Page 27 of A Real Good Lie

He had a brief moment of hating himself for being so sassy, but he didn’t know how to survive the weekend if he didn’t figure out how to throw up some kind of barrier and fast. Fact was, he could still feel Callahan’s sweaty palm against his and he relished it. He wanted more of it, but no. It was impossible to sleep with Callahan and not let the lines of what was real and fake get blurred.

“These are things we should know.”

“I’ve lived with him for six years. We moved to California a few months ago.”

“That sounds like more than a roommate,” Callahan said.

“He’s my best friend.” He pushed away from the window and walked to the bed, flopping down on it face first, then he turned onto his back and tucked his hands behind his head. “He’s been there for me when no one else has.”

He tried to not think about his youth, to not think about what it had been like growing up in foster care before Jill and Ted had come along, but the memories always snuck up on him at the most inopportune times, like right then. He was in a hotel room that probably cost more per night than what Remington paid for their entire apartment, he didn’t need to worry about abandonment and control.

“Do you have siblings?” Callahan asked.

“Three sisters.” Jace stood up and walked out of the bedroom, leaving Callahan, who followed him back into the living room of the hotel suite.

“Where did you grow up?” Callahan came out of the bedroom behind him and sat down on the couch.

“Chicago. What about you?” He sat down beside Callahan.

“Here.” Callahan gestured toward the window with a sigh. “I should probably tell you about the history of all of this.”

“I’m sure that would be helpful.” Jace kicked off his shoes and pulled his legs onto the couch, sitting cross-legged and sideways so he could face Callahan.

“Why do you always do that?”

“Do what?”

“Look at me.” Callahan glanced at him from the corner of his eye.

The answer was loaded. All sorts of reasons and things he could have said. Jace looked at Callahan because it was the courteous and polite thing to do to a person you were having a conversation with, because that was what Jill had told him was right. He looked at Callahan because sometimes, if there was a shadow, he’d remember what Callahan looked like at Lion when he’d made such soft and gentle sounds while Jace kissed him.

“I look at you so I can see you,” he answered.

Callahan made an expression that might have been a grimace, but Jace wasn’t sure. He arranged himself on the couch so there was distance between them, but they faced each other, and then Callahan took a deep breath.

“My family owns one of the largest marketing companies in the country,” Callahan started. “My father died last year and that made me the CEO.”

“I’m sorry.”

“About the promotion?”

“No, about…wait a minute.” Jace narrowed his eyes and saw the smallest twitch in the corner of Callahan’s mouth. “Did you make a joke?”

“I didn’t get along well with my dad,” Callahan answered. “It wasn’t a big loss for me. But when he passed, he left a very large sum of money to the school.”

“To St. George’s.”

“Right.” Callahan nodded. “The school was founded by the St. George family generations ago. The family still sits on the board.”

“Ah.” He sighed. “Old money.”

“What?”

“Nothing. I’m just…I’m poor. Anyway, go on.”

“Sebastian is a St. George. We’ve been friends our entire lives. Rhys is his older brother.”

“Oh.” Jace began to understand the complex spiderweb he’d walked into.