Page 71 of Devil's Kiss
“Okay.” Jordan sighed, placing a hand on his hip. “What do you want?”
“What makes you think I want something?”
“Well, for one, you’re holding my coffee ransom.” He paused, and then he asked, “Peppermint mocha?”
“Of course.”
“Exactly. That’s just cruel. You know I’ll do just about anything for one of those. Give it to me, Hayes.”
“No. No,” Brantley said. “First things first.”
“I knew it,” Jordan said, pointing. “I knew you wanted something.”
“Maybe, but let’s face it, you aren’t your most congenial in the mornings, so I have to use what I can to my advantage. And this morning I’m kind of glad I came armed.”
“Oh for God’s sake, spit it out. I’m already going to be walking into a room full of zombies. You think it will do them any good if their teacher turns up the same way?”
“Whenhe turns up.”
“You’re hilarious this morning. Married life must be nice.”
Brantley chuckled, but quickly said, “We’re not married.”
Might as well be,Jordan thought, and remembered how happy Brantley had been when he’d returned from chasing down Daniel Finley in Chicago, and said he was moving back to Sunset Cove. The guy hadn’t stopped smiling for two months straight, and now they were living together, picking out china patterns, and no doubt planning a wedding on the beachfront.
“Mhmm. Are you sure about that? Living it up on the beach in your little love shack with your boy toy.” Jordan whistled. “Some have all the luck.”
“Actually, that’s what I’m here about.”
Jordan really didn’t want to stand out there talking about happily-ever-afters when the one person who usually gave him his had told him to fuck off the night before. So stepping around Brantley, he placed a hand on the door handle and said, “Aww, thanks for thinking of me. You and Danielarean enticing offer, but I tried being a third once and it wasn’t for me. I like to be the main attraction.” He added a wink to keep any questions about his surly mood at bay, and it worked. Brantley laughed.
“As thrilled as I am to knowthatpiece of information, I’m here to invite you to a kind of housewarming for Finn on Saturday night.”
“A housewarming? He’s been here for two months.”
“I know. But he’s finally settled in, his stuff has arrived, and it feels like the right time to welcome him properly.”
Jordan shrugged the leather strap of his bag up his arm. “And…” he prompted when Brantley stood there silently, as if trying to choose his next words carefully.
“Well, I was just going to have a small dinner party and I wanted to invite our two closest friends. I’m hoping that we can all start to?—”
“Stop. Right. There,” Jordan said, shaking his head, knowing exactly where this was going. While he would love nothing more than to be able to sit down and eat a peaceful meal with Brantley, Daniel, and Derek, considering the only time they’d all been in the same vicinity he and Derek had been in a down-and-dirty war with one another, he doubted the likelihood of such an event ever actually taking place. Hell freezing over seemed more likely.
“Comeon, Jordan,” Brantley pleaded. “This is ridiculous. What happened between you two? Daniel called him about Saturday, but as soon as he mentioned you he said Derek got in a foul mood.”
Ass. Serves him right. He ended things with me, not the other way around.
If Derek had just been patient and given him some time to adjust to the idea that Jordan loved him, then the two of them could be working this out together instead of—Woah. Wait a minute. Did I really just admit that I…?
Jordan looked up at his friend and knew the panic he was feeling must be evident on his face, because Brantley reached out a hand and asked, “Are you okay?”
No. No, I’m not okay.“I’m fine,” Jordan said, and even to his own ears his voice sounded uncertain.
“Are you sure? No offense, but you look terrible.”
God, what have I done?Jordan thought, as he remembered all the horrible things he’d said the night before.Shit. He needed to call Derek, but he had class. All damn day.
Great,as if he’d be able to concentrate on anything now other than tracking the guy down and…and… “Brantley?”