Trent dropped the ice.
Rimmel flung her arms around his neck, and he hugged her close.
Romeo and Braeden both got up, both of them watching me. Romeo hadn’t even been here yesterday to witness my caveman behavior. He didn’t have to. All he needed to see was Braeden’s reaction.
I waved them back and rolled my eyes. I wasn’t about to interrupt their moment. This was way too important.
“Rim, baby, you’re going to crush his ribs.” Romeo reminded her gently after a few minutes.
She made a squeaking sound and yanked back, grabbing up the ice and holding it out to him. “Sorry.”
Trent smiled. “Didn’t hurt at all.”
Rim went back to her seat beside Romeo and Murphy, and Trent went back to icing his face.
“We need names, Trent,” Romeo said, getting right down to business.
Trent rattled off four names.
My fists clenched. I knew every single one of those fuckers. And now I hated them all. Judging by the looks on Romeo’s and Braeden’s faces, they knew them as well and felt the same way I did.
“First things first.” I spoke up. “Trent will get all his shit out of that house and move in here. Once he’s out, we can deal with Omega.”
Romeo and B nodded.
Trent cleared his throat. “There’s only one problem.”
All eyes turned to him.
“I’m not moving out of Omega.”
I must have just hallucinated. I could have sworn I heard him say he was going to keep living in that house. I laughed, because really, this had to be a joke.
Trent didn’t laugh with me.
Realization dawned.
I wasn’t hallucinating. He wasn’t joking.
Trent was serious.
Trent
What the fuck?
Did this family think I was some quivering little boy? Did they really think I’d run into this house and hide behind them for protection?
No.
Hells no.
Yeah, yeah, I was broken down. I was bruised, cracked, and physically weakened. I looked like shit (not just their words… I looked in the mirror this morning), and my brothers weren’t the type to just let this go.
But…
I might be down. I might even be vulnerable.
Even so, I was stronger than ever.
It’s amazing what looking into the eyes of your worst fears would do for a man. Hell, those guys at Omega last night did me a favor.
They showed me their opinion didn’t matter. That nothing anyone could say or do would matter. Drew and I were stronger than that. Than them.
Was I still hella concerned about what being gay would cost Drew? More now than ever.
I learned something last night, though, in the midst of the eight ball, the fighting, and the breaking up.
Even during the sex.
Oh my God, the sex…
Pull it together, Trent.
Drew and I were stronger together. I was stronger with him than I would ever be apart. He gave me strength. I gained courage from his love. I knew without a shadow of a doubt, this wouldn’t be easy. A relationship with my best friend would be scrutinized, ridiculed, and, at times, make me feel like I’d done the wrong thing.
There was another side to that, though.
I would know unbridled happiness, unending affection, and a level of connection which I’d never have with anyone else.
Wasn’t that something worth fighting for? Wasn’t that worth enduring the shitty times?
Hells yeah.
This was a time I would need to fight.
Fighting didn’t mean hiding.
“I’m still the president at Omega. Giving that up is what they want. I won’t do it,” I said, leaving no room for argument in my tone.
“Why would you want to be the president of a frat who would do this to you?” Drew spat.
He was getting agitated; it was to be expected. This was going to be hard on him. I was going to have to do what I could to shield him as best I could.
“It’s not the entire frat,” I rebutted. “It was four guys. If I turned tail and ran right now, everything I worked for over there for past few years would be for nothing. I will not just hand that house over to a bunch of Zach wannabes and walk away.”
(Zach, aka the guy I replaced and the worst president in Alpha U frat history.)
“I agree,” Romeo said.
I knew he would. He knew what that frat was like, and he knew walking away wasn’t the kind of man I would want to be. If Drew wasn’t so close to the situation, he’d see it, too.
Drew made a rude, angry sound.
I dropped the ice on my ribs and put a hand on his leg, giving his strong thigh a light squeeze.
“If I move out and abandon my presidency, it would be like admitting they were right. Like saying being gay is a reason to hide. Con’s pissed because I took away his chance at presidency. He’s challenging everything about me. My loyalty. My leadership.” My heart.
“What are you gonna do, T?” Drew argued. “You gonna fight everyone who has a problem with you being gay?”
If I have to.
“It’s not just about him having some man love,” Braeden spoke up.
I swear, man love was like his new favorite saying.
“I know that,” Drew said wearily.
“They think you’re off licking your wounds” Romeo was thoughtful. “They expect you to show up and hand over the house. Con’s probably working right now to discredit you even more because you aren’t there.”
I made a scoffing sound. “He’s probably combing through the frat bylaws, looking for some kind of loophole he can use to get back into the game for presidency.”
“What a douche.” Braeden grunted.
“Why don’t you just kick him and the other three out of the frat?” Ivy wondered out loud.
“It doesn’t work that way,” I answered. “Removing a member’s charter is a lot harder than it sounds. Once they’re in, it’s really hard to boot them out altogether.”
“Look how much it took to get Zach out,” Romeo added.
Ivy’s face darkened a little, and I regretted even bringing him up. Surely, hearing just the Omega name was enough to bring back horrible memories for her. And for Braeden.
I glanced at him, but he was watching Ivy, making sure he didn’t need to step in and haul her out of the conversation.
Prada came prancing into the room and licked the baby’s face. Nova laughed and grabbed the Chihuahua’s ear and tugged.
“Easy,” Ivy reminded her, but Prada didn’t seem bothered. Instead, she lay down right beside Nova, who laughed her little baby laugh. Just like that, Ivy’s face cleared and all the shadows of the past were gone.
“I could go to the dean. Show him my face… Tell him what’s been going on.” I went on, avoiding mention of Zach from now on. “It would be enough to at least put them on probation, maybe have them removed. Assault is illegal…”
“But?” Drew asked, sensing I didn’t want to do that.
“But that’s weak. That’s a coward’s way out. Omega handles their own. We have our own set of laws and justice set in place. Plus, this kind of thing would get press. So much on campus, it would probably make the local news. Omega doesn’t need that kind of black mark, not after everything else. I didn’t clean up that place just so I could trash it all.”
And Drew didn’t need to be dragged into it by pissed-off guys who got caught being bigots.
“You aren’t trashing it, though. They are,” Rimmel put in.
“It’s about loyalty,” Romeo explained to her. “Respect and taking care of your own.”
“Why do men have to make everything so hard?” Rimmel wondered.
“‘Cause they have big, dumb egos,” Ivy added.
The girls laughed.
“So you’re going to go back there, rat them out, and let the house turn on them,” Drew surmised.
“Make their liv
es a living hell.” Braeden nodded, approval lacing his words.
“Eventually,” I replied, glancing at Romeo.
A ghost of a smile appeared on his face, and I knew he understood what I wanted to do. Hell, he’d probably do the same thing. It made me more determined.
“Trent,” Drew growled.
I patted his thigh, and he growled again. Guess he didn’t like feeling like I was appeasing him. I pulled my hand back and reached for the coffee.
He made it just the way I liked it, even though it was for us to share. Made it taste even better. The mug was practically empty, only enough to cover the bottom.
“Drink it,” he said when he noticed me debating. “I’ll make more.”
I finished it off and set the empty cup in my lap. “I think sometimes the best punishment is making someone sweat. Letting them wonder when and how it’s coming…”
“Devious,” Braeden drawled, thoroughly entertained.
Drew stood and paced over near the fireplace. “So you want to go back home, act like nothing even happened, and let them get away with it?”
“I’m not going back home,” I told him. “This is home.”
He stopped pacing, and our eyes connected. There was a bit of relief deep in the blue of his irises. Just me reminding him he was my home made this easier to swallow.
“They won’t get away with it,” Romeo said. “But yeah. Go back. Have a meeting. You’re gonna have to dispel everything he’s probably saying right now.”
“Won’t be hard.” I nodded. “My bruises will have some shock value. Everyone will be all riled up that I was jumped on Omega property. They’ll want to start a witch hunt for the guys I didn’t see.”
“And then the guys who are being hunted will be looking over their shoulder and waiting for you to rat them out,” Rimmel surmised.
“Exactly.” I smiled. “Con and the rest won’t be able to say one word against me because I’ll be the injured one. I’ll be the one who was wronged.”
“And he did it to himself.” Braeden laughed. “Fucker thought he would be getting his way. Instead, all those guys are getting is a free pass into hell.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the three who helped Con don’t turn on him. Try to shove all the blame off on him,” Romeo said.
“All four of them are getting what’s coming,” Drew growled. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“You can’t go in there swinging,” I told him. God, that scared me. I knew he was pissed, but they didn’t fight fair. I was proof of that.
If Drew got hurt trying to avenge me…
I’d go ballistic.
I’d take the entire house down so hard there would be nothing left to rebuild.
Which is exactly why my plan was best. Did I want to go back there? No. Would I? Yes. Biding my time while those assholes squirmed and listening to the plotting of revenge from the others in the house against the ones who beat their president—that would give Drew time.
It would give him time to cool down; it would give me a chance to keep him away.
“They called me,” Drew intoned, his voice low. “They fucking called me to come and get you. They wanted me to see you lying there. I picked you up off the ground. I saw the blood…” His fists clenched. “And you want me to let that go?”
His eyes were glacial when they snapped to mine. “Would you?”
He looked at Romeo and then Braeden. “Would you?”
I blew out a breath. Well, when he put it that way…
“Dude’s got a point,” B allowed.
“You can’t just go beat up everybody,” Ivy declared, standing up and putting her hands on her hips. “That doesn’t solve anything.”
“Romeo and Braeden can’t get caught doing that.” Rimmel worried, twisting her hands in her laps. “The press would be all over it. You too, Drew. You can’t get in trouble.”
“We aren’t going to get caught, baby.” Romeo assured her.
The girls gave each other a doubtful look, and I watched the worry and fear roll over their faces. I glanced down at Nova, who was still playing with an array of toys scattered around, and then I glanced at Drew, still looking murderous.
My heart clenched.
So much turmoil.
“Fine.” Drew relented suddenly. Everyone looked at him. “I won’t do anything irrational.”
I stared at him. It was like he knew I was starting to spiral deep into that place inside me, the place that didn’t want anyone to hurt because of me.
“We’ll do this your way, frat boy.”
I’m not sure I liked being appeased either. But it was better than the alternative.
“You know,” Romeo drawled, “there might be a way we can do it both ways. Let them squirm and add a little hurt.”
“Let’s hear it, Rome.” Braeden sat forward.
I patted the cushion beside me and motioned for Drew. He didn’t hesitate coming to my side and sitting close.
I thought about linking our fingers together. I wanted to touch him, to reassure him… and maybe me, too. I didn’t, though. I hesitated. I knew he was still getting used to the idea of us being “out” in front of our family.
I wasn’t going to push.
I didn’t have to.
Seconds later, he reached for me. His warm, thick fingers tangled with mine, and he pulled my hand into his lap.
Damn.
Such a little thing to make such a huge impact on my heart. My stomach quivered with nerves and excitement I tried not to show.
Be casual. I reminded myself. Don’t make it a thing.
I did, however, glance at Drew at the same time he glanced at me. We smiled at each other.
My stomach trembled again.
No one else reacted to the fact we were sitting there holding hands. In fact, they didn’t not react either. You know… when someone looks, then looks away quickly like they don’t want to make it a thing, but it really is a thing?
There was none of that either.
It was just normal. Natural. Right.
I am so incredibly lucky to have these people.
Romeo sat forward and started talking.
I smiled.
Drew
It was a good plan.
I understood Trent’s reasoning.
But I didn’t like it.
What I did like?
An excuse to bash heads.
Thank you, Romeo.
Trent
House meeting. One hour. Be there. I sent the mass text to the entire frat.
Drew wasn’t happy. He wanted me to stay another night. I wanted that, too, but it was Sunday. I had classes tomorrow. All the guys at the frat did, too. I couldn’t put this off. If I walked around campus tomorrow looking like this, people would notice and start talking. I’d lose the shock value of being gone all day and then showing up looking rough.
I’d like to take a moment to say passing myself off as beaten or even roughed up was not something I wanted to do. At all. I could handle what happened to me. I’d been injured lots of times during football. I would heal. But this was necessary. Sometimes showing a little bit of weakness was better than being totally strong.
Plus, I wanted to put Romeo’s suggestion into play.
It was a clever idea, one that would make me look good but at the same time secretly stick it to the four who jumped me. And, of course, it would quench certain people’s thirst for bodily harm.
Certain people = Drew.
Surprisingly, I didn’t feel like fighting back, not physically anyway.
I was tired of fighting.
For so very long, I’d been fighting. Longer than anyone even knew.
I just wanted to be happy. I wanted to be with Drew and make sure he was happy. More than ever, I was ready to graduate. I still wasn’t one hundred percent sure what I would do once I did, but I would have a degree, and I was legit managing Drew.
We hadn’t really discussed the details, but I knew I’d probably get paid. Ev
en if it was just enough to live on, I’d be okay for a while. Taking some time off seemed kinda nice. Focusing on Drew, our relationship, and the new racing division sounded like heaven to me. It would be work. I planned on getting Drew as many opportunities as I could, but it was something I would enjoy.
Too bad we weren’t there yet.
We had a lot of walls to break down. Walls to break through.
As I was lying on the couch, watching a movie with everyone (and Rimmel forced me to hold more ice on my face), I couldn’t shut off my brain.
Drew and I were moving forward, taking small steps toward creating the life we wanted to have together but never thought we would. It wasn’t going to be an easy life; we already knew this. That didn’t mean I couldn’t make it as good as I could. I wanted Drew to have everything. I was determined to give it to him.
What did that mean?
Change.
Facing fears.
Coming out.
Yeah. It was big. Bigger than me and Drew, bigger than our relationship. I didn’t know if it would even be possible, but I was going to try.
I couldn’t change the world or everyone’s opinions.
But maybe I could change enough to make a difference in the life we would have together. I just wanted the bubble we lived in to be a little bit bigger, a little more comfortable.
Idealistic? Unrealistic? Brave?
No.
Selfish.
I wanted that for Drew, because giving him that would make me happy.
But how did one start a sort of revolution?
A couple ideas were floating around my head. There were a few platforms I could utilize and another pending revolution I could maybe tap into. It was worth a try. At the end of the day, I would at least know I gave it a shot.
Drew was quiet during the drive back to Omega. I didn’t make much effort to talk. I knew he was still pissed off I was coming back here, and he was worried something like this might happen again.
It wouldn’t.
I was on guard now.
My stomach twisted a little as we neared the house. I wasn’t scared to come back, but I didn’t want to be here. In truth, I felt betrayed. I’d given a lot of myself and a hell of a lot of time to this place. I felt it was all thrown back in my face.
Rationally, I knew it was only four guys and shouldn’t reflect on everyone under the roof. But it did. If four of them felt this way about a gay member—a gay president—how many more of them would be disgusted?
#Rev (GearShark #2) Page 8
