call ended, and Jay used his single-handed grip on Adam to steer him to the bench that sat behind the register. “Ten minutes. Then we’re getting sadness burritos and heading to your place. Devon always had a better bed than I do.”
Adam laughed, the sound broken, and he wanted to argue, but the look on Jay’s face stopped his words. So, maybe he was wrong—at least a little bit. There was something here that was a little bit only his. It was a small comfort in the face of the unknown, but he clung to it anyway.
True to his word, Jay got them out of the mall within ten minutes, and within thirty, to Adam’s front door with a bag of sadness burritos, a six pack of beer, and two massive bags of plain M&Ms. What had Adam floored was the sight of another man waiting on his doorstep, looking vaguely anxious, holding his own paper bag full of something that left grease stains at the bottom.
Seth seemed a bit out of place—adorable in his white button-up and black and white gingham pants, but his face was soft and full of sympathy as he laid eyes on Adam. “I got the SOS.”
Adam tried to wave him off, but Jay muscled ahead of him and offered his fist out for a bump as Adam dug into his pocket for keys. “We need a cuddle nest and shit.”
Seth gave a solemn nod, then stepped aside as Adam got the door open, and he was overwhelmed with the smell of his place. Not because it was bad, but because it was so very Nik. He’d crept into every corner, every facet of Adam’s life, and if it truly was over, he wasn’t sure how he was going to be able to stand it.
This, he thought angrily as he stormed into his house. This was why he’d never let himself do something as stupid as falling in love. Yet, he’d pursued Nik with a single-mindedness he knew would end up being his downfall, and here he was. He had only himself to blame.
After all, he thought with a wry, self-deprecating grin, Nik had warned him this would happen.
He wasn’t given much time to wallow, though, as Jay bustled him to the comfy bed and started up the TV Devon had left mounted to the wall. It was a Smart TV, so Jay flicked through Adam’s phone apps and eventually casted on Lilo and Stitch. The first soft, lilting notes of the music settled against him, and though everything still hurt, it wasn’t as intense.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” he said after a long silence with Seth and Jay on either side of him. “Just so we’re clear on that.”
Jay laughed while Seth laid a cheek on his shoulder. “This isn’t about talking. This is about stuffing our faces with burritos and nachos”—he indicated Seth’s sad pile of chips, guac, and shredded vegan cheese—“and forgetting that life sometimes really sucks.”
Adam’s heart clenched again, and he fought back another urge to cry, distracting himself by stuffing his face in spite of not wanting to eat at all. The food was good though, and the beer even better. And by the time Stitch was wreaking havoc on the luau, he was calmer.
Of course, it was in that quiet moment Jay’s phone rang, and by the expression on his face, Adam knew who it was. “You can’t ignore him,” Adam said pointedly when Jay looked torn. “His dad’s dying.”
“He should be calling you,” Jay pointed out.
Adam shook his head and tried not to stare at his blank phone screen. “He needs you.”
Jay lifted himself from the bed and answered. “Hang on, Nik. I’m in the middle of something, and I need to step outside.” He hit the mute button on the screen and gave Adam a pointed look. “I love him. He’s family, but he needs to stop shutting you out.”
“I don’t know what I did wrong, but now isn’t the time to force that conversation on him,” Adam said. “Please just…he needs you. He needs someone. He can’t go through this alone, and we both know his brother sucks.”
Jay let out a humorless laugh. “I…yeah. Shit. Okay. I’ll take it outside.”
Adam waved him off, and when Jay was gone, he felt a surge of comfort when Seth cuddled him a bit closer. “I’m sorry I’m such a mess,” he said to his new friend.
Seth laughed. “My husband left me when we found out that my