Page 2 of A Real Good Lie

Of course he did, but he was eighteen and very much smitten with his best friend’s older brother, and there was no way things would go wrong. Callahan had lived that lie for just shy of four years. A month before Callahan’s graduation, Rhys was on the verge of having a boyfriend who was no longer a student, which to Callahan, had always been a goal post. Once he graduated, he’d be on the same playing field as Rhys and they could finally start the rest of their lives together.

Except.

No.

He knew now, dating his best friend’s brother had been a horrible idea. Everyone who had told him so was right, but the fear of getting dumped by someone he’d known so long hadn’t ever made his radar. Even though things with Rhys went bad long before he’d cut those ties, Callahan had never seen it coming. He’d told his parents about it over a very awkward, joint-family graduation dinner the St. Georges and the McMillians had hosted for Callahan and Sebastian when they’d asked why Rhys was ignoring him.

If he thought they’d been upset when they found out about the relationship, he hadn’t seen the least of it. His father was incensed and carried the grudge for years, blaming Callahan for nearly ruining generations of established partnerships and financial and familiar ties. He’d borne the brunt of that attitude for most of his twenties, never really shaking free of it until his dad died, rendering himself unable to chastise Callahan for it any longer.

“Are you there?” Sebastian’s voice pulled him out of his memories and he pried his eyes open.

“Yeah. Sorry.”

“So, do you?”

“Do I what?” he asked.

“Do you have someone to bring with you?”

“To the ribbon cutting?” He looked again at the invitation.

The event was less than two weeks away, and Callahan had been single for the past two years. And not the fun kind of single, not the living it up in the city with friends kind of single. He was the “my only company is my hand and my sex toys” kind of single. He did have friends, though, which he was thankful for, but no one worthy of a date.

“Of course not,” he answered.

“You should find someone,” Sebastian suggested.

“Why?” He sighed. “These kinds of events are pretentious and boring, and why would I want to subject someone else to that kind of sordid affair?”

“Because Rhys is bringing his fiancé,” Sebastian said softly.

Wow. That hurt.

Callahan’s eyes widened, and his stomach seized like someone had stabbed a knife into his gut. He pressed his hand against his lower abdomen, as if that would do anything to stave off the shocking pain Sebastian’s admission had caused him to feel.

“He tricked some poor man into agreeing to marry him?” Callahan managed to ask, the words carrying a surprising roughness as they tumbled out of his mouth.

“Woman,” Sebastian corrected. “Her name is Ashley.”

Callahan cleared his throat. “I didn’t know Rhys was bi.”

“It’s…new.”

“You didn’t tell me he’d met someone,” Callahan said.

“I didn’t think you’d want to know.”

“I don’t.”

“So…” He could picture Sebastian’s raised eyebrows, his bright eyes somehow void of judgement while simultaneously drowning in sympathy.

“I don’t have a date,” he said again. “I don’t have anyone to bring.”

“You should find someone really hot,” Sebastian offered.

“I don’tknowanyone really hot. And worse, I don’t even know anyone that interesting.”

“Brains are more important that beauty, right?” Sebastian asked. “I thought you favored neither.”