Page 11 of Worlds Collide

The second present is something I’ve been trying not think about since I arranged it with Ed Trent a few weeks ago—and I’ll keep doing my best to not think about it until it’s time to make it happen

I would’ve been more than happy to stay at the ranch this weekend... alone. I might live in a six-bedroom house by myself—and of course I regret the amount of rooms I chose for my brand-new home since it only makes meitch.

I’m hoping that with the season ramping up in a month the feeling will subside, since Derek will be busier as will most of his friends, there won’t be so many get-togethers.

I’m not holding my breath, though. I’m pretty sure it’s my own head that’s crowding me.

The flight over also didn’t help.

Having CJ in the cabin with Luke and Bennett, who we picked up in Vegas, and with Derek and Birdie was stressful enough. I’m still tense even though CJ slept the whole time. I guess being a surgeon or a surgeon-in-training is pretty tiring. But it pissed me off. The whole fucking world knows he has more than enough money and probably a plane of his own, so why did he have to fly with us?

I shake my head and come back to the present. The one where I’m in some rich family’s beach house next door to Theo’s family’s beach house and I’m following Theo down an endless hallway to what he said is my room for the weekend.

My brother and Derek are staying at the house on the other side of Theo’s and CJ said something about looking for Mike, though according to Theo his room will also be in this house... somewhere. Not that it matters. Not that I care.

“Here it is,” Theo tells me as he opens a door to the right. “I know it’s not ideal, but uh?—”

“Please don’t worry about it,” I beg him. Tomorrow is his wedding day for fuck’s sake. The last thing he should be doing today—at least in my opinion—is worrying about where a B-list guest is sleeping this weekend.

“Yeah, no.” He looks away and bites his lip as I put down my suit bag and duffle on the bench at the foot of the king-sized bed. “It’s just that uhm...” His hesitation puts me on alert, but I remind myself that I have nothing against Theo. He’s a cool guy who I should never snap at.

“What is it?” I prod as gently as I’m capable of. I don’t know if I pull off any kind of gentleness because he winces.

“It’s just that we really had a very hard time with all the rooms for the guests since it’s the middle of the summer, you know? The Hamptons are actually full. It’s insane. So you’re gonna share a room.”

“Okay,” I say slowly, and extend the word. I feel every inch of my body come alive with anticipation. Is he about to tell me...? “With who?” I manage to ask. My throat is closing and my mouth is suddenly dry. I don’t know what I want more, for CJ to be the one?—

“With Carter,” Theo says, crushing all my hopes.No, thoseweren’t hopes. I was dreading having to share a room with CJ.That would’ve beenthe worst.

“He’s arriving tomorrow morning since he insisted on staying in the city tonight so Sebas could come early. He wanted to make sure everything is good at the gallery today. But tomorrow he’ll be staying here.” Theo finally looks at me and his throat bobs with a hard swallow. “With you.”

“Okay,” I tell him and nod. But now it’s me looking away. “That’s fine,” I assure him, trying to express my honesty. Because itisfine. I won’t have any problems sleeping next to a dude who’s been drunk every single time I’ve seen him. Though to be fair, I’ve only seen him at big celebrations, so I shouldn’t assume he has a drinking problem. That’s called projecting, apparently.

No, there’s no problem at all, and that’s all Theo needs to know.

He doesn’t know I’m sober—he has no reason to know—so of course it’s logical for me and Carter to sleep in the same room. We’re the only two single guys... Well, CJ is also single.

Fuck,ishe single? I don’t even know since I’ve been avoiding him like the plague. Which hasn’t been hard since he’s barely been around since Tristan’s wedding a month ago.

Maybe getting all that money went to his head and now he thinks he’s too good and rich to hang out with Deedee and Hawk.

Just the thought pisses me off beyond anything I’ve felt in a long time. No one’s too good for my brother. He better not?—

Stop!

I mentally yell at myself and take a few deep breaths. Theo’s going to think I’m lying or that I’m insane, and neither of those is something I want, so I turn to look at him and smile as best I can.

“Seriously, Theo, it’s more than fine. You should go downstairs, get back to whatever it is you stepped away from to show me to my room.”

“Okay.” He lets out a big breath and releases a huge—and seriously kind-looking—smile on his face. “Yes, the rehearsal dinner is in about forty-five minutes. It’s over at my house.”

I nod wordlessly and don’t take a breath until the door closes behind him.

I didn’t know about the rehearsal dinner and all I have packed besides my suit for tomorrow is fucking cargo shorts and vintage T-shirts. Why the fuck didn’t Hawk tell me I would need more dress clothes besides my suit for the wedding?

Fucking hell.

I rub both hands down my face, then sprint to my duffel to see what I can put together. I need a shower after the long flight too, so I need to get moving if I don’t want to be late. Theo is really the best of the bunch as far as I’m concerned, so I do not want to disappoint him and that lights a fire under my ass.

---