Page 61 of Love Notes and Late Nights
Harris laughed, aware that Wolf was only joking.
“OK. Go have fun you two,” Tyler said. “I have clients coming in 15 minutes.”
“Thanks, bruh,” Harris gave Tyler one of those biker hugs he’d seen in the movies, and Wolf did the same.
The petite guy guffawed at the aggressive hugs, then fanned himself with both hands. “Goodness! That was . . . fun. You two are playing the part well. Stay out of trouble.”
Harris opened the door to the trailer and almost walked straight into Ethan. They hadn’t spoken since this morning’s confrontation, and he didn’t know what to say, so he stayed quiet.
“Sorry.” Ethan stepped aside, obviously unaware that it was Harris in front of him.
“It’s me. Harris.”
Ethan squinted and looked closer. “I didn’t recognize you.” Then his eyes shifted to Wolf. “Is that Wolf?”
“Yeah.” Wolf raised his hand in a wave. “Don’t we look like rebels?”
“Wow. Tyler did a great job on your costumes,” Ethan replied, dryly. “Have a good time.”
Harris started to exit the trailer, but he couldn’t stop himself from initiating a conversation. The air needed to be cleared between them before too much time went by. “Can we talk for a minute?”
Ethan stared at him. “OK. Let’s talk.” His gaze went to Wolf. “Just him. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Why?” Wolf’s lip curled.
“Because, what I have to say to him is different than what I have to say to you.”
“He’s gonna tell me everything you said.”
“I don’t care. I want to talk to him alone.”
“It’s OK, Wolf,” Harris reassured. “Wait here with Tyler. We’ll be right back.”
Wolf watched as Harris walked outside with Ethan, but before he shut the door Wolf said, “If anyone raises their voice, I’m gonna be out there in two seconds.”
Once they were alone, both Harris and Ethan eyed each other quietly. “Why are you mad?” Harris finally asked. “You don’t have any claim over him. You never did.”
“I’m not mad.”
“You’re jealous. What right do you have to be jealous? You saw Wolf with a hundred guys over the years. You were never jealous of them. Do you think I’m not good enough for him? You think I’m only playing around. I’m not. I’m in love with him.”
Ethan’s face when blank. “You’re in love with him? How long has this been going on?”
“We’ve only been together a couple of months, but I’ve been in love with Wolf for years. I never said anything because I knew he was in love with you. I had plenty of chances, but I never wanted to get between you two. Who do you think he came to when his heart was breaking because you’d rather be with some other guy instead of him? Me.” Harris slapped his chest with the palm of his hand. “It fucking broke my heart to watch him hurting, and it pissed me the fuck off. You know how many times I wanted to grab you by the shoulders and shake some sense into you? And then you met Tyler and fell for him so fast. Poor Wolf got thrown to the curb. You broke his heart over and over again, and you never even noticed.”
“Whoa.” Ethan put his hands up and took a step back. “First of all. I’m not jealous. I love Tyler. Completely. With all my heart. He’s my guy. The guy I want to spend the rest of my life with. I don’t have feelings for anyone else, including Wolf, so let’s get that straight, up front. As far as me breaking Wolf’s heart, that’s bullshit. I love that guy. Don’t think for one minute that I don’t. I’d do anything for him. I’d die protecting him. I’ve been looking out for him my whole life, and I’ll spend the rest of it doing the same. I would never intentionally hurt him. I didn’t know he was in love with me. I thought we were just having fun. He never once insinuated that he wanted more. Sometimeswe went months without being together. Sometimes we spent months in each other’s bed. That was our dynamic, and it was that way since we were teenagers. We both had our own separate love life. Don’t think for one second that I didn’t feel like shit when Wolf told me he was in love with me, because I did. I beat myself up a million times for not realizing it. But I’m not a fucking mind reader. I didn’t know. If I did, I would have ended it. I would never string him along. I’d never do that to him. Never.”
Harris narrowed his eyes as he took in everything Ethan said. He knew the guy was sincere and knew Ethan would never hurt Wolf on purpose. He wasn’t sure about the jealousy part, though. “Why do you have a problem with me and Wolf being together?”
Ethan took a deep breath and let it out through his nose. “You did it behind my back. No matter what kind of relationship me and Wolf had, we were together. You’re supposed to be one of my best friends, and you started a relationship with someone I used to be with. That’s crossing a line. How would you feel if I started seeing someone you used to date and did it behind your back? That’s fucked up. You’re supposed to come to me first. And it’s not just some guy. It’s Wolf. He’s like my other half.” Ethan’s brows rose, and he waved his finger at the trailer. “He’s not innocent either. I’m pissed at him too. Friends are supposed to be off limits. Neither one of you had the decency to come to me. It’s fucked up on all counts. That’s why I’m pissed.”
Harris opened his mouth to say something, but Ethan cut him off.
“Wait. I’m not done. Let’s talk about Wolf. That guy’s been through a lot of shit. A lot. He’s sensitive, and he has a big heart. He loves big, and he hurts big. I know you say you’re in love with him, but—
“Don’t act like I’m just saying it. I do love Wolf. And I know Wolf. We didn’t just meet. I know he has issues. I know he hastrauma. I’ve been helping him.” Harris wanted to tell Ethan that Wolf was going to counseling and in a better place mentally, but it wasn’t his news to tell. “I’m here for him. For whatever he needs, and I’m going to stand by his side. Stop making it sound like Wolf’s too much to handle. He’s not. He’s just a guy going through shit.”
“I never said he was too much to handle. Don’t put words in my mouth. That’s not what this is about. He has baggage.”
