Page 49 of The Call of Azure (Unexpected Love #3)

Gabriel

“Your dad is not going to want me at his birthday thing.”

Ethan snorts in response to my pouting, but he doesn’t bother turning his head to look back at me.

He’s in the front passenger seat while Blue drives us out to the peninsula toward the property where Ethan’s dad, Ken, and his sort-of-adopted brother, Namid, have homes.

I’m stuck in the middle of the back seat with my arms crossed and my bottom lip sticking out like a petulant child.

Which is exactly how I feel as I watch their fingers play together on the center console between them.

I’m thrilled and thankful that they found each other, of course.

They’re absolutely perfect together, but no matter how hard I try to push it aside when we’re all together, the five percent jealousy that always mixes with ninety-five percent happiness over their relationship never really goes away.

If I’m honest with myself, since deciding that it’s for the best to let Liam fade out of my life after our show nearly a month ago, it’s closer to ten percent jealousy.

Snuffing out the tiny little spark of a personal relationship that had flared to life between us was obviously the right thing to do, but I don’t have to be happy about it.

I miss him. Our performance together was one of the most creative and exciting things I’ve ever been a part of, so of course it makes sense that I miss it now that it’s over.

That’s what I tell myself anyway. I don’t really believe myself, but I just keep trying anyway.

I know that it’s not the show I miss, it’s just…

Liam. I miss watching the way his eyes lit up just before he’d make a joke.

They always told me that he was going to try to say something funny before he even spoke a word.

The man should never be allowed to play poker.

I miss the way it was so easy to talk to him.

I didn’t have to hide my excitement or intensity or joy.

I didn’t even have to hide my rare moments of exhaustion or frustration.

I didn’t have to try to be anyone I’m not to make him happy.

Ever. I miss the way he automatically scooped up Cupcake to scratch her ears whenever she was around, and the way he’d bite his bottom lip to try to look serious and concerned when she’d bark her little head off when people got too close the couple of times he held her at the aquatic center when I brought her with me to work on his choreography.

He always tried to be so polite and apologetic about it, but secretly, he loved watching people freak out over her feistiness just like I do.

I miss the way he trusted me so completely the two times we played with my ropes, and the way he took care of me when I was sick, like he couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

Like it was a perfectly normal thing to make me homemade soup just because I was sneezing, and the way he trusted me to care enough to tell me about his past. I miss the way it felt the night I got to touch him.

I miss that every single night because every time I close my eyes, I feel the warmth of his skin and the touch of his fingers and his lips on mine.

I know letting him go before I got sucked in any deeper was the right thing to do.

Blue and Ethan told me that taking the risk and letting myself fall for him might end up being worth it, but it won’t be.

I refuse to let someone get close enough to stomp all over my heart ever again.

So why does doing the right thing feel so absolutely horrible?

Blue catches my gaze for a moment in the rearview mirror. “Ken specifically told us we were to force you to come.”

"Ugh. Aren't birthdays for old men like family things?"

Ethan turns back to me. "Yep. And Dad’s told me more than once that after years of us being basically estranged, he's grateful that when he got me back, he got two new sons as well."

“Pft. I get him being a nice guy and adopting Blue and all, but I’m not dating any of his kids. I’m just the weird third-wheel guy you keep dragging to family things.”

"You’re my best friend, hun. You’re family." Blue’s gaze catches mine once more, and I hate the love and openness I see there because it’s the same thing I feel. Even though I’m in the mood to pout and fight, I can’t argue with that look.

"It won’t just be the six of us today anyway.

Apparently, he's been dating someone for a few months, and she’s going to be coming too.

" Ethan sounds surprisingly excited. I’d have thought the idea of his dad getting a girlfriend would be a bit weird, but I guess when you’re as loved up as Ethan and Blue are, you want everyone else to climb into that rickety, probably going to sink soon, ship with you.

“Ken has a girlfriend?” I, however, am not loved up on anyone, and my surprise is more than obvious in my tone.

“Yep. I guess she owns some little shop a few towns away, and they met while he was playing tourist a while back. They really hit it off, hard and fast, and I sort of love that for him. I’m really excited to meet her.” Stupid, excited Ethan puppy.

I can't help but snicker. “Hard and fast, huh?”

“Ugh. Dude. Do not make sex jokes about my dad. I want him to be happy and in love, but that’s where it ends. I do not ever want to think about him having sex.”

“Babe, you said hard and fast.” I snicker yet again. “Did you really think I wasn’t going to comment on that?”

“I didn’t realize I said it!” His voice climbs in exasperation. “It just slipped out and…”

“It just slipped out!” I laugh and tap my feet in amusement. “Oh my god, you make this too easy…just like your dad!”

Blue’s hand reaches back and flaps around as he attempts to smack me without looking away from the road.

“Oh my goooddd,” Ethan whines. “I don’t need images like that in my head; I just got my dad back in my life and now…Oh my god, now I can’t stop thinking about him having seeeex.”

“Then my job here is done. We don’t even have to go to the party now. I’ve already managed to make your day awkward and amazing.”

Ethan groans and leans over to Blue, dropping his forehead against my best friend’s shoulder. Even though I’m feeling much less pouty after successfully teasing Ethan, the ten percent jealousy is quick to remind me that it never actually went away.

By the time we hit the long gravel drive that leads to Kens’ small farm-style house, Blue and Ethan are once again chatting it up while I silently pout in the back seat.

I want to be here even less than I did when we started out on this stupid family trip, now that I know there will be three happy couples in love and me…

the seventh wheel. I gather Cupcake - who’s barking up a storm and scrambling to escape and molest Ethan’s family members - into my arms and follow my friends into the house.

At least it’s a birthday thing, not some random weekend get-together.

That means there will be food. Probably cake.

Maybe even ice cream. So I guess it won’t be all bad.

I’ll just grab as many snacks as I can and hide out in some corner of the yard.

Fighting flies over cake sounds more appealing than smiling and being happy that even Ken’s fallen in love.

There is indeed plenty of food piled on the table, so once the door is firmly shut behind me, I set Cupcake on the floor, hug Ken quickly, and start piling cheeses on a plate.

“Happy birthday, Ken.” It’s not exactly my normal bouncy, happy birthday sexy dance, but mumbling around cheese is the best I can offer right now. I’m not sure he’d appreciate my birthday stripper performance anyway.

“Thanks, bud. I’m glad you came.” His heavy palm pats my shoulder a few times.

Ken is a sweet man with a deep, growly voice who always seems to just listen and smile with those around him before offering a few strategically placed words of wisdom.

If I had a daddy kink, I’d have been all over that a long time ago.

“Where are Jayce and Namid?” Ethan asks as he snatches one of my cheese bites.

“Hey!” I half-heartedly smack at his hand. “Get your own snacks.”

He just grins and quickly snatches one more before darting away and into Blue’s open arms.

“They’re umm…” Ken looks like he’s having an aneurysm.

“I’m sure they’ll be here soon. I popped over to their place a few minutes ago to remind them what time it is.

I don’t know why they can’t seem to ever look at a clock…

and, umm…” He cringes and blushes deeply enough that even on his tan skin, the color would rival the bright pink of Liam’s blushing cheeks.

Sigh…Liam. Memories and reminders are everywhere, and I don’t know how to convince my brain that connecting every little thing to him, since I’m trying to move on, isn’t healthy.

Fortunately, it’s all too easy to figure out why Ken is blushing, and the opportunity to tease him is a good distraction from my stupid Liam thoughts.

“Oh my god!” I laugh so hard I nearly drop my plate. “You heard them having sex!”

“Oh my god, Daaad,” Ethan whines and buries his face in Blue’s neck.

When the back door opens only a few seconds later, a disheveled and pink-cheeked Namid enters, struggling to keep Cupcake from escaping with his foot while a very perky and energetic Jayce follows right behind him.

Ken instantly decides to busy himself with washing the single glass that’s sitting in the sink while mumbling about the stupidity of having a pile of boys for children and the importance of closing windows when you’re doing…

things. Blue, of course, is shaking so hard from trying to contain his laughter that it looks like he might actually be having a seizure.

“Hi, guys,” Namid says with a grin while looking around the room, trying to decide what he’s just walked into. “What’s up?”