Jaden by Tijan

CHAPTER SEVEN

We had to be flagged through a gate for the community and then again when we got to Denton’s house. I was impressed. There’d been no security measures like that when we lived in the neighborhood, but I was even more impressed because Denton had his own private one installed. A lot of the other houses didn’t. When we were flagged through and drove up the driveway to Denton’s house¸ the car in front of us and the car behind us stopped. Security guards swept out and immediately began canvassing the area.

I asked my dad, “How many staff members do you have?”

He didn’t bat an eyelid. “As many as it takes.”

Oh-kay then. “Good to know.”

Denton opened the door and leaned against his porch’s railing as he waited for us to come up. Crossing his arms over his chest, he tilted his head back with a smirk appearing on his face.

I shook my head. Only Denton could get away with wearing red khaki pants, loafers, and a buttoned-down white and red striped shirt with sunglasses on top of his head. As I went up the stairs to him, I said, “You know it’s one in the morning. You got paparazzi skulking around in your bushes? You need to lookcoolat all times?”

“Didn’t you hear from the tabloids? I’m so vain that I have mirrors on the backs of every door? I constantly have to reassure myself that I’m still good-looking enough.” He laughed, raking a hand through his dark hair and dislodging his sunglasses. Taking them in his hand¸ he held his arm out and gestured for me to come closer. I did and he wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. “Damn. It’s good to see you, Jeneve. I thought the next time I saw you would be with you behind bars.”

I laughed, but stepped back and delivered a strong punch to his chest. “Not funny, douche bag.”

“Oh, come on.” He made a show of looking me up and down. “Orange could be your color. It brings out those precious lips of yours.” He flicked a hand to my lips and shot me a grin. “And really. You should be thanking me. I normally have a butler open the door. Good for you that I figured out how to let you through the gates or you would’ve been sitting in those very securely-looking and heavily guarded cars of yours.” He frowned over my shoulder. “Do they have guns?”

“Don’t worry about them. I think they’re more for show than actual harm. They won’t murder any of the paparazzi you pay to take your pictures.”

Denton barked out another laugh. “Damn, Sheldon. Just like always, you got cutting remarks.”

“I try.” A slow grin was forming the longer we traded jokes and jabs. I agreed with him. It was good to see him, too. It felt like too long. Then the reminder of why it’d been so long since we last saw each other filtered in—nope, not going to the last night I saw him. It was too serious. I needed to bring the light-hearted banter back so I made a show of looking around.

“And are you serious?” Not only had he added a security gate, but skimming over his house, I saw he had added almost an entire house onto his. It was a mansion now. I waved a hand at the renovations. “Did your house birth another home?”

He burst out laughing. “No, I’m not serious about the butler. I have no staff except a chef that comes in, and yeah, my house got pregnant.” He turned to look at the outside of his home. “Once the community put up the gate out there, I decided to add my own. I figured it was time to expand. I didn’t want to move and find a new home so there you have it. I did my own expansion. It was a bitch to plan, though. Some of the pictures were sold to a celebrity gossip website. They didn’t run the story. Nothing there, but still pissed me off. I had to fire half the construction crew to weed out the freeloader.”

I was still grinning that his house got pregnant. Feeling the rest waiting behind us, being polite, I allowed myself one more joke. “Your house got pregnant? All your orgies do that? Too much sperm flying all around?”

“Yes.” More laughter came from him. “What can I say? I’m fertile enough to infect my wood structure.”

Oh no. There was so much I could do with that, but Neil came up the stairs. He held a hand out. “Please stop, you two. Seeing you two joke like this is bringing back a lot of memories right now. Let’s keep the traumatic events to one thing right now.” He held his hand out, and the lines around his mouth softened into a small smile. “How are you, Denton? It’s been a long time.”

Denton withdrew completely from me and reached to shake my dad’s hand. He glanced sideways to me, but said, “Likewise, Mr. Jeneve. It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah.” My dad stood there a moment, just looking at Denton. A sad look appeared in my dad’s eyes, and his mouth twitched before he turned away. “Your parents are well?”

“They are.” Denton snuck another look to me. “I’ve heard about your recent . . .”

My dad had gone missing, but he’d never been declared missing. Just wanting to bite any future awkwardness in the butt, I clarified, “Yeah. He disappeared. The details are still fuzzy, but my bet is that he owed money to the mob. Did you, Neil? How much do you owe them?”

“Sheldon!” Beth gasped from below.

“What?”

“It’s fine, Beth.” Neil lifted a hand to appease her. “And yes, Denton, I did move away for a while, but it’s not what my daughter is insinuating.”

I frowned. “No insinuation. I stated it for the record.”

He ignored me, a forced mask of politeness coming over his face. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty of time to catch up. Thank you again for letting us into your home.”

“Ah. Yeah.” Denton stepped inside and held the door open. “Come on in, everyone. Do you guys have any bags with you?”

As he asked, Neil held a hand out to Beth, and she was the first inside. My dad rested a hand at the small of her back. Bryce and Corrigan came next, both meeting my gaze with their own mirroring smirks.

Bryce laughed softly. “Same old Sheldon.”

“Yeah.” Corrigan indicated for me to go ahead of him. “It’s nice to know that even being framed for murder doesn’t slow her down.”

They were talking to each other, but watching me. I pointed to my chest. “Yeah. Right here. Address all statements with the appropriate pronoun, me, not her. Wait. You, not her. Right here. Stating it again. No insinuations here.”

We had stepped inside, and Denton shut the door. Overhearing our conversation, he piped in, sliding his hands into his pockets, “Oh, we all know.” He glanced at Bryce. “I heard Sheldon’s in the house? Is that true?”

Bryce’s grin grew. “I heard that, too. You think she’s around? Corrigan?”

“Nah.” Corrigan clipped his head to the side. “I don’t think she’s here. I think the mob came after her instead of her dad. She’s gone. That ship has sailed.”

“You guys are annoying.”

Bryce ignored me. “You’re right. We should make up now, for real. No reason for this distance.”

“You’re right.” Corrigan held his arms out. “Come here, you big Super Soccer Stud. Let’s be best friends again.”

Bryce stepped forward, and the two hugged each other, their arms patting each other on the backs.

“Yep. Annoying. That’s what all three of you are being.”

“Wait.” Bryce lifted his head. He turned to Denton. “We’re not including Denton. Come here. He’s the big star. He’s an A-list movie actor. That’s what Oprah told me. I watched her Master’s Class last night.”

Denton burst out laughing.

Corrigan tugged him over. “You’re right. How selfish of us. Come here. You’re so handsome, Denton. You make my lady parts throb.”

“Oh my god.” Denton was shaking his head, but he hugged both of them back. “I forgot how the three of you could be.” He glanced at me. “Sheldon—”

I flicked him off, then held my hand up and waved my middle finger at all of them. “Screw you, guys.”

“Come on.” Corrigan lifted an arm to me. “We’re just having fun. Get in here, too.”

I didn’t move and continued to glare at them. My middle finger was still in front of me. I wanted that gesture showcased and dipped in bronze.

Corrigan waved my hand away and grabbed my wrist. He tugged me in. Bryce and Denton both moved and all three of them tugged me so I was in the middle of the love fest.

This was just wonderful.

I stood there, rigid, as the three of them moved closer.

“Oh, Sheldon. You’re the glue in our friendship lockets.”

“Screw off, Corrigan.”

His head rested on my left shoulder.

Bryce’s head went to my right shoulder. “She’s the stick in our kebab.”

Corrigan barked out a laugh. “That was good, Bryce.”

“Thanks. I’ve been working on being funnier.”

“It’s paying off.”

“You guys,” I growled in warning.

Denton added, squeezing closer and his forehead rested on the back of my skull. “My turn.”

“Oh god.” I groaned.

“Sheldon, you’re the hotdog in our bun.”

“That’s a good one,” Corrigan murmured in my ear.

“Without you, it’s just bread.”

Bryce said, “Yeah. No taste. We’d go dry. Cracked.”

“Pure carbs. No enjoyment.” Corrigan was laughing in my ear.

“We’d all get fat then.” I could feel Denton’s silent laughter, as he pressed closer into the back of me. “Denton and I can’t. Our careers depend on our lean beautifulness.”

“Ha. Our beautifulness.”

“Oh my god.” I’d had enough. I tried to break away from them, but all three tightened their hold on me so I ducked down and crawled out through their feet. “You guys are too annoying now.”

Corrigan started for me. “Come on, Sheldon. We’re having fun.”

I rolled my eyes and darted out of his reach. “Forget the murderer. Take me away now.” Wait. “Never mind.” I asked Denton, “Where’s your wine? Can we please all get drunk tonight?”

“Yep. Same old Sheldon.” Bryce and Corrigan shared a look; both were trying to hold back their grins now.

Denton nodded and headed down the hallway. “Yeah, that sounds like a perfect plan. Let me get your dad and his . . .” He halted and lifted an eyebrow.

I answered, “Girlfriend.”

“Ah. Got it. Let me get your father and his girlfriend settled for the night. I need to ask if I should find bedding for all those guards too or not.” He kept going down the hallway and turned in the same direction Neil and Beth had gone.

I turned to see Bryce and Corrigan laughing. They were whispering more jokes to each other, and I shook my head. “Screw waiting. I’m going to find his liquor stash all on my own.”

“Where are you going?” Corrigan called out as I took off.

“Away from you two. It’s like I stepped into an alternate universe or something.” They weren’t faking like I thought they had been. As that realization settled in my gut, I stopped in my tracks. I thought they had been faking it, putting on a good front for my sake, but they weren’t. They actually were getting along. Turning back around to them, I just stared for a moment.

Giggles were coming from them. Giggles. From grown men. Only true friends laughed like that.

I waved a finger between them. “When did this happen?”

They stopped and drew to their fullest height. Bryce frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“I thought you guys were faking before. I thought . . .” I thought I had destroyed their friendship? They were acting like they had in high school. It was—I felt a kick in my gut—nice. Then hope started to grow. Did I dare hope . . . the old trio was back?

“Oh no.” Corrigan clipped his head in a fierce motion.

“What?” My arms jerked, and I spread my fingers out, pressing my palm to my side.

“We’re friends despite you.” He gestured to Bryce. “I still love this guy, and he loves me. No matter who you pick, we’re not losing a damn good friend. This isdespiteyou,” he repeated and stressed that word.

My mouth went dry. “What do you mean?”

“The two of us are going to remain friends, but once you pick, the person you don’t choose steps away from you.”

“Me?”

Bryce nodded.

They were serious, dead serious. I didn’t know how I felt about this.

Bryce’s tone sounded harsh. “We’ve discussed it. Whoever you don’t choose steps back from you, but not each other. We’ll still be friends.”

“But—” My mind was racing. I was going to lose one of them. “You told me this wouldn’t happen. I would still have both of you.” I needed them. They were my family.

“You’ll still have us.”

“But.” I pressed my fingers to my temples. A headache was coming on. “You’re not making sense.”

“We’ll both care about you. That won’t go away, and yes, we’ll both still be here for you, but not in the way you want. Not in the daily way. If you need us, like really truly need us, we’ll be here for you,” Corrigan said.

Bryce finished for him softly, “But it’s not going to be how you want it. We’re still family. We’ll be here for you if you need us, but not every day. It’s like we’re a family member that moved away. Every now and then maybe we can see you, but not every day. It can’t be like that, Sheldon.”

Corrigan added, “It’s the fairest way to do it.”

I was going to lose one of them. No matter how they were saying it, I would lose one of my family members.

Bryce was studying me, and he pressed his lips together. “Stop whatever you’re thinking. Stop it. This is the right way to do it, and you can’t deny this. You fell in love with both of us, and that’s not fair.”

“But—”

“Stop, Sheldon.” Corrigan was scowling now. “We don’t lose both of you this way. It would happen anyway. Once you picked, that other person would have to go away anyway.”

“But—”

“Just stop, Sheldon.” Bryce and Corrigan were right next to each other. They were looking at me with the same determined expressions, and they had decided. I had no decision in the matter. The lump got a shot of testosterone and grew to a goliath size in my throat.

They were right. No matter what, I would lose one of them.

I jerked my head in a nod. “Okay.” I took a shuddering breath in. “Okay.” Then I let it out.

“All right.” Denton’s cheerful voice was like a knife breaking the tension in the room. It was jarring and almost brought me to tears. Feeling them coming, I pressed a hand to my eye and turned away.

Denton didn’t notice. He was heading back for us. He clapped his hands together. “Papa Neil and Step-Girlfriend-Mama are all settled. I don’t need to worry about their staff. I guess they have their own protocols or whatever, but I put a bunch of wine and champagne on ice. Everything’s set up downstairs and waiting for us to party the night away.” He was grinning from ear to ear. “What do you guys say? Are we good to get our booze on?”

I didn’t answer. I couldn’t. My throat was burning.

“Yes.” Corrigan stepped forward. “We’re ready.”

There was a moment of silence.

Denton asked, “Sheldon?”

Bryce said over him, “Sheldon, you ready?”

No.

My throat wouldn’t stop burning.

He stepped closer and put an arm around my shoulders. Turning me forward, he nodded at Denton. “She’s good to go. Let’s forget about the shitstorm going on for the night and have fun.”

“Oh . . . sure . . .” I felt Denton’s gaze on me.

The decision was made. It was final. They made it without me, and they were letting me know I had to accept it. It was how it was going to be, but fuck— it hurt to swallow that. Then I jerked my head in another nod. “Yeah.” It was the right thing to do. “I’m good to go. Let’s get shitfaced tonight.”

I had to say goodbye to one of them.

“All right then.” The cheerful tone had waned from Denton. His grin faded as well, and he started back down the hallway. “I suppose follow me then?”