Page 64 of Refurbished

WEST

What? Tyler and I are busy.

ANGUS

Then it’s going to be a threesome.

WEST

So it’s serious then?

ANGUS

Yeah, I need my friends.

WEST

Alright, we are getting up. Grab some breakfast tacos at the Taco Shop.

ANGUS

Done.

With a bag full of tacos, I walked up to my best friend’s front door. Two things were about to happen. As a group, we were going to figure out what was going on and then come up with a way to fix it. The other thing was me crying it out, and my friends would comfort me.

Tyler opened the door. “By the way you look, I forgive you for giving West blue balls.”

I gave him a hard hug, and it helped. This situation sucked. It wasn’t even twenty-four hours ago, and I could see Eion and me ending up like Tyler and West. Now I couldn’t get through the morning without feeling like I would fall apart. West walked up and kissed the side of his husband’s head, then took the food and handed it off. “Is this about Eion?”

That was all it took. The tears started again, and I hated myself, but this was a disaster. I managed to nod my head. West put his arm around my shoulder and guided me inside until I was next to him on the couch. “Tell me what’s going on.” Tyler joined us with coffee. I took a deep breath and told them everything I knew. The look on their faces was equal parts confusion and sympathy.

“And that’s where we are.” I sniffled and looked at the pile of dirty tissues around me.

“I’m sorry, man. You can tell how much he loves you. We’ll figure it out.” I desperately hoped he was right.

Chapter thirty-one

EION

It was easy to be angry at Angus when I didn’t have to look at him, but when he was right there in front of me, my heart refused to participate. He was a good man with a good heart. I was so mad about what I heard, though. The way he talked about me—behind my back. Why would he say that? Especially since he had acted like the missing part of my arm wasn’t a problem. I let Zach take care of most of the animals this morning while I packed up Angus’s stuff in the trailer. The check I wrote was literally everything I personally had in the bank, but I refused to be tied to him. In truth, to be intermingled made it impossible to know where I started and where he ended—both in and out of bed. It was probably good that it was corrected now.

Sitting in the barn with the bear cubs made my heart hurt only marginally less. I picked up my phone to text Angus. The need to talk and get an explanation was painfully strong. What if there was a good reason for what I heard? There might be one. Everything Trey had said rushed back to me. I couldn’t hear those things from someone I loved again, and what Angus said was dangerously close. It was too much to be told you are less than because of something you couldn’t control. Zach looked in the stall. “You good, boss?”

“Not really. Do you know anything about making enclosures? I’d like to make a place for North and South to live where they have room to run around and be raccoons, but also somewhere Angus can pet them and hang out.” If Zach could do it, then I wouldn’t have to spend time at his mom’s house.

“I’ve built a chicken coop.”

“Oh. That’s a good start.”

“I’ll do some research and get back to you. I’ve got a shift at The Dapper Duck. You need me tonight?”

“Actually, I might want to put you on full-time if you’re interested. We made enough money with the fundraiser to hire you, and there will be a lot of stuff to do over the next year or so.”

“I’d like that. I prefer the animals over the humans.”

“Perfect. I’ll get a schedule and your offer letter together so you can make a decision.”

“Angus will probably help you keep some hours at the bar if you want them, but you’ll probably make double what you can make on a shift there.”