears were practically shooting from his eyes as he was driven from the scene and into his building,the intensifying deluge leaving retreat as the only course of action.
He made short work of the three flights of stairs and nearly knocked down a startled Mrs.Wallace as he hurried past her and into his own apartment.He slammed the door closed behind him before opening it and slamming it even harder.He turned and leaned back against the door and sobbed,head in hands.
Cam quickly jumped up and grabbed their fluffiest towel,which he hurriedly placed around his trembling friend.He then wrapped his warm strong arms around Nolan who was crying too hard to express what had upset him so much.The safe comfort of Cam’s embrace only made Nolan cry harder,adding relief to his frustration,humiliation,and confusion.
Eventually Nolan was able to croak out,“I’m getting you wet.”
“Shh.”Cam placed his hand on the back of Nolan’s head and encouraged him to continue to lean against him.Cam shifted his weight from foot to foot,slowly rocking Nolan who began to calm down enough to talk.
“What’s got you so upset?”Cam asked quietly.
Nolan stepped back away from the comfort of Cam’s arms and dried his hair and face with the towel.“My car,”he sniffed.
“Won’t start?”
“No,someone fucking slashed my tire and fucked up my hood.”
Cam’s eyes flashed in fury and he instantly charged toward the door.Nolan gently grabbed at Cam’s arm.“No,don’t.There’s no reason to go out in this.We’ll call the police later.”
“Who do you think did this?”
“I don’t know.I’m assuming Ashley.”
“That’s a pretty fucked up thing to do.”Cam reached for Nolan’s towel so he could use it to dry himself off as well.Nolan noticed that the front of Cam’s shirt was soaked and his erect nipples were straining at the wet fabric.He blushed and headed to his bedroom to change clothes.
“Well,I kinda had it coming I guess.”Nolan stood in front of his open closet door.He pulled a long-sleeved fleece nightshirt off a hanger and a pair of sweat pants from a shelf.“I did leave her high and dry at Bavaglio.”
Nolan peeled off his shirt and Cam turned to leave.“It’s fine,”Nolan said.Cam came back in and sat on the bed.Nolan turned his back to Cam but didn’t cover himself as he stripped naked.“It’s not like you haven’t seen it all before.”
Cam did not seem amused at Nolan’s attempt to distract him with humor.“When was it that you ditched Ashley?”
Nolan realized that he had forgotten to get out dry underwear as he bent over to guide his feet into his pants before pulling them up over his ass.He could feel the weight of Cam’s gaze upon him,but he dared not turn and acknowledge it.He turned and sat on the opposite side of the bed from Cam after pulling his shirt on.
“We went out to dinner a few days after she ambushed me in our living room.”A sudden thought sprang into Nolan’s mind.“Wait a minute,why exactly did you let her in that night?”
Cam’s expressive face was powerless to disguise his sheepish guilty expression.“She came by looking for you.She said you wouldn’t take her calls.I was,well,I was jealous that you were hanging out with my dad.”
“How could you have possibly known that I was hanging out with your dad that night?”Nolan asked,exploring this train of thought.“You couldn’t have known,but you were afraid I might have been or would be soon,weren’t you?You were worried that you hadn’t scared me away from your dad by outing him and saying all that stuff about him at the party.”
Cam nodded and waited a beat before softly saying,“I could see it in your eyes.I knew you weren’t done with my dad.”
“How could you know that.Ididn’t even know that yet.”
Cam sighed.“You did.Somewhere deep inside,you did.It was written all over your face.”
Nolan nodded and collapsed back onto his pillows,looking for answers in the cracks of the ceiling.“I never asked for any of this.”
Cam nodded and slowly stood up to leave the room.“I know.”
Nolan didn’t say anything as Cam left the room.The weight of all the things they had both left unsaid was oppressive.Nolan had never imagined himself to be anything other than Ashley’s tag-along boyfriend who would eventually become Ashley’s tag-along husband.He never would have thought he’d find himself torn between the love of his handsome and loyal best friend and his intensely exhilarating,hunky father.
The sound of Cam’s car keys distracted him from his contemplation,but he didn’t get out of bed quick enough to catch him before he left the apartment.Nolan hurried over to the window and looked out to see Cam darting out into the rain toward his car.