“Cam won’t get in your way,” Gary said quickly, and I could hear the plea. “He’ll be gone most of the day. He’s quiet as a mouse when he’s drawing. You’ll barely know he’s there.”
That was the problem. I knew myself.
“Please, man,” Gary said softly. “He’s my kid brother. I need to know he’s safe.”
The wordsafetore through the rest of my arguments as if they were tissue. I’d spent so long being the safe friend, the safe bass, the safe pair of hands. It had cost me, but I knew how to do it. I didn’t know how to be anything else on command.
I closed my eyes. I could hear Gary’s trust in his voice. Could hear what was really being asked.
Look after him. Keep him safe.
And there it was, the one thing I’d never learned how to do—say no to someone who needed me.
I sighed.
“Okay, but this is temporary. A couple of weeks until he finds something else.”
Gary exhaled a huge sigh. “You’re a legend. I owe you one. Nah, I owe you a dozen. I’ll text him now—he’ll call you, so you can share details. Thanks, Theo. Seriously.”
“Yeah.” I didn’t trust myself to say any more.
“And I know I was assuming a lot, but I’ve already prepared him.”
I stilled. “For what?”
“Waking up one morning and finding a strange guy coming out of your bedroom. So do me a favour, will you, and don’t freak him outtoomuch? And don’t blow a gasket if he brings a girl back there for coffee or something.”
My throat seized.
“Tell Max hi from me,” Gary added. “Has he stopped stealing people’s chips?”
“That’ll never happen.” I managed to force out the words. The banter wrote itself without effort. The call ended and the line clicked quiet.
Max widened his eyes theatrically. “Soooo?” He smirked. “That sounded suspiciously like you volunteering for domesticity.”
I glared. “It’s temporary.”
And if I keep saying it, I’ll believe it.
“Who’s the lucky lodger?”
“Cameron. He needs a place to crash until he can find something else.” The words came out with a nonchalance I hadn’t believed possible.
Max blinked. “Gary’s brother? The artist?” His grin turned wicked. “The one from the bar?”
My jaw locked. “I knew you’d remember.”
“I remember because you nearly combusted when you saw him. You forgot your name for a full thirty seconds.”
“I did not.”
“You so did. And now he’s moving in with you?” He slapped the table and cackled, startling an elderly couple two booths over. “Theplot. Shethickens.”
“This isn’t funny.” I exhaled hard, rubbing my temples. “He’s Gary’s brother. It’s… complicated.”
“Complicated,” Max echoed. “Well, that’soneword for hot torture fantasy come to life.”
I shot him a look sharp enough to cut glass. “He’s twenty-two.”