Chapter Nine
Kendrick came awake all at once. The bed he lay on was comfortable, but not his own. He forgot where he was, and panic set in. Taking in the surrounding room calmed him with each new thing until he came to Brad's shoes, which sat next to the dresser by the door. He stared at them as he lay there, letting the panic dissipate. Even though it was Brad's bedroom, and his signature seemed stamped on everything, it was his tennis shoes that relaxed Kendrick the most. Maybe it was because Brad had worn them while at the grocery store.
He was alone in the room and the door was open a few inches. The registers of Brad's deep voice worked its magic, and the last of Kendrick's anxiety washed away. Others spoke as well, probably Brad's brothers. Kendrick lay there, waiting for his chest to tighten again upon hearing them, but he felt fine.
When he sat up, he took in more of the room. It was bigger than Kendrick's bedroom at home. He had lain on top of a soft navy comforter. The pillowcases were a lighter shade of blue and so were the sheets. When Kendrick stood, he tried to work the wrinkles out of the blankets where he had lain.
Everything seemed to have a place. Nothing lay on the floor that shouldn't be there or any of the other surfaces in the room.
On the dresser sat a framed picture of Brad and his two brothers. In the photo, Brad was much younger. His smile didn't quite reach his eyes, and they had a dull quality to them. It seemed as if the entire world was on his shoulders. He wasn't healthy. The Brad in the photo wasn't the same one Kendrick knew. Luis was a pissed teenager and Caden couldn't have been over eight years' old in the photo if he was even that old.
All three brothers had similar features. They all had blond hair and blue eyes. Brad and Caden were the most alike with the same shade of blond, while Luis's was a few shades darker. If they investigated their genealogy, Kendrick would put money on them having Nordic ancestors.
Kendrick kissed his finger and placed in on Brad's glass-covered photograph. If he could go back to the Brad in the photo, he would want to fix the hurt.
When he left the room, he followed the voices down the hall until it opened to the living room. He stood back and watched all three brothers interact.
Brad sat on a plush recliner with his back to Kendrick while Luis sat on the couch. Caden lay with his feet in Luis's lap and his head in the lap of a younger man who Kendrick had never met. They all watched something on television. Since Kendrick didn't watch television or hardly ever anyway, he didn't know what it was, but a woman in metal armor clinked swords with a man similarly dressed on a horse.
If Caden had ever been in his bar, he didn't remember him. He had grown a lot since someone had taken Brad's bedroom photo. So much so, his size brought Kendrick's anxiety to the forefront again.
The creaking of the floorboards as he walked into the room got Brad's attention, and he turned, smiling. Kendrick closed the distance between them and sat on Brad's lap when he looked as if he would stand. He could feel everyone in the room staring, so he buried his face in Brad's neck, hiding like an ostrich. His chest tightened even when Brad rubbed circles on his back.
"No one will hurt you. I've got you. You're okay." Either Brad was getting better at reading Kendrick's body language or he recognized a panic attack when he saw one. Regardless, his comfort tactics worked to calm him a little at a time.
"Thank you." Kendrick played with the ends of Brad's hair.
"Did you sleep well?" Brad whispered.
Kendrick nodded.
"Do you need anything?"
"Just this. For a few more minutes. Please."
"It's not a hardship to hold you, baby." Brad made every word sound like a confession.
"Everyone is looking at me. Makes me nervous." Because maybe he needed to confess something of his own.
"You're a little wallflower, huh?" Brad kissed Kendrick, placing it wherever he could reach, which was on his jawline.
"Sort of. It's part of my PTSD." It made him remember that sometimes he had Randall's attention because he had somehow upset him. He kept Randall's attention until the beating was over.
"I'm sorry. I would have stayed in the bedroom with you had I known."
Kendrick had a feeling he still would have been the center of attention simply because he was Brad's date, and they couldn't spend all of their time in Brad's bedroom. It was their first date after all, and Kendrick hadn't ever been the person who fucked right after meeting, although he would consider spending the night if Brad asked him.
He would do a lot of things for Brad that he wouldn't do for anyone else.
It didn't take long to calm down. Not with Brad rubbing circles on his back and his warm, muscular body against him. He lifted into a sitting position and met Brad's gaze with a smile. "Hi."
Brad cupped his cheek and smiled back. He leaned forward and pressed his lips against Kendricks. Brad worked Kendrick's mouth open, sliding his tongue against Kendrick's as if he wanted a taste. There wasn't a moment in his whole adult dating life where someone made him feel all warm and melty until that moment.
The kiss wasn't about getting naked or fueling the fire, it was about exploration. Everything faded away, including the television sounds in the background. Someone cleared their throat, and still Kendrick didn't care. So long as Brad didn't stop the kiss.
And then one of the brothers said, "Oh my God. Is this really happening?"
Brad broke off the kiss but didn't take his eyes off Kendrick. He rubbed his thumb across Kendrick's bottom lip, taking some moisture with him.
"Shut up, Caden." Brad's words held no heat.
"It's like watching monkeys fornicate. You don't want to look, but you can't help it. They're in the wild, so it's a once in a lifetime thing." That was by far the wittiest response Kendrick would ever hear, and he learned something about Caden. He found it easy to tease and pick on people, especially his brother and Kendrick by association. "I've never seen you actually get all hot and bothered for someone. I have mixed emotions, Bradley Garrett Flynn. I really do."
Someone, probably the younger man sitting on the couch with Caden and Luis, chuckled. The sound came out more like a giggle. It was soft and light, which made Kendrick follow suit, even more than Caden's over-the-top comments.
Brad shook his head but chuckled. "Smart mouth."
"You have no one to blame but yourself. And maybe him." Caden pointed to Luis even as he fluttered his lashes. Such a feminine gesture on such a big guy made Kendrick relax against Brad again. Only he faced the room, meeting Caden's gaze. When Caden smiled, he looked like Brad. "Hi. I'm Caden and this is my boyfriend, Robyn."
"Kendrick. I own TJs bar."
Robyn had a mop of curls and a kind face. He nodded once in greeting but didn't speak.
"Which explains why our paths haven't crossed before. I'm underage." Caden averted his gaze to Brad. "I need food. My stomach feels like it's eating itself."
Brad sighed. "I guess that's our cue to fix dinner."
Kendrick nodded. He was getting hungry himself.