Page 67 of Refurbished

I paced back and forth with my phone pressed to my chest. Ramsey had given up following me. He sat on the couch and watched me do laps around it. I’d been like this since I saw Eion the other day, and now I had three days before I could talk to Eion. The desire to storm over there and drop to my knees begging him to talk to me was something I had to constantly fight. When my mom got home from dinner with him, I hoped she would have all the answers, but I should have known better. She had very little to say.

“Tell me what he said,” I started without greeting her.

“He said that he overheard some things that hurt him deeply. Things he can’t easily accept.” She squeezed my forearm.

“What did you say, Angus? How could you hurt that man? He was vulnerable with you. He let you in after what happened to him.”

“Mom! I didn’t say anything. I love him. I have no idea what he heard from whom. Maybe I didn’t say it?” I thought about my friends. None of them would ever be intentionally hurtful, and they all liked Eion. What could he have heard?

“Did you ask him what he heard?” She looked at me, obviously unsure how to respond.

“Angus, I am not getting in the middle of this. Eion is my friend, and I won’t take sides in this situation. Which means no, I didn’t question him.”

“Okay. But I didn’t say anything. I love him, Mom.” I hoped that if I told her enough times, she would somehow fix it. “I’ve never felt this way about someone before.” I started shaking. There was no way I could lose him. He had become everything to me, and even though it hadn’t been long, he owned my heart.

She wrapped her arms around me. “I know. Do everything you can to fix it, Angus. Eion is a good man, and he still loves you, but you hurt him deeply.”

I really wish I knew what he heard. She left the room, and I resumed my pacing. Around 10:00 p.m., I headed to bed. Ramsey followed me to my room and lay over my body. I knew I wouldn’t actually sleep, but lying there was better than wearing a hole in my carpet. “We have to fix this, Ramsey. I bet you miss Orlando.” I scratched his ears and pet him absently. When I looked at the clock, it was midnight, and I decided I wouldn’t be able to wait until morning to talk to West.

ANGUS

Are you awake?

Are you awake?

Hey best best friend, you up?

I need my best friend!

I knew the excessive texts would get his attention.

WEST

The second time this week that you’ve interrupted me. I don’t like blue balls, Angus.

ANGUS

I am trying not to lose the love of my life.

WEST

Love of your life? Dang, I am happy for you.

ANGUS

Well, I need to not lose him first.

I called his number. “Hey, Buddy.”

West still had a bit of a growl. It was clear he had been busy not long before. Shit, I needed to send them on a weekend trip or something as soon as I got Eion back. “Angus MacGregor, so help me. Tyler is here, sex drunk, and I am—“

“Eww. Eww. I don’t want to know. I’m sorry about your situation, but this is more important.”

This time he growled at me. “More? I don’t think it’s MORE important to me.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. He was right. Had the situation been reversed, I would have supported him and helped, but I don’t think there was much I would have done that I thought was more important than being intimate with Eion. “Okay. Not more. Regardless, thanks for answering. Eion told my mom he overheard something that was so bad he could no longer trust me.”

“What? Everything you’ve ever said about that man has been nauseatingly sweet. I mean, it’s worse than how Tyler and I are, and I know that's sickening.”