Page 21 of Something Unavoidable

Izzy’s stomach clenched painfully as annoyance rushed over him. “Well, he’s a judgmental bastard, so I guess we’re even.”

Nick tilted his head, looking bemused. “How so?”

Izzy blinked. “What?”

“How is he judging you? I know I’ve only been around a year or so, but I’ve gotta say, I haven’t seen it. He’s kind of an asshole if he’s having a bad day, but—” He gestured to Izzy. “Case in point.”

Izzy scowled. Keegan judged him all the time. Like when he— Well, he— Izzy pressed his lips together and huffed. Okay, fine. So what if the only example he could think of was a long time ago? It was still valid. “Whatever. He just does. He has judgy eyes.”

Nick laughed, and Izzy kind of wanted to punch him. Jerk.

“Why are you even here?”

“Driving practice.” Nick had been teaching Alice to drive since the previous summer.

Izzy glanced at the closed door of the barn. “In the snow?” That didn’t seem safe. Alice still wasn’t the best driver. Especially when she got anxious.

“That makes it the perfect time. Might as well get it out of the way now instead of waiting until there’s no other choice.”

That sounded like a terrible idea to Izzy.

Keegan stomped his feetas he came into the barn, kicking the snow off his boots. They’d gotten about six inches. More than what was predicted, but nothing Keegan’s snow tires couldn’t handle.

The last few days had been awkward, to say the least. Izzy’s refusal to acknowledge what had happened between them, again, was getting old. When Keegan tried to bring it up, he got, at best, a snarky reply and a change of subject. Continuing to push resulted in Izzy walking away. Keegan supposed it could have been worse. Izzy hadn’t gotten violent or implied that Keegan had done anything he didn’t want. He just wanted to pretend that it hadn’t happened.

Too bad Keegan couldn’t brush it off as easily. It was embarrassing how often Izzy flashed through his mind during the day. What was he doing?Howwas he doing? Would he find the unhinged comments on a blog post Keegan was reading funny or infuriating? Did he always bottom, or was he vers? How did he like his coffee? What would he do if Keegan brought him coffee?

It was when Keegan was trying to sleep that the darker thoughts crept in. Had Keegan pushed too hard? Was Izzy’s consent clear enough? Had he beenableto consent when he insisted they go without condoms? Did he enjoy what they did, or was he ignoring the whole thing because he was traumatized by it?

And that didn’t include Keegan’sotherconcerns. Things that were absolutely none of his business. He refused to put a name to the feeling that flared when he thought of Izzy’s typical nightly routine. Drinking and dancing. Picking up a stranger. All the whimpers, pleas, and moans that stranger would hear as he fucked Izzy in a bathroom stall or a motel bed.

Izzy would laugh in Keegan’s face if he knew the direction his brain kept taking him. That, or kick his ass. Izzy had been perfectly clear. He was horny, Keegan was convenient, and what happened between them was “unremarkable.” Keegan needed to accept reality and stop trying to sneak imagined intentions and feelings into what amounted to an ill-conceived hookup. This new obsession wasn’t healthy.

Keegan had already checked on Klaus and finished with Violet when Izzy sailed in. He was dressed like he’d come from outside instead of his apartment, a knit cap pulled low over his curls, his coat zipped to his chin, snow on his boots, and a travel mug clutched in his hands. His cheeks and nose were pink from the cold. Keegan didn’t ask where he’d been or why he was late. That was the last thing either of them needed. Frankly, he didn’t want to know. He was just glad Izzy showed up at all.

“Good morning,” he said as Izzy came to a stop nearby, keeping his tone neutral.

Izzy’s eyes flicked to him, then away again. “I ran out of coffee,” he said by way of greeting. “Trust me, you don’t want to deal with me pre-caffeine.”

Keegan wasn’t sure what to say to that, but apparently he didn’t need to say anything because Izzy kept going, his defensiveness increasing.

“Archer’s not here yet with the good stuff, so I went up to the house to steal some from Nick ’cause he’s a coffee snob too, but they went into town this morning, so there wasn’t any made and I had to figure it out myself. Their coffeemaker is fucking complicated, okay?” He was snapping at Keegan by the time he finished.

Keegan blinked, wondering at the hostility after days of being mostly ignored. “Good morning,” he repeated.

Izzy stared at him, then finally said, “Yeah. Right.”

This was off to a fantastic start. “I wasn’t implying anything.”

Izzy didn’t seem to believe him, judging by how hard he rolled his eyes. Keegan wasn’t inclined to defend himself.

“Why do you always assume I’m judging you?” Okay. Maybe he was a little inclined to defend himself. But mostly, he was curious. What the hell was it about him that set Izzy off?

Izzy muttered something that sounded like “Nick the snitch” but continued before Keegan could ask. “You’re the one who thinks I’m a ‘manipulative brat.’”

When the hell had he said that? He racked his brain but came up empty. He’d never found Izzy particularly manipulative. A brat? Yes, clearly. And if he was honest, a bit overzealous about sex, not that it was hurting anyone. He eyed Izzy. “I honestly have no idea what you’re talking about.”

Izzy scowled. His face flushed, and he clenched his coffee closer. “When you drove me home,” he said through gritted teeth, his eyes flicking between Keegan and the rest of the barn, like he couldn’t stand to maintain eye contact.

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