Total pages in book: 120
Estimated words: 116254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 116254 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 581(@200wpm)___ 465(@250wpm)___ 388(@300wpm)
“No worries.” Breck pocketed his hands. “Just got here.”
Tad stacked his box atop the others. “Cool. Thanks again for coming.”
“Yeah, much appreciated.” Scott tipped his chin, then set the box he carried on the second dolly.
“No problem.” Breck cut a look Kai’s way.
Kai headed back into the kitchen and resumed packing.
Tad’s voice carried through the opening of the breakfast bar. “Scott and Kai are getting ready to do another run. I was thinking, maybe while they’re gone, we could tackle that interview we talked about.”
“Yeah… Sure…” Breck sounded distracted.
Kai forced himself to focus on his current task. Filling up boxes with shit he cared nothing about. He finished a minute later and closed things up, then carried his box out with the others and added it to the stack.
Scott was closing up a box of his own. Tad and Breck were at the entertainment center packing up DVDs.
Kai kept his gaze averted. Not the easiest of tasks.
“All set.” Scott smiled. “You ready?”
Kai gripped the first dolly’s handles and tilted it backward. “I am. Let’s go.”
Scott did the same with his dolly, then looked at Tad. “Be back in a few, babe.”
Tad nodded. “Drive safe.”
Beside him, Breck lifted his eyes and fastened them quietly on Kai.
For only the briefest moment, Kai held his gaze—because damn it, he wasn’t even supposed to be looking that way—then diverted his eyes to the exit and wheeled his stack out the door.
* * *
“So…” Scott drawled as they rolled their dollies toward the elevator. “Still nothin’ going on between you and Breck?”
Kai kept his eyes trained straight ahead. “Nope. Not a thing.” And presently not a lie.
“Riiight,” Scott murmured under his breath.
Kai grinned halfheartedly and slid him a look. “You don’t believe me.”
Scott shrugged. “I dunno what I believe. All I know is that the tension back in that apartment was thick.” He regarded Kai curiously. “But not like the night at the art show. That night you couldn’t stop givin’ him eyes. Today was like the opposite. You wouldn’t even look at the guy.”
Kai barely fought back a frown. Turned his gaze back toward the elevator and loosed a quiet breath. In truth, he’d love to confide in Scott. Someone to vent to would be really nice. God knew, his tight lid on this matter had nothing to do with not trusting Scott, or even not wanting him to know that he was interested in Breck. It was merely just an effort to respect Breck’s privacy.
He still wasn’t sure if Breck’s friends knew he was bi, and Breck’s orientation wasn’t his secret to tell. If he divulged their situation to Scott, that’d mean Tad would find out via someone other than Breck. Which wasn’t okay. Breck held the rights to that information, especially when it came to sharing it with his closest friends. And Kai would never ask Scott to keep secrets, especially not from his Tad.
“Just focused on the task at hand.” He cut Scott a smirk and stopped at the elevator.
“Yeah,” Scott chuckled, stopping too. He pushed the down button. “Never seen you so focused in all my life.”
Kai’s lips twitched. “I’m a one-track-mind packer. Take it or leave it.”
Scott laughed and nodded. “Oh, I’ll definitely take it.”
Kai inclined his head with a little smile.
But that look in Scott’s eyes said he wasn’t quite ready to let it go. Turning back to the elevator, he cleared his throat. “Speaking of Breck… Me and Tad hung out with him on Friday. Over at Grangers. Watched some live music. It was good.”
Kai nodded, wondering how Breck had been holding up in front of his friends after Thursday night.
As if reading his mind, Scott muttered thoughtfully, “He looked like hell. Circles under his eyes. Hardly talked at all. Not a smile in sight.”
Kai’s heart squeezed as he fought not to react. As of right now, Scott only suspected that something was up. If Kai’s expression betrayed him even slightly, his friend would know for sure. Feigning a smirk, he casually shook his head. “Textbook frat boy. Too much alcohol and never an ounce of sleep.”
The elevator opened with an echoing ding.
Scott rolled his dolly inside. “I dunno. He kinda looked more bummed out than tired. And he definitely wasn’t drinking like he normally does. One beer the entire night. Well, except for that shot Tad bought him in an effort to cheer him up.”
Kai didn’t reply, as his pulse thudded restlessly. Just moved in beside him and stared back out into the hallway. He didn’t trust his mouth, his voice. His tone. Any reply he gave would surely give him away.
Scott stayed quiet as the door slowly closed. Continued to say nothing as their descent finally got underway. Moments later, the elevator opened back up again, light spilling into the enclosure, the parking lot visible just off to the right.