Page 23 of Deranged
“I’m sorry I’m not cut out for it, but I’m destroying myself and hurting Henry. Can we please just open these fucking gifts and be a family again? All this tension is crushing my chest.”
Shadow popped to his feet. “Why don’t I hand out the presents and you relax?”
Field nodded and swiped at his cheeks again. He watched Briggs, Clay, and Fabrice brighten like kids when they realized they were included in receiving gifts. A weight slowly lifted from his chest as everyone laughed over the ridiculous things he had bought them. Field loved these people. They had kept him going more times than he could count. He needed their happiness because sometimes he had none.
Mickey stood and handed him a wrapped gift. “I had to rush this, since I didn’t have much warning.”
Field laughed as he accepted the gift. “You shouldn’t have. I just needed to see all of you smile again.”
Mickey looked way too excited. “Just open the damn gift.”
Field ripped open the paper. A bark of laughter burst from him. There were two T-shirts inside. One with his picture on it and one with Henry’s face plastered on it. “Let Henry know the one with your face is his, and please, please, make sure he knows it’s from me.” Mickey sounded downright evil.
Field swiped at his eyes for a different reason. He couldn’t stop laughing, picturing Henry’s face when he saw Mickey’s gift. His brothers would come through for him. They always did.
The only sound in the room was Beau tapping keys on his laptop. Henry stared at the wall above Beau’s head. Silence between them was never uncomfortable. Today, he simply floated in his thoughts.
“You’re being extra brooding today. Does that have anything to do with the bruises on your face?”
A smile snapped to Henry’s lips. “Nah, I was just lost in my head. That’s not always a bad thing. The bruises are no big deal.”
Beau’s ice blue stare latched on to him. “Is everything okay between Field and you? Mickey took Kylo to the dance studio for some meeting Field called.”
Henry nodded. It felt like an absent movement. “He’s bought them all gifts.”
“Oh, Kylo will enjoy that.”
Henry nodded again. “He asked Kylo to join because he wants him there. With the guys, he’s breaking the news that he’ll be stepping back from working.”
Beau’s unreadable expression never changed. “Good. He’s tired.”
A wry smile touched Henry’s lips. Beau truly was the most observant person he had ever met. “He’s also telling them we’re getting married.”
Beau sat back. “Well. I never thought I’d see that day.”
“You won’t be. We’re just going to do the justice of the peace thing or whatever. The stress of a big wedding is too much for him. He had another huge episode. That’s how I ended up with the broken nose and black eyes.”
“Should I be worried?”
That was dumb. Field would never intentionally hurt Henry. “You should’ve seen his face when he realized he hurt me. He was devastated. I can’t risk the stress of a wedding sending him spiraling.”
“Nonsense. You’ll get married here.”
Henry bit back a sigh. Beau could be trying at times. “He genuinely can’t do this right now.”
Beau went back to clicking around. “It’s final.” Beau’s gaze locked on him. “Don’t worry. You two can just show up. Zero work on either of your parts. It’ll be even less stress than driving to the courthouse. Just walk out back and say your I dos. But you’re not screwing his entire family and yours—i.e. me—out of getting to celebrate the two of you.”
He wanted to growl. “We’d really hoped to go today.”
Beau shrugged. “Then that’s what we’ll do. You know I can afford to move mountains.”
“We.” Henry had money. There was no reason for Beau to foot the bill.
The look Beau shot him could have frozen water. “This is my gift to you. That and two weeks of not seeing your face so you can enjoy your new husband. That should also give him time to recover from doing that—” He motioned to Henry’s face, as if Henry didn’t know what he meant. “—to your face. He strikes me as the type to sulk and suffer like a kicked puppy.”
Henry laughed and shook his head. He had to admit, he kind of wanted to have a wedding. Henry just hadn’t wanted to put anything on Field’s shoulders that might end in the stress sending him into an episode. No wedding was worth that.
“I love you.”
