Page 14 of Friendly Skies
“He got out. For good behavior.” Luis wrapped his arms around himself, and Darius could tell he was trembling.
“Come to bed, chico, and tell me what he wanted.”
Luis shook his head. “What he usually wants. Money.”
“Did you give him any?” When Luis didn’t say anything, Darius made a sound in frustration.
“Don’t be angry, cariño. It’s easier than telling him no.”
If Luis wasn’t going to come to him, Darius was going to go to Luis. He got out of bed, but as he got close to Luis, his best friend took a step back, which hurt in ways Darius couldn’t name at the moment when his focus was on Luis.
“Get back into bed, Dar.”
After Darius did as he’d been told, Luis finally joined him, sliding under the covers but keeping his back to Darius.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Darius asked and got a one-shoulder shrug in response. “Chico.” Darius scooted closer, wrapped his arm around Luis, then snuggled in as the big spoon. “I’m sorry. I wish Gabriella would throw his fucking ass out on the street.”
Luis snorted. “That is never going to happen, and you know it.”
“Then I wish he’d leave you alone.”
“Probably also not going to happen, cariño. I’m too easy a mark for him. He knows he scares the shit out of me.”
“I hate that,” Darius said. “But I still don’t understand why you didn’t tell me.” When Luis didn’t answer, Darius nudged his shoulder. “Chico?”
With an exasperated snort, Luis sat up. “Because I felt stupid, okay? I’d been looking forward to going out, and then that asshole showed up, and…I…didn’t feel like it anymore. Will you drop it? Please?”
“Of course.” Darius opened his arms wide. “Let’s get some sleep, okay?”
“’kay.” Luis lay back down and curled himself up within Darius’ arms. “I hate sleeping in this bed without you, by the way.”
“Yeah. I know. I do, too.”
“Night, Dar. Love you.”
“Love you, too, chico.”
Long after Luis fell asleep, Darius lay awake thinking about what a POS Andrés was and feeling like he’d let Luis down by not being home, but then, Andrés had always seemed to have a sixth sense about knowing when Luis was alone.
He propped himself up on an elbow and studied Luis’ sleeping face. Tension sharpened the lines of his jaw and cheekbones, and Darius longed to reach out and smooth a finger down them, to try and ease Luis’ stress. Luis was so brave, saying things that were difficult, owning up to the falsehood he’d told to spare Darius from anxiety when there was nothing Darius could have done from thirty-five thousand feet in the air.
Darius’ thoughts turned to how often Luis told him the truth, even when it was difficult, while all the while he held back on doing that very same thing. Luis was always in his thoughts, but that wasn’t something Darius was willing to admit when Luis asked him what he was thinking. Was that dishonest? Lying? Darius considered himself to be a truthful person. Up-front.Moral. But the person with whom he failed was the one person with whom he should be one hundred percent honest.
Staring at Luis’ face, he realized Luis had lied to him as well, and that was a gut punch far worse than finding out Andrés had been anywhere near Luis.
He stared at Luis’ sleeping figure, watched the slow rise and fall of his chest, and placed a kiss on his exposed shoulder as Ash’s words replayed in his mind. Ash couldn’t have known how much Darius wanted to be able to call Luis his boyfriend—his exclusive boyfriend—and to be able to say “I love you” to the man sleeping next to him and know that those words would be heard in the full meaning of his devotion and commitment.
Darius knew, no matter what else happened in their lives, he would always be there for Luis. But then his thoughts strayed back to the night of Marissa’s quinceañera and Luis crying in the bathroom after they’d made out, and then the way Luis had sought out other guys rather than him after coming out in college.
No matter how much he wanted Luis, nor how much fun Luis and he had together, it was obvious Luis wanted him as a friend. A friend with benefits, sure, but not a romantic or life partner. No matter how much Darius craved that, it was better that he stuff those feelings down again. Hope was a bitch, and if he let it take too firm a hold on him, it would only jeopardize what he did have with Luis.
Chapter three
Luis
It was the frontdoor slamming shut that woke Luis with a pounding heart. He had a moment to notice Darius’ weight against him before there was a crash and a voice shouting, “Fuck!” echoed through the condo, followed by the sound of stomping feet, and a curse as someone bumped into a wall.
“Fuck,” Darius said, his voice still choked with sleep. “What the hell is Ricky doing back?” Darius kicked off the covers and swung his feet over the side. “I’ll go tell him to shut up.”
