Page 104 of Steady Stroke
“One more than the other?”
“I don’t know.”
Dominic sighed. “That’s what you have to figure out then. If you can accept he was trying to protect you from hurt more than he was protecting himself, maybe you two can work things out.”
“What if I can’t do that?”
“I don’t know. That’s up to you. Me and Trey? We had a lot of crap to work out between us before we could really be together, and it took a lot of work. A lot of tears and long talks and compromises. And it was worth it. I couldn’t imagine not being with him.”
Lincoln hadn’t even tried to look into a future without Emmett. It was far too bleak and lonely to think about. “Thanks for this, man. I mean it.”
“Anytime. Although as your best friend, I reserve the right to be pissed at you for not talking about Tom sooner. I know how that shit eats at a person.”
“I know you do, and I’m sorry.”
“Good. I’ll forgive you in a few hours.”
He smiled at the wall, a bit of weight lifting offhis heart. “Thanks. So where are you right now, anyway?”
“Hotel room in Sacramento. Trey went down to the gym after I saw Roxy’s text demanding that I call you. She mama-bears almost as good as Mom.”
Lincoln laughed, and it felt good. Really good, after the last twenty-four hours. “Wonder who she learned it from.”
“Ha. Listen, you feeling any better about all of this?”
“Somewhat. Thanks for talking it out with me.”
“You were there through my drama with Trey. It’s the least I owe you.”
“I’m not keeping score. Never have, never will. Not with you.”
“Yeah.” Dominic cleared his throat hard. “Can I say one more thing about you and Emmett?”
“Go for it.”
“All of this wouldn’t hurt so much if you didn’t really love him. Keep that in the back of your mind, okay?”
“Okay.” Lincoln kind of hated how right Dominic was about that.
“So tell me more about the wedding. What did the dress look like?”
“Tasteful and elegant, like the bride.” Lincoln fed his best friend details about the wedding, then gave him a quick update on his parents and Starr. The morning passed into afternoon, and while their conversation didn’t give him any answers about Emmett, he hung up feeling a little less hopeless.
His and Emmett’s song had changed abruptly near the bridge, and he was still fumbling to pick up the right chords again. To discover if the song was even salvageable. Despite how much Emmett’s lie hurt, Lincoln wasn’t going to let their music die without being absolutely certain that it was the only clear choice.
And for that, he needed time to think. He gave Roxy back her phone, then turned his on to text Emmett.
Need time to think this through. Dom knows but won’t tell anyone yet. I’ll make your excuses to the guys about not going to Unbound with us. Maybe after the weekend we can talk.
Ten minutes later, Emmett replied with a sad-face emoji and five simple words:I understand. I love you.
Lincoln turned his phone back off.
TWENTY-THREE
Lincoln occupiedhimself for the next two days with QChord drills, playing their arrangement of “The Sound of Silence” until he was dreaming it, humming it under his breath, and also kind of dying inside because Emmett wasn’t there to sing to him. He missed Emmett like crazy, but he still couldn’t reconcile the lie with the man he loved. He couldn’t get past the idea that Emmett had been with him out of some sense of duty or pity. He’d lost his complete trust in Emmett’s word.
And that hurt more than anything else.
