Page 19 of Sleeping with the Dark (The Righteous 3)
“I will assume this has something to do with Trev since I don’t think Renee or I have offended you. Although those farts J.J. was sporting at lunch could offend anyone.”
Cody smirked. He couldn’t help but smile. “True dat. What the hell do you feed that kid?”
“Don’t look at me. I’d let him eat junk, but he insists on eating like Trev and only wants healthy food. I keep telling Trev that shit is bad for you. Trev’s just a bad influence, I mean, what kid wants to eat spinach omelets for breakfast anyway?” Arek pushed off the wall and came into the room. “Tell me, what did Trev do?”
Cody sucked in a breath. He didn’t want to share the intimate moment that crashed and burned like a runaway train nor the fact that Trev had been avoiding him ever since. “It’s just not going to work with me living here. Trev…I don’t know how to describe it, and I don’t really want to get into the specifics.”
“Did you make a pass at him?” Arek was blunt, and he wasn’t expecting the direct question.
Cody flushed, heat spread throughout his body as the image from that dreadful morning re-entered his mind. He didn’t know what to say, so he kept his mouth clamped shut.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to tell me. Look, I know my brother can be cold and difficult at times.”
“At times? Tell me that’s a joke. The man is a stone-cold wall of zero fucking emotion. I’ve gotten a better reaction from a bag of ice cubes.” Cody stomped away and stared out the window. “Maybe it’s my fault. I thought I was getting the vibe. You know when someone is interested.” He lifted his shoulder and let it drop. “But maybe I was only seeing what I wanted to see. He was my lawyer and we were spending a lot of time together, I could have simply read the situation wrong.”
The pool looked stunning tonight. The aqua blue glittered as the light from the tiki lanterns danced on the surface. “The thing is, I coulda’ sworn we had this connection, but I guess I was wrong. He’s been straight up avoiding me after he ordered me to find a new place to live.”
“First, Trev is not emotionless. In fact, he probably feels more than the rest of us in this house combined.”
“Excuse me if I don’t believe you.”
“The thing is, Trev is complicated. He…look, the point is, the reason Trev is treating you like you mean nothing to him is because he likes you.” Arek wandered over and mirrored his position.
“I don’t understand.”
“It’s not really my story to tell, but I will say that Trev was not always like this. I mean, he was always protective and a little stuffy, and sometimes overly proper, but that’s off topic. He always has been the better brother, but he wasn’t always cold with everyone. He was…” Arek looked away, the muscle in his jaw twitching as he glared out the window. “He was the best. He still is, but this version of him is pain-induced. Do you understand? The man that lives under that cold shell is warm and loving. I know you’ve seen glimpses of it. Fuck, I love my brother. I would die for him.” Arek swung those icy blues at Cody, and the expression said it all. “He is a good person Cody. A hurt one, but he is the best guy I’ve ever met.”
“What happened to him?” Cody asked, a shimmer of hope blooming in his chest. It was stupid to hope, but he couldn’t help himself.
“Like I said, it’s not my story to tell. He will tell you when he’s ready, but you’re going to need to be patient. Don’t push too hard, or he will back away faster, and definitely don’t move out.” Arek’s eyes locked with his, and there was a pleading in them that he didn’t understand.
“Trev told me to leave, and this is his house.”
“Technically, it is both Trev’s and my house, and I’m asking you to stay. Trust me, Trev doesn’t mean it. He may have said it, he may even be avoiding you, but at the moment, he is also avoiding me.” Arek took a deep breath and sighed, the sound coming out defeated. “What he said was a knee-jerk reaction, but he wants you here, and he does like you. I haven’t seen my brother so tied up over someone in a very long time.”
“This is him tied up over someone? I’d hate to see what he gets like when he hates someone then.”
“No, actually, you really don’t. It never ends well.” Cody didn’t know if Arek was joking, but since he didn’t laugh, he had to assume he was serious. “All I’m asking is for you to give him a chance to come around. He needs someone willing to be patient with his demons.”
“We all have demons, Arek. It doesn’t give Trev the right to treat me like shit. He is not just icy—he’s rude.”
“You’re right, and I can’t excuse his actions. Just think about it.” Arek gripped his shoulder before he made his way across the room.
“Arek?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” Arek gave him a smile, and it was the first time he felt a real connection to the guy.
“Did you want to come to the Underground with me?” Cody tossed out. He never took anyone to the Underground, but if he was going to bridge a gap, this just might help.
“What is the Underground?” Arek cocked his head.
“Fuck yeah, an Underground virgin. Now you have to come with me.” Cody smiled as he marched toward Arek.
“By the look on your face, you’re gonna get me divorced before I’m married, I can feel it.” They both laughed.
