Page 34 of Street of Dreams
“Yes. I do. Skylar’s got my back. She’s my best friend. She would never betray my trust. Besides, she doesn’t gossip, and she knows there’d be consequences. Consequences that I’d suffer from.”
Jake paused as he contemplated Mac’s explanation. His stance relaxed, and he shed the nervous tick in his cheek, then slowly nodded. “I wish I could trust someone the way you trust her. Someone who had my back the way she has yours.”
Once again, Mac’s heart deflated. “You do have someone like that.Me. You can trustme.”
Jake nodded, but otherwise remained quiet.
Mac wished he could make Jake understand that he wasn’t alone anymore. That Mac was there for him, but he knew it would take time before Jake fully let his guard down. “So, why are you here?” Mac asked, with curiosity. “It’s not collection day. Did you come by to listen to me play? Or to give me fifty bucks?” Mac smiled at the bill and stuffed it into his sporran, deciding to take it.
“Come to my house.”
Mac looked at Jake with confusion. “You’re afraid to be seen with me. Now you want me to come to your house? This makes no sense.”
“My old man is on a run. He’ll be gone for a week.”
“What about your brothers?”
“Don’t worry about the twins. I need you to see things from my perspective. So you can understand why I am the way I am. Why I’m living this fucked-up life. Will you come? Will you trust me? Like I’m trusting you with Skylar?”
“Of course.”
The house was spotless, not at all what Mac expected from a bunch of out-of-control boys living together. He thought the place would be littered with take-out containers, empty beer cans, dirty laundry, and dishes piled in the sink. It was the exact opposite. Modern furniture filled the rooms. A giant flat screen hung on the living room wall above a stone fireplace. Rich hardwood covered the floors.
A lone half-empty glass sat on an end table, out of place in the well-kept living room. Jake scowled as he snatched the glass and carried it into the kitchen. “The twins think I’m their fucking maid sometimes.”
Mac watched Jake rinse the glass in the sink and deposit it in the dishwasher, never expecting a domestic side. “This place is immaculate. Do you have a housekeeper?”
“Bruce doesn’t let strangers in here. I keep this house clean. Me and my brothers. They hate it, but it teaches them responsibility.” Jake waved for Mac to follow him. “Let’s go upstairs. I’ll show you my bedroom.”
Jake’s room was at the end of the upstairs hallway. The door was locked, and they needed a key to enter. Neat and clean, it was in line with the rest of the house. Except for a few framed drawings on the wall, it lacked any personal effects. No memorabilia or photos. No knick-knacks or decorative touches.
Mac approached the dresser to get a better look at one of the drawings. It was a black cat with green eyes sitting in a field of colorful flowers. The paper was wrinkled, as if it had been crumpled into a ball and smoothed out before placed under glass. “Did you draw this when you were a kid?”
“No,” Jake said, with a chortle. He took a wad of cash from his pocket and dropped it on top of the dresser.
The folded bills flipped open, revealing mostly fifties wrapped around twenties, but there were several hundred-dollar bills at the center. There had to be two thousand dollars in the stack. Jake wasn’t collecting on Street of Dreams today, which would never garner that amount of money, anyway, and it made Mac wonder where the hell Jake got that kind of money. “Why are you walking around with so much cash?”
“Don’t ask questions. It doesn’t concern you.”
“I think I have a right to know what my boyfriend—”
“Your what?” Jake’s brows jumped high on his forehead, and an amused crooked smile splashed across his face.
“My boyfriend.” Mac was tired of skirting around their relationship. Because they were in a relationship, whether or not Jake wanted to admit it.
Jake grunted a small laugh. “You think we’re boyfriends?”
“Yeah. I do.”
“You fucking anybody else?”
“Are you?” Mac challenged, with a raised brow.
Jake’s face turned bright red and his jaw clenched when Mac evaded answering the question. “You better not be fucking anybody else. I swear to God, Mac, if you’re fucking—”
Laughter bellowed from Mac’s throat. Taunting Jake probably wasn’t the best idea, since he had such a hot temper, but it was fun. “You should see your face right now.”
“Stop playing games. I’m warning you.”
