Page 4 of Beautifully Damaged

Joey couldn’t stop himself from pushing Ben. He slid into Ben’s space and took the coffee from his hand. Joey held Ben’s stare as he stole a sip. His nose curled as sugar coated his tongue. “Jesus. How much sugar did you put in here?”

For a split second, Ben smiled. It disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. “Not all of us are as edgy as you. You know I don’t take my coffee black.”

Joey found a paper towel and scraped his tongue. “Gah. That’s not coffee. That’s dessert. You’re twenty-six. It’s time to stop drinking a teenager’s morning brew.”

Ben sipped his coffee, unmoved by Joey’s dramatics. “You’re thirty-two. When do you plan to stop destroying hotel rooms?” Before Joey responded, Ben’s gaze moved down Joey’s body, leaving him speechless. “Not that you look any worse for the wear,” he added, warming Joey’s skin.

For a moment, they stared at each other in silence. Heat built between them like no time had passed since they last saw each other. “Do you still hate me?” The question popped from Joey before he could call it back.

Ben didn’t miss a beat. “Every goddamn day.”

The blow nearly took out Joey’s knees.

Ben didn’t give him time to recover. “But hey, you’re still famous, right? Who gives a fuck about me?” Joey wanted to say he did, but Ben didn’t give him the chance. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a job interview in a few. Just make yourself at home.”

Ben pushed past him, and Joey stayed on his heels. “Why do you need a job? I’m here. If you’re stuck with me, you may as well enjoy it. Let’s make the most of your summer break.”

Ben headed inside his room and took off his shirt. “No thanks. I don’t plan to be around that often. Not to mention, you’re in hiding, remember?”

It was damn hard to think with a bare football field of manly chest distracting him, but Joey pressed on. “As long as I steer clear of L.A., no one will notice me. Let’s do something.”

Ben’s gaze moved over Joey’s features. Joey could practically hear him taking stock of Joey’s makeup and multicolored hair while Ben buttoned a dress shirt.

“I can tone it down,” Joey said before Ben pointed out the obvious. “Let me take you somewhere. I swear you’ll have fun. Let’s blow some money.”

Ben unbuttoned his jeans and tucked in his shirt. Joey’s knees weakened. Fuck. No one made him weak the way Ben did. That was the real reason he was here. He couldn’t let Ben run away again. Losing him had ruined Joey’s life.

“Two weeks,” Joey said, trying to seduce Ben with only his voice. “You can look for a job when you get back.”

Ben didn’t spare him a glance as he pushed past him again. “No.”

Before Joey found a new argument, Ben was out the door. Joey stared at the wooden surface separating them. His shoulders fell. Coaxing forgiveness from Ben looked like it would be a lot harder than he’d hoped. That was probably fair.

ChapterTwo

Joey fucking Kickstart.Ben raged all the way to his truck. He couldn’t believe it. It had been three years. Ben had been so sure he was over it. Then he had opened the door, and nothing had changed. The years had fallen away. The only difference between now and the first time he had set eyes on Joey was Ben knew Joey was a monster now. He hadn’t known that important detail when he had been twenty-one and starstruck. Back in those days, Ben would have done anything for Joey. Times had changed.

While stuck on autopilot, Ben drove to his job interview. It was his third one this week. He wasn’t desperate for money or anything, but some extra funds over the summer couldn’t hurt. Damn. Why had he agreed to let Joey stay? He was such an idiot… or a glutton for punishment.

When Ben reached the lumber yard, he sat in his truck for a minute before heading inside. He needed to get his temper under control. Ben couldn’t let Joey ruin another second of his life. He took a breath to calm his nerves and headed inside. A middle-aged woman with red hair and a phone pressed to her ear gave him a little wave, acknowledging his presence. Ben dipped his chin and tried to look patient. He eyed the front office while he waited to give his mind something to do. Ben couldn’t let Joey back in his head. The place looked like an office that catered to mostly men. A dirty coffee pot and car magazines sat on an outdated and scuffed table by the window. Two chairs with cracking red vinyl sat side by side against the wall. He took a step in their direction.

“Good afternoon.”

Ben’s gaze moved the receptionist’s way. He smiled. “Hi. I have an interview with Daniel.”

She glanced at her desk. “Okay. You must be Ben.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She smiled and stood. “I’m Dana. Just follow me and we’ll find Danny. He’s probably out in the yard.”

Ben nodded and followed in her wake as she led him through a door. Side by side, they made their way through a huge warehouse of lumber. Dana chatted along the way, giving him a tour as if he already had the job. Ben took it as a good sign. As they headed out the back door, Ben caught sight of a group of guys in hard hats.

Dana waved to get their attention. “Hey, Danny. Your two o’clock interview is here.”

A guy in a blue dress shirt checked his watch. Ben assumed he was Danny.

Dana gave his arm a soft pat. “Good luck.” She walked away, leaving him with what he assumed was her twin. They looked exactly alike. It was almost unnerving. He swore Dana was Danny in a wig.

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