Page 18 of Past Lovers

“I was told you weren’t going to be here,” Adam mumbled. “I wouldn’t have come if I’d known.”

“Same,” Clay spat.

“Mixed messages,” Jesse murmured. “But you’re both here now—might as well stay for dinner, right?”

Jesse looked between them, hopeful.

“We’re all friends,” Jesse added. “We’ve been friends a long time. And you’re both staying.”

Adam fingered the keys in his pocket, wondering if he should go, regardless of Jesse’s pressuring.

“Stay,” Benji whispered next to him, as if he could read Adam’s expression. “Don’t go.”

He couldn’t take his eyes off Clay. He didn’t want to go. He wanted to stay and make things right… but he knew it wasn’t possible.Not now, at least.

Clay dragged his gaze away and moved to the bar—where he ordered a double shot of Patron.

Walk away.

Go home.

But there was no way he could leave… no matter how uncomfortable the night might become.

Because he couldn’t let go.

Clay sat at the opposite end of the table from Adam, but that actually made things worse. No matter where he moved his stare, he could always see the guy from the corner of his eye. To make matters worse, he kept feeling his gaze dragged in that direction. The harder he tried not to, the more he wanted to look.

Adam did his best to pretend the night wasn’t a total fiasco, but it was far from it. By the end, he was silent. Benji was up his new neighbor’s ass—the two really seemed to be deep in conversation. Hayden couldn’t keep his lips off his date, and Jesse sat opposite the pair, glaring.

“What’s got you so upset?” Adam quietly asked Jesse.

“Guys’ night. It’s guys’ night… and he brings a date,” Jesse whispered hotly through clenched teeth.

Adam stared between Jesse and Hayden, narrowing his eyes.

Jesse glared at Hayden… but every moment Jesse looked away, Hayden snuck a glance. It was almost as if Hayden was trying to piss Jesse off.

If he was, it was working.

“You really should try and talk to Clay—you two are best friends,” Jesse said, changing the subject.

“Hmmmph,” Adam mumbled, unwilling to discuss the guy at the end of the table.

The check arrived, and Jesse grabbed it before fishing out his wallet.

Adam took his wallet out, but Jesse stopped him.

“This was my shitty idea, so I’ll pay for it.”

“You don’t have to,” Adam said. He tossed a twenty in Jesse’s direction.

“I said no,” Jesse said, sliding the bill back.

“I got you the next time, then,” Adam murmured.

“If there’s a next time,” Jesse mumbled.

Their waitress returned for the check and left a pile of fortune cookies on the table. She grinned and glanced around the table. “Have a great night, gentlemen! Thanks for dining with us tonight.”

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