Bradley kissed Lou’s cheek, making him blush.
“It’s a little cruel to make them sit while the aroma from all that amazing food of yours floats out of the kitchen.”
Lou put a hand to his chest. “You’re right!” He turned to them and smiled apologetically. “I’m so sorry. I’ll have the boys bring out some platters.”
Ash sat up, and Ethan kicked him under the table.
I’m not losing out on tasty food because of you, so zip it.
Ash glared at him but remained silent.
Lou swiftly spun on his heels and hurried off to the kitchen. As soon as he was gone, Dex held his hand up to Bradley for a high five.
“And that’s how it’s done.”
Bradley chuckled and high-fived Dex. They put in their drink orders, and soon their table was filled with cocktails, beers, champagne, spirits, and enough tasty food to make Ethan cry tears of joy. A good deal of it he had no idea what it was, but it tasted amazing. Ethan followed Dex’s lead. He was familiar with Lou’s catering and the different puff pastries. As they ate, the lights dimmed, and Ethan checked his watch. Guests would probably start arriving soon. The music switched to a romantic ballad, and Sloane stood. He turned and bowed to Dex, his hand held out.
“Would you care to dance, Mr. Daley?”
Dex took his hand with a bright smile. “I would love to, Mr. Brodie.” He stood and walked his fingers up Sloane’s chest. “I am so going to sex you up later.”
Ash groaned. “I did not need to hear that.”
Ethan chuckled. He turned his attention to Sloane and Dex on the dance floor, the way they stood so close together, the smile on their faces as they murmured to each other, Sloane’s head lowered so he was closer to Dex. Ethan remembered what Calvin had said in Sloane’s apartment, how wistful he’d sounded. Ethan stood and took a deep breath. He turned and held his hand out to Calvin, who blinked up at him. With a smile, Ethan nodded to the dance floor. Calvin’s smile stole his breath away, and he stood to take Ethan’s hand.
“Sure, make the rest of us look bad,” Ash grumbled before sweetly asking Cael to dance.
Ethan ignored his grumpy friend and led Calvin to the dance floor, the rest of his teammates following his lead. He pulled Calvin close and wrapped his arm around his waist, his free hand holding Calvin’s. The song was a ballad from an era long gone, and Ethan enjoyed its sweeping melody and heartfelt lyrics. He closed his eyes and let his cheek rest against Calvin’s head. Calvin squeezed his waist gently, and Ethan smiled, glad he’d done something to make him happy. He deserved it. Soon the place would get too crowded, and Ethan wouldn’t be able to step foot near the dance floor, much less on it, which was why he cherished these moments. He was grateful to Bradley for sharing Dekatria with them. To Ethan, it was more than a bar or place to hang out. It was quickly becoming somewhere he felt comfortable, where he could be himself and not feel so anxious.
“Thank you.”
Ethan opened his eyes at Calvin’s soft words. He looked down, and Calvin stopped dancing to stand on his toes and kiss Ethan. Their friends cheered, and Ethan returned Calvin’s kiss, pulling him up against him. Calvin laughed against his lips and threw his arms around him. He’d never been happier. They pulled apart and danced in each other’s arms until someone knocked on the front door. It looked like the guests were finally arriving. Bradley emerged from behind the bar and went to open the door, greeting the group as they came in. A few Ethan recognized from work; some he’d never seen before. They came dressed up in suits and flapper dresses, feathers in their hair and gifts in their hands. As if sensing his unease, Calvin took hold of Ethan’s hand.
“Come on. Let’s get something to drink,” Calvin said, leading him toward the bar. The end of the bar was always more comfortable for Ethan. It meant he was less likely to get boxed in. They ordered drinks from one of the waiters, and Calvin started chatting to him about ideas for Dex’s tattoo. Ethan loved when Calvin talked about his art. He was always so passionate and excited when he talked about it. Like when they were kids and his mom would buy him a new sketchbook. One year, Calvin’s mom had managed to save up enough money to get him some fancy colored pencils that professionals used. Calvin still had them. He’d been so careful with them, cherishing them, using them only for extra-special projects. Even though he could now afford to buy himself whatever colored pencils he wanted, he kept those safe.
Less than a couple hours later, Ethan couldn’t believe how packed the place was. The whole thing made him feel a little nervous, but he was okay. The music was good, with some fun eighties tunes thrown in the mix, courtesy of a certain loveable gummy-bear-eating nutjob who was bouncing around on the dance floor while his partner attempted to keep up. Dex was obviously already tipsy, but then again it didn’t take much. Nina had finally shown up before the majority of the guests arrived. She looked dazzling in her white flapper dress and glittering silver headpiece with feathers. Ethan hadn’t seen her come in, and she was alone. He had a sneaking suspicion Rafe was keeping a low profile. He had to admit, he was worried. Would Rafe be here as Nina’s boyfriend or “work colleague”? Things were getting far too complicated for Ethan’s liking. He didn’t want to see anyone hurt, not even his brother. Rafe would never admit it to Ethan or Seb, but his brother cared about Nina.
Now that he thought about it, he hadn’t seen Seb either. Hudson had arrived, looking snazzy in a blue three-piece suit and striped tie, and he’d disappeared sometime after. Occasionally he’d appear at the bar or chatting at one of the tables with coworkers and friends. Cael and Nina were dancing in the center of the crowded floor, blowing on their party favor horns. Everyone was having a great time. After a few more snacks and another beer, the music started getting a little loud for Ethan, and the bar was getting crowded. Calvin put his hand to the small of Ethan’s back and nodded toward the stairs.
“Hey, how about we go up to the roof garden? It’s a little quieter and less busy. I could use some fresh air.”
Ethan’s heart swelled at Calvin’s thoughtfulness. Calvin didn’t need a break; he knew Ethan did. Ethan took Calvin’s hand and laced their fingers together. A blush crept into Calvin’s cheeks, and Ethan leaned in to kiss him. It was the first time they were out in public as a couple. He led Calvin to the stairs and headed up. The second floor was packed, though not as much as the ground floor. They took the second set of stairs up to the roof. Ethan liked it up here. There was outdoor heating and a roof that helped keep the cold out. It was pretty amazing, decorated with strings of lights and colorful lanterns. There were tables and a small bar, along with plenty of seating where folks could get cozy. Calvin had excused himself to say hi to someone when Seb and Taylor showed up. Seb grinned broadly when he saw Ethan.
“Hey, little brother. Rocking that cardigan.”
He threw an arm around Ethan’s shoulders and gave the side of his head a kiss. Ethan chuckled and playfully shoved him away. He made a drinking motion, and Seb poked Ethan’s side with a chuckle.
“No, I’m not drunk, wise guy.”
He ordered a drink for himself and one for Taylor, who was trying to chat up one of Nina’s cousins.
Here we go.
Ethan motioned to Seb’s brown three-piece suit before putting his thumbs up.
“Thanks. You know me. Not exactly the suit type, but it feels nice.”
While Taylor was busy, Ethan leaned into Seb to whisper in his ear. “How come you’re up here? Party’s downstairs.”
There were a number of people up here but nowhere near the crowds downstairs. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, except his big brother.
Seb shrugged. “Just needed a break from the noise.”
He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. Ethan’s heart squeezed in his chest, and he whispered again.
“Hudson?”
“Can’t hide anything from you, can I?” Seb replied with a sad smile. “Yeah. At work it’s not so bad. I don’t really see him around, and when I need something, I call Nina instead.” Seb rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. “I thought it would get easier. It’s
supposed
to get easier.” He shook his head somberly. “But every time I see him, it kills me.”
“Why do you do that to yourself?” Sure, there was something Seb could do. He knew it was especially hard with Seb having marked Hudson, but he couldn’t go on like this. It was steadily getting worse. His brother was always so cheerful and playful, it broke Ethan’s heart.
“I don’t know how not to love him, Ethan.”
Ethan swallowed hard. The anguish on his brother’s face was hard to see. Before Ethan could reply, Taylor appeared, throwing his arm around Seb’s shoulders.
“Listen, bro. I heard about what happened. Sorry things didn’t work out with Cael. You two looked good together. Man, I can’t believe he chose Keeler. Him and Daley have a hard-on for fucked-up guys. You took him home a couple of times before that. Tell me you at least got to bang him.”
Unbelievable. Ethan glared at Taylor, when he happened to glance over Taylor’s shoulder. His eyes widened, and a lump formed in his throat. Ethan tugged at Seb’s sleeve. His brother turned around, and Ethan could almost feel his brother’s pain when he saw Hudson standing there looking devastated. When Hudson spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.
“You and Cael?”
“It’s not what you think,” Seb said quietly, taking a hesitant step toward Hudson. “It was a few drinks. We didn’t—”
Hudson held a hand up. “You don’t owe me an explanation, Sebastian. You don’t owe me anything.”
“
Lobito
, please.”
“Don’t,” Hudson warned sharply before seeming to get ahold of his emotions. He straightened and smoothed out his vest. “Please don’t call me that. Excuse me.” He started to turn, when Seb caught his arm.
“It was drinks and talking. Nothing happened.”
Hudson tried to pull his arm out of Seb’s grip to no avail. “Sebastian, please….”
“He’s in love with Ash, and I’m—”
“Stop,” Hudson pleaded.
His grief was as heartbreaking as Seb’s, and Ethan wished he could do something to help. The despair filled the air like a thick fog. It made Ethan anxious. He hated seeing his brother hurting, and Hudson had always been a good friend to him. There was a time when Ethan believed Hudson would become part of their family. The two had been so in love, as if they’d always been together. From the first day they met, they’d been drawn to each other. Ethan cared about Hudson very much, but he couldn’t understand why Hudson was determined to be apart from Seb when he clearly still loved him deeply. Why was he torturing himself? Especially since his pain would be greater than Seb’s, considering he was the one bearing his ex-lover’s mark.
“I love you.” Seb put his hand over his heart, his grip still on Hudson’s arm. “I told myself that I could move on, that my heart would heal, but after all this time, the wound’s only gotten deeper. I need you in my life, Lobito.”
Hudson swallowed hard. A tear rolled down his cheek, and Seb brushed it aside with his thumb. “Our bond is as strong now as it ever was. I can’t stand to be away from you. Please, come back to me. I know you still love me.”
Something flashed in Hudson’s blue eyes, and his gaze turned hard. “You’re wrong.”
“And
you’re
lying,” Seb replied, moving his hand to Hudson’s neck, his thumb stroking Hudson’s skin. A visible shudder went through Hudson before he pulled away.
“I’ve moved on.”
Seb flinched.
Ethan didn’t know how much longer he could take this. The anger, hurt, and pain was overwhelming. Whoever had been on the roof garden when Hudson showed up, they were gone now. It wasn’t some scandalous fight their coworkers would gossip about the next day. This was something that cut deep. Everyone in Unit Alpha felt for Seb and Hudson.
Please, Hudson. You love him.
Calvin placed his hand to the small of Ethan’s back, and he felt himself calm.
Hudson straightened to his full height and lifted his chin. He pushed his glasses up his nose, his voice laced with a harsh tone unbecoming of him, one Ethan didn’t like.
“It’s time for you to move on, Sebastian. We can never get back what we had. It’s over.”
“Sweetheart….”
“We let a child die!” Hudson snapped. “We were so wrapped up in our perfect little world, we failed to protect those who counted on us. We swore an oath, and we bloody botched that up in spectacular fashion, didn’t we?”
Seb shook his head. “That’s on me.”
“Listen to yourself! The guilt is still eating away at you.” Hudson turned away from Seb, his voice quiet. “Well, it eats away at me too. Can’t you see that? What we had died that day with that poor boy. There’s no bringing either back. Please, for both our sakes, let me go.”
“I can’t.”
“Then I’ll have to take the initiative.” Hudson met Seb’s gaze, his expression firm. “Unless there is no other option, considering we both work in the same unit, I’d like you to stay away from me. Good-bye, Sebastian.”
Hudson walked off, and Ethan’s heart sank. He’d thought that was it, but by the look on his brother’s face, it was clearly not over. Seb followed Hudson.
“I know what you’re doing, and you have to stop right now. You can’t hide your emotions away in a little box and lock them up without losing a piece of you, without locking everything else up too. I know you. You shut your heart away until you don’t feel anything at all. I won’t let you do that to yourself.”
“You really have no say in what I do or don’t do to myself,” Hudson replied sternly as he headed for the stairs with Seb on his heels.
Ethan quickly followed his brother, Calvin sticking close to him. He didn’t like where this was heading. Hudson was determined to push Seb away, and his brother was having none of it. After years of Seb backing off every time Hudson asked him to, it would seem his brother was trying a different approach. Ethan wanted to do something, but he had no idea what. They followed Hudson as he pushed his way through the crowd on the ground floor toward the front of the bar, when the brewing shitstorm erupted into a tempest.