Page 118 of Trade Deadline

Because what the fuck is going on right now?

Jacob looks around Ethan’s large body and sighs. “Alex, let's take a seat.”

He goes to the door, flipping the “closed” sign before sliding into the booth next to Ethan, folding his hands in his lap.

“Jacob…” I prompt when my brother doesn’t speak.

Jacob goes to open his mouth, but Ethan raises his hand to stop him.

“Alex, a couple of weeks ago Blaine came to me wanting to know how he could help you out, given the financial difficulty both you and your brother are dealing with. I know the team activity helped somewhat, but it hasn’t cleared it all...” He turns to Jacob and gives him a small smile. “I could see how much it meant to you; this bakery, everything you’ve built, and I wanted to help… Blaine’s too close, I get it but I’m like an outsider, in a way.”

“What do you mean, help?”

And finally, my brother speaks up.

“Ethan has kindly offered to pay off our debts, and we’ll repay him monthly—”

“Without interest,” Ethan interrupts.

“Without interest,” Jacob echoes. “It’s an amount that allows us to live and breathe a little easier and also means we don’t have to worry about how we’re going to pay for the oven to be fixed.”

My mind races. Not having the huge monthly outgoings will help significantly, and we’ll be able to hire some more staff to help, but there’s something in my gut that is wondering—why?

I know Ethan’s a good guy, but it’s a lot of money to give to your teammate’s boyfriend.

“What do you get out of it?” I ask him.

Ethan leans forward, resting his forearms on the table. “Honestly? Being able to give back and help someone in need means more to me than the money sitting in my bank account. I know what it’s like to struggle.”

Well, color me speechless.

“And with the repayment plan we’ve agreed on, we’ll be able to look into hiring more staff…” Jacob gives me a reassuring smile.

I search my brother's eyes, because while this is an incredibly generous thing Ethan is offering to do, I want to ensure Jacob is happy. Financial issues are secondary; my brother's mental health and happiness are what’s important to me. He was bullied profusely in college by jocks, and I know it still comes back to haunt him, even now in his late twenties.

“As long as you are happy with all of this,” I say, looking him in the eye so he knows what I mean.

The smile he gives me is genuine, and he nods. “I promise you, I wouldn’t have accepted Ethan’s offer if I wasn’t comfortable.”

I nod, understanding, then look at Ethan. “Thank you for your kindness; I really appreciate it.”

Ethan flashes me a bright smile, one that would have knocked me off my feet if I wasn’t already sitting down. “No problem; I’m happy to help. Anyway, I gotta go…” He looks at my brother as he stands. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

Jacob nods with a smile. “Thank you.”

Ethan says goodbye, but the heated look he gives Jacob makes me question what his intentions really are.

When the door closes, I lean forward on the table. “Are you sure about this?”

“I think we’d be stupid to turn down an offer like that.” Jacob sighs, running a hand through his perfectly styled hair. “I can tell he’s different, that he’s got a good heart. It’s not my story to tell, but he understands our situation more than you realize.”

“Is there something in writing to protect you? Not because I think Ethan will screw us over, but there’s a lot of money involved.”

He nods. “Yeah, there is. Even though this is a business agreement, he is a good guy, Alex.”

“I know that.” I grumble.

I chew on my bottom lip, not sure how to put into words how I’m feeling. I’m nervous because I care. I’m protective because I want him to be safe. On the other hand, I’m so relieved that this burden is going to be lifted.

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