Page 13 of Friendly Skies
Luis returned the shrug, but Darius took hold of his hand and pulled him into an embrace. “Tell me the truth, chico,” Darius said, aware, as always, how often he failed to give Luis the same. The sigh Luis released was melancholy rather than upset. He looped his arms around Darius’ neck while Darius placed his hands around Luis’ hips and stared into his beautiful dark eyes. “You know you can tell me anything.”
“Did I screw something up for you? Did you want to go home with Ash?”
The question made Darius pause as he sorted through his feelings because the answer wasn’t straightforward, but he owed his best friend this truth.
“I did,” Darius said carefully and put his finger on Luis’ lips when his friend started to protest. “But you’re more important than a guy I just met.” He smiled at Luis’ widened eyes.
“You mean that?” Luis whispered.
“You’ve got to know I do, chico. You’re my alma gemela, my soul twin, my ride-or-die bestie. No one else even comes close.”
Darius was pleased that his answer expressed how he felt without having to name the reason he felt that way. If it wasn’t the whole truth, it wasn’t the same as lying to Luis, and as much as it hurt him to be less than honest, it was something Darius had learned to live with because it meant he could have moments like this one: standing in the dim kitchen, Luis in his arms, swaying slightly as if the club’s beat still pulsed within their bodies.
Luis snuggled closer into Darius’ arms, and Darius held him tighter, loving how his best friend was the perfect size to tuck under his chin.
“Can we go to bed now?” Luis asked.
Although he knew Luis only meant to sleep, Darius’ heart still soared hearing those words. “Of course, chico.”
They finished off their water, refilled the glasses, and headed down the hall to the bedroom. Luis took the first shower while Darius turned down the covers on the bed. Once Luis returned, Darius headed for the bathroom to shower, surprised when Luis returned just after Darius stepped under the spray.
“You okay, chico?” Darius asked as he lathered up. He took care not to touch himself other than what was necessary to get clean because the last thing he needed was to go to bed with a hard-on.
“Yeah.”
Over the sound of the shower, Darius heard Luis brushing his teeth, which was odd because he was sure he’d smelled mint after Luis returned to the bedroom. He listened closer, and yes,that was definitely the sound of Luis’ toothbrush, and that was the sound of Luis spitting into the sink. And that was…Luis was using…mouthwash? The sound of gargling was unmistakable. Greg was the only one of them who used mouthwash, so it was doubly strange for Luis to use it. Alarm bells rang in Darius’ head, though he wasn’t sure why.
Finishing his shower quickly, Darius dried off, wrapped a towel around his waist, and headed back to the darkened bedroom to find Luis staring out the window. He was wearing shorts, which was unusual since they almost always slept naked. Darius took a moment to admire Luis’ trim form as it was gilded by the yellow glow of the streetlights: the flat stomach and sleek muscles on his arms and legs, the swell of a perfect ass that peeked out beneath the shorts. Darius wished he could take more time to appreciate the view, but he needed to find out what was going on with Luis.
“Chico?” Darius asked, his voice barely a whisper.
“Yeah?”
“What’s going on? Did that guy…Reed…did he hurt you?”
“No.”
“Then what?”
Luis sighed. “Get in bed, Dar.”
Doing as he was told, Darius dropped his towel and slid under the covers while Luis remained at the window.
“I lied to you, Dar,” Luis said without turning around.
Darius’ body went cold at the same time his heart beat painfully hard. “About what?” His throat was so tight the words came out hushed, strained.
“I didn’t go out last night.”
Relief, confusion, and a bit of disappointment collided in Darius’ chest as feeling came back to his fingers. “Why didn’t you go out?”
“I don’t know.” Luis shrugged. “I was going to, but then I didn’t feel like it, and I didn’t want you to worry.”
“Why would that make me worry?”
Another shrug, and then Luis turned to face him but kept his gaze fixed on the closed door to their bedroom. “Andrés stopped by.”
Darius clenched his jaw to keep back the curse that threatened to explode from his mouth. “I thought he was in jail.”
