“Well, I’m glad Elliot will be with you. You’ll take good care of each other,” Mom said like she had on many occasions, but this time it seemed to hold a deeper meaning.
“We always do,” I said with a wink and enjoyed seeing a flush crawl across Morgan’s cheeks. “We have the rehearsal dinner tonight, so we’re heading to the hotel now.”
The restaurant for this evening was only a block from the hotel, and the wedding would be held in the hotel’s grand ballroom. Mrs. Miller had asked if Morgan and I were okay sharing a room this weekend to save money, and of course, we agreed. I’d even go out on a limb that neither of us would have it any other way.
“Enjoy your weekend, and give my congrats to the bride and groom.”
“Will do,” we said in near unison, and I ended the call.
“So if you’re her other son, doesn’t that make us brothers?” I asked, trying to lighten the nervous tension in the car. “And brother kink is huge on Pornhub, so—ow.”
Morgan backhanded me as his flush deepened. “What do you think your mom would say if she knew just how well you’d taken care of me?”
The week between the bachelor party and the wedding weekend had gone by in a blur. I almost couldn’t get tonight off and would’ve had to meet Morgan at the hotel tomorrow, but then I found someone last-minute to cover my shift, and I could see the total relief in Morgan’s expression even though he’d acted like he’d be completely fine at the rehearsal dinner without me. And obviously, he would. But I sort of liked that he depended on me and wanted me with him. And after what happened between us at the bachelor party, things felt…cozier, if that was even possible. We were already tied at the hip, but something about being down on my knees and blowing him made everything seem different. Better. Because it was him.
Not that we were in a relationship or anything. Fuck, I didn’t even know if Morgan would want that with me, and I was terrified to bring it up. Not only because I didn’t want to cause him any more stress before his brother’s wedding, but because being suspended in this little bubble felt too perfect, and I was afraid of being rejected or terribly disappointed.
“Is this us actually talking about stuff?” I asked Morgan.
“No…yes…I dunno.” He twisted the end of his T-shirt, a habit when he was nervous. “I know we have to discuss it, but can we just get through this weekend first?”
“There’s no rush. You’re stuck with me for life, so…”
“Like these braces?” Morgan teased, but he shifted his legs, likely thinking about how he’d have to squeeze his feet into those narrow dress shoes tonight.
“Exactly. Because your braces offer you security and support, ass.”
“Oooh, good one.” His eyes softened when he looked at me, and I rubbed at the stitch in my chest. “See? My analogy was on point.”
I smiled as I pulled into the hotel parking garage, feeling relieved but also a bit unsettled that the wedding and everything that got us to this point would culminate in barely a little more than twenty-four hours. It’d be a bummer to not be able to touch him the way I wanted, but I’d do it if I had to. I couldn’t lose him as a friend, so I would suck it up, no matter what.
“And to answer your question,” I said as I pulled into a space, “my mom probably wouldn’t be surprised that I’d met all your needs. Just saying…”
“All of them, huh?” he teased. We exited the car and reached for our bags in the trunk. “Yeah, probably the same for mine.”
We headed inside the fancy lobby and to the desk, checked in, and got our key cards.
“I don’t think I’ve ever stayed in such a nice room,” I said once we got to our room and noted the modern accommodations. “Thanks again for inviting me.”
“Thanks for coming.”
There was that one beat of eye contact, that moment of awkward hesitation I’d gotten to know well since we’d crossed the line into intimate territory. It made me want to push him down on the bed and kiss the hell out of him again, but I didn’t want to overstep or freak him out. The truth was, I thought about Morgan all the time, but now it was in a completely new way. I got hard around him and didn’t know what to think half the time. So I played the best-friend part and kept my mouth shut.
After fiddling around in the room with the shades, the little pamphlets, the fridge, and the television, we got ready for the evening, putting on slacks and button-down shirts.
“How are those shoes feeling?” I asked as he struggled to get into them.