The Wingman by A. Poland

Chapter One

Nathan Reed was convinced LAX had expanded since he’d last stepped foot in there.

What else would explain the endless stretch of white corridors, covered in signs advertising various transport options? Not to mention the bright Welcome to Los Angeles! posters plastered every few yards for those with the attention span of a goldfish who somehow forgot where they were.

But Nathan wasn’t likely to forget. He’d been looking forward to this for weeks now, ever since he’d booked the flight.

Not that his year abroad hadn’t been enjoyable, but there were things he’d missed so much that homesickness snuck up and ached like a rotting tooth.

Things like his dad’s cooking or having his own room. Privacy had been hard to come by at Saint Andrews, and Nathan hadn’t realized how much he’d miss it. His dad’s apprehensive looks when Nathan had shown him pictures of the apartment, kitted out with a set of bunk beds, now made sense.

His roommates had been nice, sure. It had taken a while for Nathan to fully understand the thick Scottish brogue, but once he’d arrived there, he’d gotten on well with the other guys. Granted, sleeping in the same room as two other people for a solid nine months had been a lot.

There’d been so many noises he hadn’t anticipated.

But above all else, what Nathan had missed most was his best friend, Lorcan.

Inseparable since birth, their mothers had been close friends, so it was expected they would be thick as thieves. Just as likely was that they’d have eventually grown apart over time, fallen into new friend groups, and developed different interests.

And sure, some of that might have happened. But they’d stuck together like glue throughout.

Lorcan had always been a widely liked guy, even when he was a kid with chubby pink cheeks and a toothy grin. Naturally charming, he never had a bad thing to say about anyone. Which was an exact juxtapose to Nathan, who had no issue airing his grievances about someone (to Lorcan, of course—Nathan wasn’t exactly confrontational).

As they’d grown older and their attraction to people was brought into the mix, they’d helped each other out.

While Nathan might not have been the greatest at getting dates for himself, getting them for Lorcan? That was where Nathan’s true talent shone through.

One of Nathan’s greatest skills in life was selling Lorcan to people.

Obviously not for money, not that Nathan would have said no to the option (college was expensive, okay?), but Lorcan’s gratitude was enough payment for him.

And he had every reason to be grateful, considering the majority of Lorcan’s hookups came as a result of Nathan chatting to a pretty girl at a bar or in the crowd of one of Lorcan’s basketball games.

Lorcan was easy to talk about. If half of Nathan’s college essays had had Lorcan as the subject matter, he’d have hit the word count, no problem, and with zero caffeine needed.

Hell, Nathan could fill an entire anthology about Lorcan. And he was confident it was the same in return.

Studying in Scotland for a year sure as hell hadn’t changed anything about their closeness. Skype calls had been frequent, texting even more so when they were both conscious. Sometimes, Nathan would stay up obscenely late just to talk to Lorcan, in the privacy of the bathroom while his roommates snoozed away.

An eight-hour time difference couldn’t stop them.

And neither could a thirteen-hour-long flight.

But it sure as hell had tried to.

Dragging his overly stuffed suitcase behind him, the one functioning wheel shrieking in protest, Nathan slogged through what had to be the last of its airport pilgrimage. The suitcase had served him well through the year, but now it was squeaking its last squeak.

Nathan briefly considered holding a Viking funeral for it. He quickly shook that idea off and reminded himself he’d been conscious for over twenty-four hours and burning suitcases was not a productive activity.

Blond hair plastered to his forehead, the backs of his knees sweaty, and his shirt more than a little stale—Nathan was in desperate need of a shower. The sign for Arrivals was up ahead, which meant he wouldn’t have to stew in his own grossness for much longer.

“Oh, there he is!” an all-too-familiar voice called the moment Nathan slipped through the sliding doors, his last barrier separating him from the outside world. Unable to stop the broad smile on his face when he saw his entourage gathered there, Nathan picked up the pace.

Nathan’s father, a perpetually cheerful man by the name of Ben, stood there with an expectant grin on his face. Maybe they had once looked similar, but with Ben’s hair loss some years ago, it was difficult to draw a comparison between father and son.

Bouncing excitedly beside him was none other than Lorcan, who’d called out. Beside Lorcan, his two younger stepsisters unenthusiastically held out a large white sheet heavily decorated with glitter and stickers. Nathan’s name was the centerpiece, so there was no mistaking who they were there for.

Not that Nathan could ever have mistaken them.

It had just been Nathan and Ben for as long as he could remember. In contrast, Lorcan’s mom had remarried a few years ago, inheriting two little girls from her partner’s previous marriage.

And Sally and Emily adored Lorcan.

Not that that was in any way surprising.

Broad grin still emblazoned on his face, Nathan hurried over, only to have Lorcan intercept him needlessly (and impressively) by jumping over the thin metal barrier that separated them. He pulled Nathan into a bear hug, and Nathan clung right back, face pressed into Lorcan’s collarbone. Lorcan’s hugs were the best.

Shit, he’d even missed how Lorcan smelled. Crisp fresh air and cherries. (Courtesy of the cologne Nathan had gotten him for Christmas last year. He’d spent an hour sticking his nose in every sample bottle at the mall to make sure he chose the perfect scent.)

“Missed you,” Nathan mumbled against his shirt, squeezing his best friend’s larger form that bit tighter.

“Missed you too,” Lorcan replied with a chuckle, pulling back to look down at Nathan, a warm grin on his face.

Nathan’s heart gave a feeble flutter. Had Lorcan somehow gotten more good-looking since he’d last seen him?

Lorcan towered above just about anyone he stood close to. Dark hair, always cut short out of comfort more than liking the style. Bright blue eyes that lit up whenever he got excited about something—which was pretty damn often—and a killer smile that both made your chest seize up and turned your brain to mush.

Nathan, needless to say, was hooked.

He had been since they were fifteen. Nathan still vividly remembered the day he realized he cared about his best friend more than a best friend strictly should. It had involved a pool party and an awkwardly timed boner, so it wasn’t something Nathan chose to reflect on all too often.

Lorcan had no idea. It would have ruined everything. Especially considering his type was exclusively pretty, long-legged women.

If anything, Nathan was just average (or slightly above, if he was kind to himself) in looks, lanky, and definitely not a woman. The odds weren’t exactly stacked in Nathan’s favor.

So he was more than fine about taking what he could get: a close friendship.

What other choice did he have?

After the hug that went on for a touch longer than necessary, Lorcan let go and clapped him on the back. He took his suitcase in hand, picking it up with ease and giving that squeaky wheel a rest.

Show-off.

“Don’t tell me you kept this?” Lorcan asked suddenly, lifting the bag to display the ugliest teddy bear that ever graced the earth clinging onto the handle for dear life.

“’Course I did,” Nathan replied, frowning. It had been a gift from Lorcan when he waved him off at the airport a year ago. Scrawled lovingly over the obnoxious orange belly were the words, don’t throw up! Lorcan ☺, either to make fun of his fear of flying or to comfort him. Nathan chose to believe the latter.

His muscled arm draped over Nathan’s shoulders, Lorcan shook his head with a fond chuckle before leading him over to the other three standing close by.

Hi, Dad, Nathan signed before launching himself at the man. Ben caught him with a fond laugh.

Ben had gone over to Scotland to visit during the holidays, staying in an Airbnb nearby. It had been the best gift Nathan could have ever gotten for Christmas—getting away from student accommodation for a week. Normally, they’d spend the holidays with the Ortizes next door. Lorcan’s family always did Christmas over the top, complete with gigantic tree and lights so bright they lit up the entire street.

This was, by the way, much to the irritation of the Fern family across the road, who complained to the local council every year that the Ortizes’ festivities were a disruptive eyesore. Nathan was convinced the complaints were less about the lights and more about the burning hatred the Ferns had for both the Ortiz and Reed families. There was a bit of a gray area about how this not-so-neighborly feud had started, but Nathan supposed it was a toss-up between him and Lorcan stealing the Ferns’ anti-vaccine sign or Nathan knocking over their mailbox when he was learning to drive.

Nathan figured Ben had made the trip over to save him from the ordeal of another flight back home, which Nathan had absolutely no problem with. It made sense anyway; Ben was an overly considerate man with an innate ability to read his son better than anyone else.

When Nathan was younger, he’d always wondered if the loss of Ben’s hearing had meant he’d gained a superpower––like in comic books. The power of perception, Ben later came to call it. As a kid, his dad had seemed psychic. But Ben had only chuckled fondly and assured him he’d been born that way.

Nathan was still convinced Ben had some kind of superpower.

Good to see you, kid, he signed back once they pulled apart.

Nathan didn’t get the chance to say anything else to Ben, as he could feel Lorcan’s stepsisters’ intense stares bearing into his very soul.

Lorcan’s stepsisters were identical twins who Nathan could never tell apart, despite Lorcan assuring him the girls couldn’t be any more different. They must have waited until Nathan wasn’t looking to do anything other than gawk judgmentally at him. So, he chose not to tell Lorcan he still got them mixed up on the regular—another secret to add to the list of things he kept from his closest friend.

“Hey.” Nathan greeted them with a polite wave. “Did you make this for me?” He gestured to the gaudy sign still clutched in their tiny hands.

But the twins just silently stared back up at Nathan, blinking owlishly.

Nathan gulped.

Right, okay. Moving on.

You must be exhausted, Ben commented, thankfully drawing Nathan’s attention away from Sally and Emily, as he looked pointedly at his only son’s disheveled appearance. Nathan glanced down at himself self-consciously, spotting one too many stains on his crinkled shirt.

Okay, maybe he had a point.

He can’t be exhausted. He had a whole plane ride to sleep, Lorcan intercepted, the grin on his face teasing as he all too well knew there’d never been a chance of that happening.

Hell, Nathan had even called Lorcan in a panic while he was boarding the plane. Needless to say, if anyone knew how Nathan was with flying—it was Lorcan.

Do you mind if I steal Nathan for the afternoon? Lorcan signed, looking to Ben hopefully.

Lorcan had put as much time and effort into learning sign language as Nathan, something both the Reed men had always appreciated.

Ben was good at lipreading, and when Nathan’s mom had been around, she’d helped a lot with communicating. But then after the accident, Nathan rarely spoke. He used sign, like his dad. Lorcan had figured if he couldn’t make his best friend speak again, then he would learn how to talk to him another way.

It had taken a hell of a lot of time for Nathan to open back up, and now there was really no shutting him up.

Ben huffed out a laugh and nodded. Sure. Just get him back in one piece.

Can’t promise anything. Lorcan grinned, his arm back around Nathan’s shoulders, squeezing him tight. For a second, Nathan could almost convince himself it meant something more.

They all climbed into Lorcan’s car—his pride and joy, despite the dent in the side from the one and only night Nathan had been the designated driver—and stopped briefly for ice cream for the twins on the way home. Definitely bribery for holding the sign. Nathan had his suspicions Lorcan had been the creative force behind that.

The twins silently licked their cones, eyes never leaving the back of Nathan’s head. Not that he actually saw this; he was too nervous to turn around to check as he continued to feel their unrelenting focus.

While the twins loved Lorcan, they’d never quite warmed up to Nathan. Maybe he needed to bribe them with ice cream too.

After waving Ben off, then making sure the twins had been safely returned home next door, Nathan and Lorcan were left alone in the car together.

“So, where are you taking me?” Nathan asked, kicking his feet up on the dashboard. Despite Lorcan’s fondness for this car—which had already been pretty banged-up before Nathan hit the lamppost, in his defense—he’d never had a problem with Nathan doing that.

“Nate, can I ask you something?” Lorcan said suddenly, tone serious.

Which was enough to set Nathan on edge—because Lorcan, serious? That didn’t happen often.

Shit, something was wrong.

Nathan shot up, dropping his legs from the dashboard.

“Yeah,” he responded, trying to regain his composure and not freak out. Freaking out wasn’t going to help Lorcan. “Yeah, of course. You know you can tell me anything.”

Even the embarrassing things. Such as the especially memorable time Lorcan had called Nathan in a panic in the middle of the night because his date’s mom had walked in on them and he’d no choice but to escape through the window.

Naked.

So Nathan, of course, had shown up at 3:00 a.m. with a bundle of clothes and stood guard in front of a bush as Lorcan dressed himself.

And then subsequently gotten a rash from said bush.

And then Nathan had helped to apply rash cream to places Lorcan couldn’t reach.

“Okay.” Lorcan took a breath, his tight grip on the wheel relaxing ever so slightly. “What’s your view on the gays?”

An unrelenting vise squeezed around Nathan’s heart. Oh god.

“The gays?” he repeated, a little incredulously. “As in the whole concept? Or every gay person? Because I’m not nearly qualified enough to make a generalization like that.” Nathan tried his best to disguise the fact that he was having a minor heart attack. “But, I mean, live and let live, right? You know that’s how I operate.”

Lorcan’s face erupted into an amused smile. “You know what I mean,” he huffed with a laugh, the irony of asking a gay guy what he thought about “the gays” clearly not lost on him. But his tone was still nervous.

Nathan, on the other hand, was even more nervous. Lorcan knew. He had to know. Why else bring up something like this? Lorcan somehow knew Nathan was harboring a big, pulsating crush on him.

How the hell had Lorcan found out? It wasn’t as though Nathan had told anyone. He’d intended to take this secret with him to the grave.

The secret about his feelings for Lorcan, at least. It wasn’t as if he’d been hiding his preference for men from anyone, including Lorcan. People just assumed otherwise, and Nathan didn’t care enough to correct them. Hadn’t thought to, really. It wasn’t their business.

Suddenly, Nathan’s stomach lurched. Had Lorcan somehow overheard Nathan having some intimate alone time? Nathan wasn’t exactly quiet, and he said a lot of shit when he was in the heat of the moment, especially when they stayed over at each other’s houses.

Sometimes about Lorcan.

Nathan was going to get sick; he was sure of it. He needed a paper bag. People breathed into them to stop vomiting; that was a thing.

“I think I’m gay.”

It came out in a rush, like a tight belt had been fastened around Lorcan’s waist and the moment he confessed, a great pressure had been released.

“Or bisexual. I think.”

There was a lot of thinking going on in this car, and none of it was coming from Nathan.

His brain turned to mush, his thoughts coming to a standstill. The longer the silence went on, the more worried Lorcan looked.

“That’s…great!” Nathan eventually managed, maybe a little more enthusiastically than needed.

“Really?” Lorcan instantly sounded relieved, a hesitant smile spreading out over his handsome features. “That’s such a relief. I was freaking out that I figured this out too late or something.”

“C’mon.” Nathan chuckled, his heart still racing as he swatted Lorcan’s arm. “It’s me. You don’t have to freak out about telling me anything.”

“You’re right,” Lorcan agreed with a definitive nod, wetting his lips before taking another breath. “Okay, then, there’s something else I want to tell you.”

Once again, Nathan’s stomach flipped like a pancake.

Was this actually happening?

Was Lorcan going to confess his love for Nathan too?

Nathan desperately tried to not let himself be carried away, but that was difficult with the blood rushing past his ears and when the only thoughts bouncing around in his head were it’s happening, it’s happening, it’s happening.

“Then tell me.” Nathan’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“I, uh, I met this guy. And I really like him. Like…really like him.”

Nathan leaned forward, edging into Lorcan’s personal space. Not that Lorcan noticed; he was a physical guy by nature.

Should they kiss?

It felt like the right moment to kiss.

Nathan rubbed his clammy hands against his jeans and pulled a face. Was it okay to kiss with clammy hands? What if Lorcan thought it was weird?

Nathan froze.

Were they about to have sex?

He needed to shower first. There was no way he was going to have sex with Lorcan if he was anything less than pristinely clean.

“His name is Miles.”

And as quickly as those heated thoughts of sex, soft kisses, and requited love had come to mind, they all shattered as Nathan’s heart plummeted through his chest and out his ass.