Page 121 of Something Like Hail

“No problem. I’m sorry todo this, but he’s my ride, and I’m worried that he’ll forget aboutme.”

“I know the feeling,” Ryansaid as they stood. “Will you come to my hearing?”

Noah could picture Marcello’s face if hedid, red with indignation and veins swelling with rage. Noah wouldprobably be fired and put on some sort of blacklist that would makeit impossible for him to work in Austin again. That would suck. Notbeing able to live with himself would be worse. He knew that now.“Yeah. I’ll be there.”

“Thank you,” Ryan said,hugging him and not letting go. “For everything. I’m sorry I madeyou feel that way when we were together. I was too blind to realizewhat I had in front of me. I loved you, but I should have loved youmore.”

“It’s all in the past now,”Noah said, taking a step back. “I’d rather focus on the future. Youshould too. Some of the guys in here are kind of hot.” He nodded toa muscular guy with long dreads at a nearby table. “What abouthim?”

Ryan looked over and snorted. “Total bottom.Not my type at all. But yeah, there are some gorgeous guys here,and you wouldn’t believe how hot the setting makes it. I’m anotorious soap dropper.”

Noah laughed and shook his head. “I don’twant to know. Actually, I do. Next time, okay?”

Ryan’s lip trembled but he bit down on itand nodded. “Next time.”

* * * * *

The interior of the car was even stuffiernow on the ride back. Tim didn’t speak, he just glowered, his scowlincreasing with the vehicle’s speed. Then he would notice he wasdriving too fast and force himself to slow down. This cycle keptrepeating. Noah had attempted conversation at the start of thedrive, mentioning that maybe they should stop and get something toeat. Tim brought them to a fast food drive thru. After gettingtheir food from the window, he parked and began chomping his waythrough a burger like he was sinking his teeth into Ryan’s flesh.In surprisingly few bites he finished and resumed driving. Sincethen, silence.

Noah leaned the seat back and waited,figuring Tim would talk when he was ready to. This happened an houroutside of Austin.

“I fucked up,” Tim said,sounding miserable. “I promised myself I wouldn’t lose my temperand I did anyway.”

“I get it.” Noah adjustedhis seat to be upright again. “I’d be angry with anyone who shotme. That’s a given.”

“But those things Isaid…”

“What things?”

Tim glanced over. “At the end, when Ithreatened to kill him. I asked you to come with me so Ryancouldn’t lie about what I said. Now he won’t have to.”

“Still no idea what you’retalking about,” Noah replied, affecting disinterest. “I didn’t hearanything like that.”

Tim scoffed. “Were you payingattention?”

“Yup. To every single word.I definitely didn’t hear you threaten him.”

Tim finally caught on, his expressionhopeful. “You won’t say anything?”

Noah shook his head. “No, and honestly, Idon’t think he will either. He doesn’t have much to gain aside frompetty revenge, and whether you believe his story or not, I don’tthink he was ever after that. He was a crazed junkie. Still, evenwhen sober, he has a lot of issues, and I totally understand whysomeone—theoretically, of course—might get defensive about himbeing around their friends and family.”

“I’d do anything for them,”Tim said. “Ben especially. It’s a dark thought, but when you getattacked in your own home, you ask yourself what you’d do if ithappened again. The answer is whatever it takes. I’d die for Ben ifI had to. I wouldn’t hesitate. Not for a second.”

“Wow,” Noah said. “I wishsomeone felt that way about me.”

“What about, uh… What washis name?”

“Felix,” Noah said with asmile. “He’s convinced himself that he’s in love with me, but wedon’t really know each other well enough yet.”

“You could changethat.”

“I’m working on it. We keepgoing on dates and— Oh. You mean the escort thing.”

“I thought that’s what youwere talking about.”

“No, but I guess it shouldbe. I’m dreading how he’ll react.” Noah groaned. “I should havetold him from the beginning. Sometimes I wish I’d never taken thisjob.”

“You could switch.” Timlooked over at him, silver eyes sizing him up. “How long were youplanning on doing this, anyway? You’re still young, but you’d besurprised how fast the years start whizzing by.”