Текст книги "Triple Play"
Автор книги: Sloan Johnson
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Текущая страница: 7 (всего у книги 17 страниц)
Chapter 11
Eric had been acting weird all day. As in he’d been going out of his way to avoid me, which really sucked since having time to think last night had finally allowed me to work up the courage to make a move. The last time I’d even thought about anything other than whether or not the guy was actually gay before acting on my urges was my freshman year of college. Since then, I’d done a damn good job scratching the itch, so to speak, whenever it struck. Except, wherever he’d gone last night had left him in one hell of a mood.
On top of that, Jason walked in this morning, his arms loaded with moving boxes which he hauled up the stairs to Cam’s loft. We’d talked about him moving Cam into his place, but I still hadn’t been prepared for it to actually happen. Rather than mope around the house, I decided to make myself useful by helping Jason pack up all of Cam’s clothes. He tried arguing with me at first, but after I snapped, telling him I needed something to do before I lost my fucking mind, he let me help on the promise that I’d stop before I overdid it. I said I would. I didn’t, which meant I was in agony by early afternoon.
And because that’s not bad enough, Eric came home and saw me limping down the stairs. He didn’t say anything, but the look he gave me spoke volumes. Tonight, after the dust settled and Jason had everything out of Cam’s room, Eric and I were going to have a chat. If he was pissed about something, he could fucking tell me because I wasn’t in the mood to play games.
Once Jason and Eric had Jason’s truck loaded and were on their way to his apartment, I tossed back a pain pill and laid down on the couch. I didn’t want to disappear into my room because I was pissed that Eric was pissed about something and I didn’t want to give him an opportunity to avoid me when he got home. I was almost asleep when someone rang the front doorbell. No one used the front door, so I closed my eyes, ignoring them in hopes that they’d leave soon. When whoever it was didn’t take the hint that no one wanted to see them, I pried myself off the couch and smoothed my clothes as I hobbled over to the foyer. I seriously couldn’t wait until I could do normal shit like a normal person without feeling as if I was about to fall over.
I whipped the door open a little quicker than I’d intended and nearly slapped myself in the face. When I looked up, I really wished it’d been a pushy missionary because then I wouldn’t have felt the embarrassment I felt when my eyes met Bryce’s. “Is this a bad time?”
I sagged against the edge of the door. He’d been avoiding me, and the first thing I did when he finally stopped by was glare at him. I was an ass. “Yeah, it’d be much better if you could turn around, wipe the last minute from your brain and knock again.”
“Sorry, no can do,” he apologized. He sure as hell didn’t seem all that sorry. In fact, it seemed he really didn’t give a shit what I wanted. He was a man on a mission. That’s when I noticed the bulging plastic sack in his hand. “I wanted to stop by and apologize for not visiting sooner and figured Chinese was a decent peace offering since you mentioned you liked it.”
Part of me wanted to ask what changed his mind, but it didn’t matter. All I cared about was that he was here now. And that he had food. Food was definitely a good way to ease any possible tension. I led Bryce into the kitchen and started getting out plates and silverware while he unpacked the paper cartons. Even if Jason and Eric had been here, there’d have been far too much food. “Did you order one of everything on the menu?”
Bryce’s cheeks flushed as he looked away. He quickly rebounded and turned to me, squaring his shoulders. The confidence was forced, but I didn’t give a shit because it was sexy as hell. “I wasn’t sure what you wanted and I was hungry. You know what they say about going to the grocery store on an empty stomach?”
“Yeah.” I started piling my plate with a little of each entree.
“The same goes for ordering takeout.” We both laughed. “I was standing there looking over the menu and just kept adding more to the order when something sounded good.”
As badly as I wanted to grill Bryce about his absence, I held back. I reminded myself that he was in town for work, not to spend time with me. He loved his job as much as I did mine, and I knew I wouldn’t handle it well if someone confronted me about not giving them enough of my time when there was shit to be done. Not only that, but it wasn’t exactly fair of me to ask him why he hadn’t shoved his way in sooner when I’d been busy keeping him at arm’s length.
The topic of conversation over dinner was, understandably, my injuries and recovery. Since I no longer had people asking me every other minute how I was feeling, I didn’t mind giving him an update. The truth was, I felt better than I’d have expected to feel three weeks out. Most of the bruises had faded and I was pretty damn mobile as long as I didn’t try to help pack up the wardrobe of an incurable clothes junkie.
Bryce took care of clean up after we finished eating and refused to let me help. I’d been trying to hide the aches, but he’d noticed them and insisted that I relax. He joined me in the living room once everything was put away and the counters were wiped down. The house was quiet. Too quiet. Bryce sat at the opposite end of the couch, watching me as I tried to figure out what came next. The easy camaraderie I’d felt in the past when Bryce and I talked was missing.
I reached for the remote and started flipping through channels, hoping maybe we’d find something that looked interesting to both of us. That proved fruitless, and I turned on Sportsline, just to have something to break the silence in the room.
I knew it was my fault things had turned awkward between Bryce and me. I’d been sending him mixed signals, telling him I wanted to see him with my words, yet unable to deny my attraction to Eric the times when Bryce had come to visit. As I sat there thinking, I realized I had to fix my attitude and sort out my feelings if there was any hope of continuing to build what I thought there might be between us. Bryce probably thought I was insane when I turned off the television and walked out of the room. I needed time to think about what I wanted to say because knowing my recent mood, I’d wind up pissing him off if I didn’t plan ahead.
By the time I walked back into the room, Bryce had his coat on and was almost to the door. “Bryce, wait,” I called out.
He turned to look at me but didn’t say a word. Instead, he sighed heavily as he crossed his arms tightly over his chest, making it abundantly clear he’d reached the end of his proverbial rope when it came to my indecision.
My feet felt weighted to the floor as I tried to close the distance between us. No matter what happened by the end of the night, I owed Bryce an apology. And an explanation. I reached out to him, ignoring the jab in my gut when he closed off even more. Both of us stared at my hand for a second before I allowed it to drop to my side. “Look, I know I’m totally screwing up an otherwise awesome night, but I’m not ready for you to leave.”
Bryce’s lips pressed into a thin line as he studied my features. “You could’ve fooled me,” he retorted as he reached behind his body for the door knob. “Drew, you’re a great guy. If circumstances had been different, I’d like to think we could’ve had some fun together. And who knows, maybe our time will come eventually, but you need to figure out what it is that you want first.”
As much as his rejection stung, I appreciated that he felt he could be honest with me. Still, that didn’t mean I was going to give up on us. Yes, we’d faced some hurdles and there would likely be more to come, but there was something about Bryce that drew me to him, even when I tried to let him go. “Please come back and sit down,” I pleaded with him. “Hear me out and if you still want to go after that, I’ll walk you to the door and out of my life.”
Every second Bryce took to consider my request seemed to drag on for an eternity. He rubbed at his eyebrows as if the situation was giving him a headache. “Okay.”
That single word felt like a concession more than agreement. He followed me back to the living room but didn’t take off his coat when he sat at the opposite end of the couch, as far from me as possible.
My mouth went dry as Bryce waited patiently for me to say what I’d asked him to hear before leaving. The words failed me as every nerve in my body began to short-circuit. I swallowed hard, wishing I had something to drink. With a deep breath, it was go time. I only hoped he’d reconsider walking away.
“I know I’ve been a miserable ass lately.” I ignored the choked laugh Bryce let escape his lips at my candor. “Honestly, there’s part of me that still can’t believe you came back after how I treated you the day I got home.”
Bryce surprised me by sliding closer on the couch and taking my hand. “I knew you weren’t lashing out at me,” he assured me.
“Don’t,” I chastised him. I knew what he was trying to do, but I didn’t want to be let off the hook. How I’d behaved wasn’t okay and I didn’t want him telling me it was. “I don’t want you pretending that how I’ve treated you is okay. You were trying to help me and I was an asshole.”
“Because you were hurting,” he said softly. “You didn’t want people hovering over you, but you knew you needed their help. I get it.”
“That doesn’t make it okay.” Rather than look into Bryce’s almost black eyes, I stared at the point where his hand rested over mine.
“No, but it’s not an unforgivable offense.” A shiver raced through my body at the cold and emptiness I felt when Bryce removed his hand from mine.
“Why do you keep doing that?” I scowled, hating that Bryce could be so calm about how I’d acted toward him.
“Plain and simple,” Bryce deadpanned, sitting up a bit straighter and leaning in toward me. Unconsciously, I mirrored his posture. “It’d be easy for me to blow up at you. I could rant and rave about what a selfish, miserable prick you’ve been, but that won’t do any good. I could remind you that you’re not the first person to go through this and won’t be the last, but that’d be insensitive of me.
“And believe me, Drew, I’ve thought about saying all of that and more. I haven’t given you space because I wanted to. I did it because it’s what you needed,” he informed me. I slumped back in my seat, unwilling to fight back because it was good to see that Bryce gave a damn, even if it was in his own fucked up way. “You needed time to sit here and stew about what you’d been through. And I knew, in doing that, you’d wind up pushing away everyone who tried to help you. It’s not an uncommon reaction, but it’s also not a healthy way to deal with it. So, I’m not going to scream at you because that’s exactly what you want. You realize that you fucked up and you want everyone to be pissed off at you about that. Well, I’m not going to let you win.”
He stood and I was sure this was it. He’d said what he needed to say and was going to walk away. I’m fairly certain I stopped breathing until I realized he was taking off his bulky winter coat to get comfortable. Even though I’d seen him plenty of times, it felt as though I were seeing him for the first time. My body stirred to life at the sight of him in a simple white T-shirt and faded jeans that I wanted to reach out and touch to see if they felt as soft as they looked. And then I’d run my hand up his chest, allowing myself to feel the stubble that he’d allowed to grow into a neatly trimmed beard. But I couldn’t allow myself to think about any of that right now, otherwise I’d be shoving him back on the couch, rutting around like a horny teenager.
“I also feel like I need to apologize for sending you mixed signals,” I continued before I lost my nerve. “I won’t insult you by assuming you haven’t seen the attention I’ve given Eric since he got home. It doesn’t make the situation any better, but ever since I opened my eyes and saw him standing there in my hospital room, it’s like something changed between us. I can’t tell you that’s gone away, but neither has how I feel about you.”
This time, Bryce pressed a finger to my lips to shut me up. “It’s okay,” he said, although I didn’t believe him.
If our roles had been reversed, I wouldn’t have been okay with him admitting to being interested in someone else. I’d have probably given him a hug as I walked him out, wishing him and the other guy a good life. One without me in it.
“I really don’t understand you,” I told him, leaning into his touch when he placed his hand against my cheek.
“I’m not asking you to pledge your undying love for me, Drew. The two of you have a bond most people can’t begin to understand,” he told me, sliding his hand around to the back of my neck. “You might have blacked out, but it doesn’t change the fact that he saved you. What you’re feeling is normal.”
“But it’s more than that,” I admitted. “I get what you’re saying, but it’d be dishonest of me to say that’s all it is between us.”
“And that’s okay,” Bryce promised me. “As long as we’re all honest with one another, there’s nothing wrong with not being exclusive.”
“There’s not?” The words sounded incredibly naïve and ignorant, but I couldn’t call them back.
“Hell no,” Bryce responded emphatically. “Hell, in a perverse way, I’m flattered.”
“You are?” God, if ever there was a time for a gag, it would have been then. That way I couldn’t respond with two word answers anymore.
“Hell yes! Eric’s gorgeous, so if you’re attracted to him and still want me, then I’ll take that as some sort of twisted compliment.” Bryce shifted and I couldn’t help but look down to find I wasn’t the only one a bit uncomfortable below the waist. “The only thing I ask is that we keep talking about what we’re thinking and feeling. If I get to a point where I’m not comfortable knowing I’m not the only one you’re spending time with, I’ll tell you. And I know you’ll do the same.”
I was no longer in control of the conversation. It’d taken a surreal twist. What Bryce was proposing was close to a dream come true for me. He was telling me I didn’t have to choose one or the other, that I could explore what I felt for both of them.
“Oh… of course,” I stammered, still in shock that we were really talking about this.
“Good. Now, are we done talking?” I finally forced myself to look into Bryce’s smoldering eyes. Yeah, we were done using our words for a while. I nodded, nervous because I had a feeling about how the rest of the night was going to go.
Chapter 12
By the time I made it home, I was exhausted and crabby. When Jason asked me to help move Cam’s stuff into his place, I incorrectly assumed that it wouldn’t be that much stuff. After all, Cam had only been living with me for a few months and everything was neatly packed into the loft. Little did I know that he’s some sort of organizational ninja. He had more crap than anyone I’d ever seen and most of it was clothes.
Add to that the fact that Jason felt it necessary to grill me about what was going on between Drew and me and I was in a foul mood when I got home. If I wasn’t such an idiot, Drew and I could have sat around watching movies until he fell asleep, the way we did most nights when he wasn’t holed up in his bedroom. But no, I’d tried to do the ”right thing” and practically begged Bryce to come over and spend time with him. Bryce, the man who wanted the same thing I did. The man who, if I was being honest, would be better for Drew on so many levels. Bryce, the man whose car was still in the driveway even though all the lights in the house were turned off.
As much as I wanted to, I refrained from slamming the front door when I walked inside. Not knowing what I’d find, I didn’t bother to turn on the lights. It felt much safer to carefully make my way through the dark living area, grab a beer, and retire to my bedroom for the night.
I tried to ignore the noises coming from Drew’s room as I walked down the hall. Unless Bryce was treating him to an innocuous back massage, there was only one reason Drew would be moaning and carrying on the way he was.
“Fuck, don’t stop.” Drew’s words were strained, as if he was hanging on by a thread. My dick twitched and I scolded it. Those pleas weren’t for me. The only relief I’d feel tonight would be from my own hand. The only difference between tonight and every night over the past few weeks was that I’d have to listen to Drew and Bryce across the hall. I hoped against hope that the doors would be enough to muffle the noises that’d keep me up otherwise.
The beer I’d been dying to have tasted bitter but I choked it down. I didn’t bother turning on the television, opting instead for a quick shower before climbing into bed for yet another restless night. I considered closing the door to my bathroom but then remembered it was pointless. No one would be coming in to interrupt me.
As the hot water pounded against my aching back, I closed my eyes tightly, refusing to reach down for the nearly painful erection begging for my attention. I tried to think of everything unsexy in the world rather than curl my fingers around my dick while imagining what Bryce was doing to Drew. I knew those moans and had foolishly thought there was a way I could have been the one making Drew sound like that more often. I licked my lips, remembering the salty essence of his skin and the musky smell of his body.
Resistance was futile. I gave into my desires and starting stroking my shaft, brushing my thumb over the head on every pass. Images floated through my mind of Drew lying on his bed, back arching as he convulsed when he came in my mouth. Once you got past the arrogant exterior, he really was a beautiful man.
I reached lower, tugging on my balls, not ready for my fantasy to end, even though it still felt wrong to think about him now that he was with someone else. I’d told myself I wouldn’t get wrapped up in another person again when they didn’t reciprocate, but I couldn’t help myself. I’d tried to resist Drew, but something about the way he tried to push everyone away drew me closer to him.
The longer I stood under the water, the more I hated myself for what I was doing. Eventually, that did the trick and my cock went soft. It was amazing how well self-loathing worked to kill the libido. I turned the water off with more force than necessary and quickly dried off.
The soft cotton of my sheets caressed my naked body. It took me a moment to realize why it felt so foreign. Since the attack, I’d started sleeping wearing at least a pair of shorts in case Drew needed me. I stared at the ceiling as I argued with myself. Drew wouldn’t need me tonight. He had someone else next to him who was more than capable of calming him if the nightmares came back. And for all I knew, tonight might be the night he had a peaceful sleep, all because I was an idiot and pushed another man into his bed.
I rolled onto my stomach and punched my pillow a few times before settling in to get some sleep. If I was being honest, the past few weeks hadn’t been the best for me either. Most of the time, I wouldn’t allow myself to fall fully asleep in case something happened with Drew. And when I did, the same scene plagued my mind as did Drew’s. But for me, it was the sight of him lying on the ground, motionless other than the shallow rise and fall of his chest letting me know he was still alive. It was the memory of his attacker running off into the night, me second-guessing whether I should have followed him and yelled for someone else to call an ambulance for Drew.
I parked closer to the bar. As I drove up the street, I saw someone get into a car at the end of the alley. I slowed, waiting for them to pull onto the street so I could take their parking spot. I hurried to get out of the car, the hairs on the back of my neck standing on end, telling me something was very wrong. Every step seemed quicker than the one before. When I turned into the alley, Drew was still standing, struggling to break free from the choke hold of his attacker. I could hear him trying to scream for someone to help, but no one came. I broke into a sprint, screaming bloody murder to save him. His attacker looked up at me with dark, soulless eyes. There was something familiar about the evil sneer he flashed my way before turning to run.
“Don’t worry about me,” Drew insisted. He was slumped on the ground now, massaging his throat as he gasped for air. “I’ll be fine. Please catch him.”
The please caused my steps to falter. It was as though Drew knew he’d never escape the danger as long as whoever did this was a free man. I raced to the far end of the alley, losing sight of the attacker when he turned the corner. Luckily, it wasn’t a busy night so he should be easy to spot.
Except he wasn’t. I rounded the front of the building in the direction he’d run, but he was nowhere to be found. The streets were completely empty.
I bolted up in bed, my hands fisted into the sheets as I tried to catch my breath. Sweat ran down my forehead as though I’d actually been running. Logically, I knew it was just a dream, but even with my eyes open, I could still see Drew begging me to catch the man who’d done this to him.
My heart pounded so furiously it hurt and nothing I did seemed to calm me. I tried taking deep breaths, but every one was ragged. I told myself over and over that it’d be fine, but the tattoo of my heart told me it wouldn’t be.
Finally, I gave up trying and slid out of bed, hoping to find something to help quiet my mind for the night. There was still a bottle of whiskey in the cupboard over the stove from when Cam was here. It wasn’t anything good, but I didn’t care about quality. The only thing I wanted was to drink enough that my body would shut down for one night since I didn’t have to worry about Drew.
I made it almost to where the carpet met hardwood at the end of the hall when I heard a noise in Drew’s room again. This time, it wasn’t groans of pleasure, but rather moans of panic and despair.
“Stop, please,” Drew begged. “Why are you doing this to me? Take whatever you want, just please stop kicking me.”
I froze, my heart crumbling to the floor, willing me to go wake him while my head reminded me that he wasn’t alone in there. But if he wasn’t alone, why wasn’t Bryce waking him? Why couldn’t I hear Bryce trying to calm him down? I turned back and stood outside Drew’s door, waiting as I listened, silently screaming at Bryce to do something.
“Fuck, stop!” Drew’s screams grew louder and more desperate. “I can’t take anymore. You’re going to kill me!”
If Bryce wouldn’t or couldn’t get Drew out of the prison in his mind, he didn’t deserve him. I reached for the knob and stormed in, reminding myself that I had to stay calm for Drew’s sake. The last thing I expected to see was Bryce hovering over Drew, rubbing his jaw and looking utterly helpless.
“Don’t just stand there,” I seethed. “We have to wake him up.”
“I tried,” Bryce hissed, taking a step away from the edge of the bed when Drew lashed out in his direction. “As soon as I touched him and said his name, he started swinging, telling me to get the fuck away from him.”
I sat at the edge of the bed and tentatively reached out to run my hand down Drew’s back. It had worked the previous nights, but he also hadn’t been combative then. The dreams were getting worse.
I looked up and saw Bryce watching Drew’s body visibly relax as I continued whispering to him that he was okay and that he was safe now. I was to blame for the sadness in Bryce’s eyes. I was the one who’d pushed him to reach out to Drew, and now Drew had punched Bryce for touching him while instantly calming for me. I couldn’t imagine how much that had to sting.
“I’m going to go,” Bryce informed me as he started gathering his clothes from the floor on his side of the bed.
“Don’t.” Both of us stopped and looked down at Drew, who was now awake with his body curled around the pillow. He reached back with one hand to make sure I was still there while also reaching for Bryce. “I don’t know what happened, but I don’t want you to leave, Bryce.”
The sliver of light from the hallway was enough to highlight the struggle in Bryce’s eyes. His shoulders sagged forward and I realized he was as powerless to resist Drew as I was.
“Do you remember what you were dreaming about?” Bryce asked as he took a seat on the other side of the bed. Drew was holding onto both of us as though we were his lifelines.
Drew nodded slightly, looking embarrassed over the fact that he was still haunted by the attack. I continued rubbing Drew’s back, knowing that he was going to be upset when he realized he’d hit Bryce. He might be cocky and a bit self-centered at times, but that didn’t mean he was cold and heartless.
“What made you lash out at Bryce?” I asked, knowing we needed to get past this before anyone could get some sleep.
“I don’t know,” Drew admitted. He shifted on the queen-sized bed so he was seated between us. “I didn’t realize I had until I woke up and my hand hurt like hell.”
“It’s okay,” Bryce assured him. “You didn’t break anything and I should have known better than to touch you when you didn’t know where you were.”
“Would you stop doing that?” Drew shouted. The outburst startled both of us, but it was a good sign that something had finally gotten a strong reaction out of him. Until now, I’d been worried he was going to keep bottling everything up in favor of just being a grumpy asshole all the time. He needed to let this out. “You can’t keep letting me off the hook every time I do something to you. Maybe you should leave. I’m all fucked up and not any good for anyone right now.”
Bryce looked up at me and I couldn’t do anything more than shrug. He was the one who was accustomed to dealing with this type of shit, not me. It was one of the reasons I figured Bryce would be better for Drew than I could ever dream of being.
“Drew, I’m not giving you a free pass,” Bryce informed him. “My jaw hurts like hell and I’m probably going to have one hell of a bruise in the morning. But it really isn’t your fault. You’re trying to get past what happened to you and it’s going to take time. Have you thought anymore about talking to someone?”
I bristled, remembering how it’d gone over every time any of us had mentioned the idea of therapy to Drew. Even Stu had suggested that it might be a good idea, but Drew was adamant that he didn’t need a shrink. It was becoming clearer every day that he was wrong about that.
“We’re talking right now,” Drew responded curtly.
“But you need someone who will be able to help you. Eric and I can listen, but neither of us are going to be able to give you the tools you need to get better,” Bryce countered. While Drew still seemed opposed to the idea, at least he was listening to what Bryce had to say. That was more than the rest of us had accomplished. “You need someone who you don’t see outside of your appointments so you can bitch to them about the stupid shit your friends do when they’re trying to help you.”
The way Bryce looked up at me as he spoke stung. It was as if he was implying that I was part of the reason Drew wasn’t getting any better. That may not have been the case at all, but it’s how it seemed.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Drew argued. “What’s pissing me off the most is the fact that everyone keeps trying to get me to talk about that night, as if that’ll do anything to make it better. It won’t. If anything, it’ll just piss me off even more because I don’t remember what happened.”
I wanted to pull Bryce out of the bedroom and speak to him in private. I was starting to understand what Drew’s biggest issue was now that he was healing physically, and I had a feeling I could help him work through this. The problem was I didn’t know if it’d do a damn bit of good for either one of us to sit down and rehash everything. I sure as fuck didn’t want to sit down and try to fill in the blanks, but I was willing to do just about anything to help Drew.
“Drew, why don’t you get dressed and meet us down in the rec room?” I suggested. The bedroom wasn’t the place to continue this conversation, and being in the bed with both of them was seriously fucking with my mind. Every time I took a deep breath to calm myself, I caught a faint hint of musk and sweat, no doubt caused by whatever they’d been doing in here earlier. “We’ll talk about whatever you want, but this bed isn’t big enough for the three of us.”
Drew looked from me to Bryce and back again. And then, he did something he hadn’t done in a long time. He actually laughed. “Yeah, this isn’t exactly the way I wanted to have both of you in bed with me. If you want to get some sleep, we don’t have to talk anymore tonight. And Bryce, if you’ll stay, I promise I won’t try to knock you out again.”
“I think Eric is right,” Bryce added, carefully avoiding the comment about Drew hitting him. “You need to talk about what happened and I have a feeling Eric’s the one who’s going to be able to help you the most. He was there. And even if he won’t admit it to you, I have a feeling he’s plagued by a lot of the same memories you are.”
I opened my mouth to disagree, but I couldn’t. The whole reason I was awake when Drew had his meltdown was because of my own dreams. Drew needed to know that as well. Maybe knowing that he wasn’t the only person struggling to get past what’d happened would help him realize he wasn’t as fucked up as he thought he was.
I left Bryce to get dressed and walked into the kitchen to get him an ice pack for his face. Drew might not like seeing it, but Bryce was going to be hurting in the morning and I wanted to make sure his face wasn’t any more swollen than it already was.
Bryce followed me down the stairs to the basement. The silence between us was awkward. I offered him a drink, which he quickly declined. Fuck that. If we were going to do this, I wanted something and I wanted it to be the good stuff. I sat on the opposite end of the couch from Bryce, leaving the couch open in case Drew wanted a bit of space from us. When I looked up, I noticed Bryce watching me swirl the whiskey around in my glass.
