Page 106 of Cheap Shot

Luke cleared his throat. “You want me to come over and take a look? I could probably fix it for you.”

There was silence. “I … I don’t know …”

“He does a lot of his own home improvement stuff, Brie,” Sebastian interjected. “He knows what he’s doing.”

“No, that wasn’t why I hesitated. I … you wouldn’tmindcoming over to do that, Luke?”

“No,” Crawford said. “Wouldn’t have offered if I did.”

“I feel terrible for even asking?—”

“You didn’t ask. I offered.”

“True. Ugh. I don’t know. I don’t really feel comfortable being without water for a couple of days. The duplex uses radiators for heating too and so without water …”

“You’ll freeze,” Crawford filled in, sounding appalled.

“If it was just me, that would be one thing. I could manage with the space heaters we’ve got, but Harper …”

“You two can stay at my place if you want,” Sebastian offered, in case she wanted an alternative. “You can both sleep in my room while I take the couch. Or I can put you up in a hotel. It’s up to you.”

“No, no, that won’t be necessary. If you really think you can fix it, Luke, that’s probably the best option. I just hate to put you out like this.”

“It’s not putting me out. And please, Brie, let me fucking do this forHarper,” Crawford said firmly.

“Yeah, okay.” Brie sighed. “If you’resureyou don’t mind.”

“I’m sure.”

“We’ll be there in about half an hour, maybe forty-five minutes at the latest,” Sebastian said, already mentally calculating the distance to her place. “Okay?”

“Yeah, okay. Thanks, Seb. Thanks, Luke.”

“Not a problem,” Crawford said.

“See you soon. Love you, Brie,” Sebastian said, then ended the call.

He stared across the kitchen at Crawford. “You do realize that Brie … well, she’s smart. She’ll probably put the pieces together about what we’ve been doing. She might have already?—”

“It’s fine,” Crawford said gruffly. “Now come help me grab my plumbing supplies.”

Sebastian nodded and followed him down to the basement, but as he watched Crawford select tools and load them into an empty bucket and canvas bag, he wondered if Crawford really knew what he was getting into.

As Luke drove them over to Brie’s place, Sebastian kept trying to talk to him.

He kept saying that Luke didn’t have to do this and that Sebastian knew he valued his privacy and that he didn’t have to out himself and their hookups to his sister until Luke snapped, “Will you fucking shut up for thirty seconds so I can think?”

Sebastian snapped his mouth shut and was quiet the rest of the way there.

Luke felt almost guilty and he gruffly offered an apology when they parked on the street in front of Brie and Harper’s duplex.

Sebastian got out of the car.

The duplex was a somewhat shabby place, in need of a paint job and some landscaping, but the overall neighborhood appeared decent as Luke carried his tools and supplies up to the front of the house.

Sebastian knocked on the door, then immediately let himself in, “Hey, Brie,” he called out. “We’re here.”

They stepped inside the entryway and Sebastian hung up his coat, then held out a hand for Luke’s.