Page 62 of To Have and To Hold
Atticus didn’t answer right away, his pretty green eyes sweeping over Carson’s face. It was obvious he was looking for Carson’s motivation behind the question. He didn’t have any. He was just curious.
The silence between them was filled with the sounds around them. Silverware clattering, the drone of conversation, someone clearing their throat, someone else’s boisterous laughter.
“We’re gonna make it work,” Atticus finally said.
“Not just as roommates.”
Atticus held his gaze. “Maybe. I don’t know. I think it’s more than that.”
Carson knew that. He’d known it since the night he told Atticus to go to Slade. He knew there was something between them. For days after Atticus left, Carson had kicked himself for pushing them together.
“I’m happy for you.”
“You’re a liar,” Atticus said, his tone flat.
Carson peered down at the table for a brief moment. “Yeah. I’m a liar.”
It was true. He wasn’t exactly happy, but he had no intention of getting between them. He’d already screwed shit up with Slade once, and he knew the man wanted nothing to do with him. It was his own damn fault, and this was his penance. Falling in love had never been in the cards for him, but that was because he’d never met a man who’d made him feel what he felt when he was with Atticus.
“I’ve done a lot of thinkin’ these past few weeks,” Atticus said.
Carson forced his gaze up, meeting the man’s eyes. “And?”
“And I realized I owe it to myself to do what makes me happy.”
“Slade makes you happy.”
“You both do.”
That surprised him, but he refrained from reacting.
“I told Slade that I want to see you, too.” Atticus waved a hand, and a splash of color appeared on his cheeks. “That’s not me assumin’ you want anything to do with me.”
“I do,” he blurted. “I don’t mind sharin’.”
And that was mostly true. He didn’t mind sharing. Not if it meant he wouldn’t lose Atticus completely. It wasn’t ideal, but nothing in his life ever had been, so that wasn’t new. It also wasn’t what he’d been hoping for, but because Slade wanted nothing to do with him, Carson didn’t have many options.
Atticus was quiet for another minute, and Carson let the cacophony around him fill his head, not wanting to say anything that might derail whatever the man was preparing to say.
“I need you and Slade to figure your shit out, Carson.”
“I tried,” he told him.
“Try harder.”
Carson was preparing for a rebuttal, but Atticus beat him to it.
“I’ve seen the way you look at him, Carson. And I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Y’allneedto figure it out.”
It was at that moment that Carson realized Atticus had changed in more than merely physical ways. Was it possible that Atticus now wanted the same thing Carson had been wanting all along?
Chapter Sixteen
Brantley parked in the employee lot ofAlluring Indulgence Resort, but he didn’t rush to get out. He wasn’t sure what he was going to say to Travis, nor was he sure he actually wanted to have this conversation right now. He needed to. Whether it would only add to whatever problems Travis was dealing with was yet to be seen, but Brantley couldn’t imagine holding off until after the wedding. It would be another week before his life was settled enough for him to dedicate the time needed to whatever Travis’s problem was.
No, he couldn’t put it off.
He felt Reese’s eyes on him, so he said, “I guess we should do this, huh?”
