Page 65 of Turning Tides
He narrowed his eyes. “You suck. I thought you’d forgiven me.”
“I have, but that doesn’t mean I can’t tell you that you’re only hurting yourself with your little possessive caveman routine.”
“I am not a caveman,” Cyrus protested.
“I see you didn’t argue with the fact that you’re possessive.”
Cyrus rolled his eyes and turned away from me. “We’ve established that already.”
I watched Cyrus for a few minutes, not offering to help because I knew he didn’t want my help. He was probably secretly glad his kitchen hadn’t been left to his standards because it gave him something to focus on.
“You better not hurt him, Shane.”
“I won’t. Don’t worry about that.”
“Well, I’m used to worrying about him. Someone had to. Our parents fucking ignored his existence most of the time. Besides, I won’t be able to work here if you fuck him over.”
“Vivian is the manager now. I’m not going to be here as often.” Taking my chances with Cyrus’s wrath, I crossed the kitchen. “You’re still my best friend, Cyrus. You’re still important to me, even though Archer is also important to me, just in a very different way. If I have it my way, I’m not ever going to hurt either of you.”
“Your tattoo is pretty great.”
“Thanks. You should ask Archer to show you the concept art he showed me. I wonder if he’ll let me frame it.”
“Archer would gladly frame it for you.” Archer’s voice came at me from the entrance to the kitchen. He crossed the distance and slid his arm around me. It was a statement to his brother that he wasn’t going to shy away from me to make Cyrus comfortable.
“The two of you are both possessive little cavemen.”
Archer’s hand wandered south and he pinched my ass. “Don’t you forget it.”
“How about you and Marshall come over for dinner, say… next week?”
“So long as Archer isn’t cooking,” Cyrus teased.
“Hey. I’ve gotten better. I lived alone for years. How do you think I managed?”
“Takeout and microwave meals,” Cyrus said without missing a beat.
“I’m going to handle the food. It was my idea, so it’ll be my labor.” I draped my arm around Archer and pulled him close. My shoulder twinged, but it wasn’t anything I couldn’t tolerate.
“See, he’s the literal perfect boyfriend.” Archer’s fingers flexed against my side, digging their blunt tips into my flesh. “We should get going, though.”
He suddenly produced a bright red sucker. He tore the wrapper off with his teeth and held it for me, waiting for me to take it.
“Dinner next week,” I said around the sucker. “Just the four of us out at my place.” It was about time I started to live in my house instead of using it for a place to crash between shifts. The dinner, more than anything, felt like the real olive branch.
We’d sit around and I’d grill some steaks. We’d drink a few beers and play corn hole or something. Cyrus and Archer would act like brothers instead of parent and child… and all would be right in the world.
It made me want to invite Kieran and my mom too. I’d invite Brodie if he was in town—or the country, for that matter. Maybe I could convince him to come home for a visit so he could meet Archer.
“I’ll text you the details.” Steering Archer toward the back door, I shoved it open and tugged him out of the bar into the fresh afternoon air. There was still daylight left, but I had the urge to take him home and curl up in bed with him for the rest of the day.
“Do you have to stick around or can you come home with me?”
“Business is still pretty slow. I don’t have anything booked, but I was hoping to get to a store today.”
“What kind of store? Grocery? Sex shop? Pet store?”
Archer walked with me to my truck. “Art supplies. I had an idea for a new piece for my wall. But I don’t have the materials I need.”
