Trey stared at him for a long moment, no longer hurt, just kind of numb. “Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Trey. I didn’t know you felt that way. If I had, I would have set you straight.”
“No reason to be sorry. I’m never sorry for the idiots who fall in love with me just because I f**k them.” And if he’d made them all feel this worthless and used, he was the one who was sorry. He’d never meant to hurt anyone. But this… this hurt.
“You should have told me sooner,” Brian said.
Why? So Trey could’ve had his heart shredded before he’d found Reagan? No thanks. He had a powerful need to see her now. Surely, she was almost done rehearsing. He needed her love to fill the gaping hole inside him. “Can I go now? Or would you like to twist the knife in my chest a few more times?”
“This isn’t going to affect our music, is it?”
“Give me some credit, Brian. Has it been an issue before? Forget I said anything. Okay?”
This time when Trey forced his body out of the corner and headed for the exit, Brian let him go. Not that he’d ever wanted to keep him in the first place.
Chapter 33
Ethan automatically reached for his holster when Trey appeared beside him. Ethan didn’t carry a gun, but old habits were hard to break and he was on his guard for anyone who looked remotely threatening to Reagan. He hadn’t let her out of his sight all day. He even stood outside the door whenever she used the bathroom. Despite his continual questioning of everyone, no one had seen anyone put the flowers in her room and no one had any idea who might want to harm her. Trey wasn’t interested in Ethan. He watched Reagan, who was playing through the set again, this time with only Dare. Ethan couldn’t read Trey’s expression, but something was obviously bothering him and he seemed to think Reagan was required to make things right.
“You okay?” Ethan asked.
“Is she almost done?”
“They just started up again after a little break. She’s working so hard to get this right.”
“She’s already perfect.”
Ethan chuckled. “I think so too.” Ethan glanced around to make sure no one was watching and then placed a gentle hand in the center of Trey’s back. Trey was shaking like a leaf. “What happened?”
“I told Brian,” he whispered.
He didn’t have to say what he told Brian. The night before, Reagan had pestered Trey about telling Brian his feelings and Ethan had tried to stay out of it. “How did he react?”
Trey leaned against Ethan’s side and he knew Reagan didn’t want anyone to know that the three of them had something more than friendship together, but Ethan wanted to comfort Trey. He wanted to let his love for him show. Fuck the world and its limited views on acceptable relationships. Why couldn’t he love a man? He did. Ethan’s arm tightened around Trey’s body and drew him closer. He brushed his lips against Trey’s ear as he whispered. “You can tell me. I’m here for you too.”
Several members of the crew had noticed them and were gawking. Trey glanced up at him but didn’t pull away. He didn’t seem to care that people knew about them either. If only Reagan were equally unconcerned. Ethan looked up at the stage. Trey followed his line of sight to Reagan. He sighed and pulled away, putting several inches between them.
“I’m going to go wait for Reagan in her dressing room,” Trey said.
Ethan nodded. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised that she was the one who Trey would turn to. Trey loved her, after all, and Ethan knew Trey just thought of him as a f**k buddy.
“Will you come with me?” Trey whispered.
Ethan almost didn’t hear him over the wail of two guitars. “Alone?”
Trey gave him one of his transform-Ethan-into-a-steaming-kettle-of-lust crooked grins and Ethan knew he would have followed him over a cliff.
“Please,” Trey added.
Ethan glanced back at the stage. Surely Reagan was safe here surrounded by the crew and rehearsing on stage with Dare. He’d already alerted everyone to be on the lookout for suspicious characters. Everyone in the stadium had her back. She’d be okay if he let her out of his sight for a few minutes as long as there were a lot of people around. She’d likely be up on stage for another hour and wouldn’t even miss him. “Okay.” He followed Trey to the corridor behind the stage where there were several dressing rooms. Again, Reagan had a private dressing room. There were perks to being the only female on an all-male tour.
As soon as they were inside her dressing room, away from prying eyes, Trey turned into Ethan’s chest and wrapped both arms around his waist. Ethan locked him in a firm embrace, one hand cradling the back of Trey’s head to press his face against his neck. Trey’s trembling intensified, but he didn’t cry. Ethan was glad because he didn’t think he could handle that.
“Brian didn’t take it well, I assume,” Ethan said quietly.
Trey shook his head. “He thought my feelings for him were friendship and simple attraction. Reagan was wrong. I shouldn’t have told him how I feel about him. Now things are going to be awkward between us.”
“Maybe he’s just covering up his feelings for you. Give him time to think about it.” Ethan didn’t want Brian to have feelings for Trey, but he wanted Trey to be happy and he knew this had been eating him up inside for a long time. Long before Ethan had even met him.
“He doesn’t love me. He never did.” Trey’s arms tightened around Ethan’s waist. “The times we made love didn’t mean anything to him. All this time… all this time, I thought…”
“He’s an idiot. He has no idea how blessed he is to have your heart. I’d do anything to win it.” Ethan touched his cheek and Trey lifted his head to stare up into his eyes. “Anything,” Ethan whispered before lowering his head and claiming Trey’s mouth in a deep kiss.
When he pulled away, Trey’s eyes were no longer sad. They were hungry. “Fuck me senseless,” he said.
Can do. Ethan reached for Trey’s belt. He didn’t have to ask to know what Trey wanted from him. Ethan understood perfectly. Unfortunately, it was not the same thing that Ethan wanted and he wasn’t sure how to take this relationship to the next level. Trey leaning on him for emotional support was a start, but here they were back to fulfilling sexual needs. Perhaps Ethan should tell him no. Put some provisions on this relationship. Stop allowing this man to lead him around by the nose. Or the dick. And then Ethan’s shirt was off and Trey’s mouth was on his throat and Trey’s c**k was in Ethan’s hands and all Ethan could think about was losing himself inside the only man who’d ever touched his heart.