Page 67 of Unwanted

Remy’s head appears over my shoulder. “I figured you’d need it now that you and Arlo would be sleeping together.”

Shaking my head, I raise my arm and throw it around his neck, playfully putting him in a headlock.

Remy grew from a teenager into a young adult while I was gone, and while his stoic nature is, and almost always has been, his default, it’s great seeing him come out of his shell to joke and laugh with the rest of us. Even if it’s at my expense.

“How much did you buy?”

At this stage we’re joined by Lennox and Clem, and the four of us stare at what has to be at least thirty tubes of lube scattered all over the bed.

“Wow,” Lennox says. “You weren’t kidding when you said you bought a whole store’s worth. Did they at least give you a discount?”

“Did they ask you why you needed so many?” Clem asks, followed by, “How much did this cost you?”

Instead of answering any of their questions, Remy weaves his way out of my hold and turns to face me. Standing straight, he smiles and rests a hand on my shoulder. “Welcome home, Frankie.”

Clem and Lennox quickly follow him out and I’m left alone in the first place in my life that was ever truly my own.

Wheeling my suitcase into the room, I take note that nothing in here has changed. The bed is still underneath the window, with a nightstand on either side, and the built-in wardrobe looks untouched, the clothes I didn’t take with me probably still hanging inside.

The space has been kept almost shrine-like, and the guilt that consumed me upon my return to LA comes back with a vengeance.

I don’t know what’s worse, knowing how much I hurt them when I left, or knowing how much they love me despite that.

Laying the suitcase flat on the floor, I open it up and begin to unpack the small amount of clothes I came to LA with. There isn’t a lot, but the act of making this room my own again makes me feel like my stay here is at the very least semi-permanent, and I like that.

“Now,” I say to the empty room, my hands resting on my hips, “What the fuck am I going to do with all this lube?”

22

ARLO

The day had dragged, and by the time I trudged myself and our dinner up the driveway and fumbled through my gym bag for my keys, I was completely and utterly exhausted.

The only saving grace to such a long and tiresome day is knowing that Frankie is on the other side of this door.

There are five of us that work at the gym on a rotating schedule, and once a month we have an all-staff meeting that I have the ability to reschedule, but I never liked to do that. And of course this month’s meeting fell on the day Frankie was moving in.

I wasn’t one to chop and change my daily routine, but since Lennox’s accident and Frankie’s arrival it felt like that’s all I’d done. And while I was the one in charge at work and nobody cared about my comings and goings, this place had saved me, and I didn’t want my dedication and commitment to ever fall to the wayside.

With one free hand, I manage to push the door open and I drop my bag to the floor immediately. The loud thud goes unnoticed and my eyes scan the room, wondering why the house is so quiet.

Placing the bags full of food onto the counter, I head toward Clem’s bedroom and knock on the door.

“Come in,” she calls out.

When I walk in she’s standing in front of an empty wardrobe, every single piece of clothing she owns on her bed. Not expecting the sight, I scrunch up my face at her. “What are you doing?”

She glances at the mountain of clothes. “I’m looking for something to wear.”

“At this stage I think you might be better off buying something new.”

“Go give sage advice to someone who’ll listen.” Irritated, she waves me off. “Frankie’s in his room.”

The mere mention of his name has my heart racing, and I painstakingly restrain myself from leaping and bounding into him.

Just as I’m about to knock on the door, Clem’s head peers out of her doorway. “He’s asleep, but I’m sure he won’t mind you waking him up.”

She winks before disappearing and I roll my eyes, knowing that even if I hadn’t told her about the kiss, Clem was fluent in innuendos and would be all up in my business.

---