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I squint at the man looming over us and feel Matthew pull me in closer.
“Mitch, I thought you left.”
The man shifts on his feet, his hands bunched into fists. He looks wild, rugged, a lot less like Matthew right now. “I did, but I forgot my fucking phone at your place.”
“Right, um, well, I can get it for you.”
Mitch hesitates, his eyes sliding toward me and then back to his brother.
“Is this your roommate?”
“Yes, I’m his roommate,” I announce and then let out a small snicker. I should be more afraid of this guy, but I can’t quite help feeling amused by all of this. Matthew went through all of that to protect me and Mitch was lingering in the shadows the whole time.
So much for sending me away. Fat lot it did.
“I am his very gay roommate,” I add with a laugh and then stumble back.
Mitch’s sour gaze meets mine, and he folds his arms across his chest. Oh my, he has very big arms. And so does Matthew. He swoops me up and carries me toward the elevator.
“Where the hell are you two going?” Mitch calls after us.
“To bring him upstairs and to get your shit. I’ll be back in a minute.”
As soon as the doors close behind us, I nuzzle back into Matthew, feeling safe and warm.
“I drank too much,” I tell him. “I probably need water.”
“Yeah, you do. Fuck,” he murmurs as he carries my ass into the bedroom. He settles me on the bed before pulling my shoes off, sand pooling on the ground as he does. He sighs, muttering under his breath and then sighs again when he realizes that I’ve gotten myself stuck in my shirt.
“I will live here now,” I say, the fabric getting sucked into my mouth.
“Jesus, Cooper. No more drinking. I swear. No more.”
“I had six. Drinks, that is,” I tell him and then fall back onto the bed, completely naked. God, the freedom I feel right now. Having to live inside my shirt would have been dire, indeed. “I’m sorry.”
I don’t know what I’m apologizing for. But I’m sure I need to.
“It’s fine. Fuck. I’ll be back,” he tells me. I can feel him hesitate and then he leans down and presses a kiss to my cheek. I sigh happily from just being touched by him, and then a moment later, he’s gone.
I turn into my pillow and bury my face in it.
And a second later, I’m asleep.
Chapter Fifteen
Matt
“So, you have a gay roommate?” Mitch asks, and I nod, swallowing roughly. I don’t need this, to be harped on by my bigoted brother. I’ve already put up with him coming over and grilling me about my life, and now here he is once more, asking questions I don’t want to answer.
“What’s the fucking deal with that?” he asks, and I shrug, handing him his phone. He tucks it into his pocket, his eyes not wavering from mine.
“What does it matter who I live with?”
“It does,” he hisses. “It fucking matters.”
I don’t know why and honestly, I don’t want to get into this with him. He doesn’t understand, he never will. Mitch will never understand what I’m going through, and I don’t feel like dumbing it down to explain it to him.
“I’m tired, Mitch. I just want to go up to bed.”
