Page 87 of Give In To Love
I couldn’t help but smile at his assessment of the situation. “Do you always talk about your fiancé that way?”
“Not usually. He’s mellowed quite a bit over the years. But he can’t help himself when it comes to his brother. He can’t seem to break the habit.”
“I get that. I know Sammy basically raised him.”
“He did.” Will took another swig of his beer. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
“Yup. Have been for as long as I’ve known him.”
“And you’re really here to stay?”
This was the test, I realized. Sammy might run hot-tempered, but Will was the voice of reason, and his feelings held weight. I was also aware that other ears in the room were listening in on our conversation. I could attribute it to nosiness, but I knew better. These people cared about Jimmy. And they wanted him to be happy.
“Yeah. I’m here for the long haul.”
He nodded approvingly. “Good. Doesheknow you’re in love with him?”
I chuckled. “My guess is he suspects, yeah.”
“But you haven’t told him?”
“He’s not ready to hear it.”
“Doesn’t mean he doesn’tneedto.”
Raised voices cut off my response, and Will and I made our way out to the garage, where we found Jimmy and Sammy glaring at each other. Jimmy’s arms were crossed, while Sammy’s hands were on his hips, but both wore an almost identical look of stubborn animosity.
“Everything okay?” I asked, stepping behind Jimmy and putting my hand on his shoulder. He relaxed slightly, though I could still feel the tension thrumming through him.
“Dandy,” Jimmy said in a tone that implied it was anything but. “Maybe we should head out. I’m not in the mood to deal with his shit. At least not until he pulls his head out of his ass.”
“Real nice, Jimmy.”
Jimmy turned to go, but manners compelled me to give a weak smile and say, “It was nice to meet you both.”
Sammy snorted. “Yeah, sure. How long are you staying this time, anyway?”
“Sammy…” Will cautioned.
“No, I think it’s a fair question. I’m just wondering how long he’s going to be around before he breaks my brother’s heart and I have to pick up the pieces.”
Jimmy spun around, eyes spitting mad. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen him so furious. Not even when he’d confronted Steven last night. “You didn’t pick up the pieces last time. I did it myself. And you have a lot of nerve talking about breaking someone’s heart. Remind me—who was it that dumped his boyfriend just days before he left for college?”
All the air left the room. Will visibly paled while Sammy’s face went bright red.
“That was ten years ago. And it’s none of your goddammed business.”
“And what happened between TJ and me is none of yours,” Jimmy raged. “Jesus, Sammy. I finally bring home someone I’mproudof. Who’s good and kind and treats me like a king, and you’re an absolute dick to him. I won’t have it. You can be a dick to me, but I won’t allow you to be a dick to him.” He turned away, huffing in frustration, then turned back. “No, that’s not true. I won’t allow you to be a dick to me either. I’m not putting up with that shit from anyone anymore, least of all my brother, who’s supposed to love me.”
He turned his attention to Will, softening his tone. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this. It was a shitty thing to say.” Will nodded, and Jimmy turned his attention back to Sammy. “I’m not sorry for the rest of it. It needed to be said. I love you.” His voice broke. “I love you so much, Sammy. But you have to start seeing me as someone who can handle his shit. I don’t need you to be my protector. I just need you to be my brother. Let me know when you’ve figured out how to do that.”
He stormed out the door, leaving me to follow. I thought to say something to somehow smooth over the situation, but it wasn’t really for me to say. This was between Jimmy and Sammy, and I suspected it’d been on the verge of boiling over for quite some time.
In the end, I nodded and followed Jimmy out.
46
TJ
