Page 53 of Half Notes and Highlights
“Of course I trust you. Just . . .” Tyler forced a smile. “Go. Check on your friend.”
Ethan moved his hand to Tyler’s cheek. “Thank you. I’ll be right back.” He left Tyler with a quick kiss and headed across the hall to Wolf’s suite.
“What are you doing here?” Wolf asked when he opened the door. “Where’s your boyfriend?”
“In my room. Can I come in?”
Wolf’s expression never changed, and his voice remained neutral. “Make yourself at home.” He walked over to the couch and casually sat down.
Ethan shut the door and took a seat next to his friend. “Are you OK with Tyler being here?”
Wolf’s jaw tensed. “Of course, I’m OK with it. He’s your boyfriend.”
The repeated use of the term boyfriend proved that Wolf wasn’t OK. “Are you sure? You don’t sound OK.”
Wolf relaxed, and a small smile lifted the corners of his lips. “Yeah. I’m OK with it.”
“If you need to talk, I’m here. I mean it.” Ethan slung his arm over Wolf’s shoulder and gave him a side hug.
Wolf nodded, his eyes round and filled with emotion. “I know.”
“Good.” Ethan paused for a second. “Try to get along with Tyler. Please? For me?”
Wolf started to protest, but Ethan cut him off.
“I’m going to tell him the same thing. I know he’s not totally innocent. He goes back at you too.”
“As long as you see it.” A smirky smile permeated Wolf’s face. “If he wasn’t so easy to rile up or give me so much ammunition to work with all the time, it might be easier to control my tongue.”
A smile spread across Ethan’s cheeks because Tyler was a character. He placed a hand on Wolf’s back. “Thanks. Why don’t we all have dinner together again tonight?”
“Did you clear it with him?”
“I don’t have to clear it with him. You guys are my friends. My pack.”
Wolf smiled at that last remark. “OK. As long as Harris and Marsh are there. Otherwise, it might be weird.”
Ethan rolled his eyes and shook his head as thoughts of the last time the three of them were along together, and what transpired, filled his head.
“I promise not to drink tonight.”
“Good idea.” They both stood up and shared a quick hug.
“Let me know what time to come by,” Wolf called as Ethan left the hotel room.
When he stepped into the hallway, he almost walked into Tyler. “Were you listening at the door?”
“No. Of course not. OK. I lied. I had my hot little ear pressed against the door trying to hear what you two were talking about. I’m a nosey bitch.” He let out a long exhale. “There. I said it.”
Ethan stared at Tyler for a second before a short laugh left his lungs. “Remind me never to tell you a secret.”
“Did you invite him to do something later? I couldn’t hear anything through that damn door.”
Ethan placed an arm over Tyler’s shoulder and headed back to his suite. “Yeah. I thought we could all have dinner again. Is that OK?” he quickly asked, because he made up the part about telling Wolf that he didn’t need to clear anything with Tyler. It was common curtesy to check with Tyler, who was only here for one night before he had to get back to LA.
“Sure.” Tyler presented a huge smile. “As long as I’m not propositioned again.”
“We’re never going to stop talking about that, are we?” Ethan was grateful that Tyler was able to brush off the incident and find the ability to joke about it. Most people wouldn’t have done that, but Tyler wasn’t like most people.
