16. Rhys

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Rhys

I may have gone a bit too far.

I haven’t seen Everest in three days. While that should have me over the moon, all it’s done is fill me with a deep sense of guilt and regret. I promised Elton I’d look out for him, and now I don’t even know where his little brother is. He definitely hasn’t been staying in the penthouse, because every time I check his room—day or night—he’s not there.

I fucked up.

But how can I be blamed when that little fucker just kept pushing ?

He showed up at my place of work dressed like every other single Miami male, but something about the way he filled out that tight white T-shirt and how his dark jeans hugged his ass took all my concentration. Then in the alley when he was dangling himself in front of me, knowing I was so close to snapping, I couldn’t help myself.

I still remember the feel of his ass. That hot and full bubble butt of his that felt amazing in my hand. His tiny pucker, so sensitive and responsive, that let just the tip of my finger in to feel how soft and warm he was on the inside. I’d never imagined touching a man’s ass before, let alone giving them the tip, but with Everest, I was tempted to do so much more.

Then my anger and my mouth got the best of me. I was on the cusp of losing and got desperate. I needed to find a way to take back my control and my words did more damage than I thought they would.

It’s my night off and instead of hanging out in my room watching a movie and sketching, I’m sitting in the living room with my eyes trained on the elevator doors, waiting for Everest to come home. I’ve texted him asking where he’s been but received nothing back. I’m debating whether to tell Elton I’ve lost his brother, when the elevators open, revealing Everest on the other side. For a second, I’m relieved to see he’s in one piece.

Then I get pissed.

“Where the fuck have you been?” I ask, stalking up to him and taking note of his overnight bag slung over his shoulder. “Where have you been staying?”

“Like it’s any of your business,” he mutters. Shoulder checking me as he walks past, he heads up the stairs, but he’s mistaken if he thinks this conversation is over.

“I’m not playing around, Everest,” I shout after him, following him up and into his room. “You can’t just ghost and expect everything to be okay. I need to know where you are.”

Shaking his head with a humorless chuckle, he throws his bag onto his bed as he begins to trade out the clothes in it. “And why’s that, Rhys? Are you afraid Elton’s going to revoke his BFF badge if you lose track of his brother? I thought you didn’t care what I was doing, as long as it didn’t involve you.”

He’s got me there. I gulp, seeing that I’m showing my hand, but unable to stop myself. It’s a war within me. Hating him, watching over him, remembering the way he used to be when he was younger. He’s not that shy, sweet kid anymore, but bits and pieces of those memories surface every now and then, the instinct to protect and make sure he’s okay.

But I can’t give him any ammunition, so I just snort. “I don’t care about you. I’m just asking for Elton’s sake.”

“Right,” he says, turning slowly, nothing but serious conviction in his eyes as he stares me down. “Because you don’t care about anything else. Isn’t that the case?”

My head rears back. “What? That’s not true.”

“It isn’t? Tell me, Rhys. Tell me one thing you actually care about. It’s not your dead-end job or your coworkers, that much I can tell. It’s not your parents who threw you out without a second thought. Without Elton, is there any actual meaning in your life?”

Every part of me freezes. I could deal with flirtatious and sexy Everest. I could deal with his absence. I could have even dealt with Elton’s wrath at finding out I’ve been neglecting my promise. But this? This cold, calculating, and overwhelmingly cruel Everest is something I hadn’t expected. Still, I stand my ground, not letting him see how his words have wracked through me. “You don’t know shit.”

He shrugs so casually it makes me want to wring his neck. “Maybe not. All I know is that you talk about me not accepting the consequences of my actions? How about we talk about you not being able to just move on from what happened?”

I grit my teeth as my hands clench into fists. “You ruined my life?—”

“Did I?” he questions, scoffing as he waves his hand around the room. “Look where you are now. You’re living in a penthouse in downtown Miami. You have a job. What you don’t have is any sort of direction in your life. You could do anything, Rhys, yet you choose to just attend this pity party all by yourself.”

My heart races as I begin to panic. This is just another trick; he’s fucking with me again. These aren’t truths he’s spilling, just ways he can grasp at straws to still win. “Shut the fuck up. I don’t?—”

“Let me make something clear,” he starts, grabbing his overnight bag before stepping close to me. He’s close enough that I can see the light freckles on the bridge of his nose, so close that the minty smell of whatever mouthwash he used wafts over my lips enough to taste. “You’re the one who’s pathetic. You’re the one who’s scared. You’re the one who I actually pity. Because you’ve done nothing with your life and that’s not on me, that’s on you .”

The aching need to punch him courses through me, but I’m too stunned to do anything other than stand here and let him shit on me. But he doesn’t seem like he wants venomous revenge and that’s what chills me. It’s the fact that he looks so sincere, so convinced, looking at me with nothing but pity.

I’m reminded again of why caring for someone in the first place is a terrible idea. That little swell of concern I felt for Everest earlier is gone, replaced by my cold heart with apathy. Nobody is worth worrying over. Nobody is worth feeling like… this . I have my best friend and that’s all I’ll ever need.

“Thank you for the reminder,” I whisper, knowing he’ll have no clue what I’m talking about. “Have fun wherever you’re going.”

He smiles cheekily. “I plan on it.”

He leaves his room, and I’m left standing there like a dumbass, still reeling from the encounter. I’ve let Everest under my skin in more ways than one, and I’ll never make that mistake again.