“Fine, then we’ll talk about your love life. You need to get laid.”

Gavin stopped playing. He hated how Braden assumed that Gavin hadn’t. That he’d stayed home the day Braden came over and noticed the bite mark. “How do you know I haven’t?”

“Because I know you.”

Ouch. Gavin stood. “Listen, I better head out.” He loved his friend, but he wanted this conversation over. “And mind your own business. Settling down has made you a gossip.”

Shaking his head, Braden stood, too. “You mean a nosy bastard, but I’ve always been that. You’re my friend. I care about you.”

And he maybe felt a little bit of guilt that things hadn’t worked out between them. That’s the way Braden was, though. Gavin hated it now as much as he had then. Somehow he’d always made Braden feel like he needed to take care of Gavin.

“I know. But I’m a grown man. I can figure out what I need for my life.”

Braden nodded and clapped him on the shoulder. “Then do it.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

“Excuse me.” Gavin went to the left, and Mason the right. Considering they were walking in opposite directions, it meant Gavin’s left was Mason’s right. So Mason went the other way, just as Gavin did the same.

“You stay,” Mason teased Gavin as he worked his way around him behind the bar. It was Friday night and they’d been like this the whole time—awkward, which in itself was awkward as hell. Mason hadn’t been that way around another man since he was a fumbling teenager.

The bar stayed steady the whole night. He and Gavin stayed fairly quiet, almost tiptoeing around each other although Mason didn’t really know why.

By the time the bar closed he was about done with it. Mason locked up while Gavin wiped down the tables. The thing was, Mason had always been stubborn. With Gavin being standoffish, it made him the same. So instead of saying anything, he started to count down the register. When he looked up the next time, Gavin came out from the back, probably from the bathroom.

“I’m done here. I just need to grab something from my office and we can head out.” Mason made sure to lock down his office like he did every night before making a quick stop to wash the day’s work from his hands.

When he stepped into the hallway he heard the soft sound of the guitar. Slowly, Mason made his way toward the sound in the main area of the bar. Gavin sat in a chair on the stage, with his head down, playing.

Mason couldn’t see his face but he could tell by Gavin’s body language how much he and the music were connecting. It made him smile, though he wasn’t really sure why. Maybe because he wasn’t sure Gavin had ever connected with another human being the way he did with music.

Without a word, Mason made his way over. He sat the same way he had the first time Gavin played, with the chair backward and his eyes on the man. His hair fell in his face as his fingers danced along the cords as though they had a mind of their own. As though the guitar and Gavin’s hand worked together.

It was a beautiful sight.

Mason no sooner thought the words before Gavin glanced up. He startled slightly, obviously not having realized he had an audience. “Shit. Sorry.”

“Don’t stop,” Mason told him. Gavin’s brows pulled together but he still did as Mason said—he continued to play the soft, acoustic melody. “What’s wrong with you today? Hell, what was wrong with you the other day, too?”

For a second he thought Gavin would stop playing. His fingers fumbled but he quickly found his rhythm again. “Your ex, what’s the deal with him?”

So that’s what this was about? Jealousy? It only rang partially true. “Why do you want to know?”

“Because I fucked you the night before. I know exactly what it was—a fuck—but I also don’t want to play games. I don’t want to get in the middle if you two could work things out.” His fingers fumbled again. And maybe what he said was part of the truth, but Mason could see Gavin was jealous. Damned if he didn’t almost like that.

“We won’t. My family and Isaac are close. I’ve known him my whole life. We dated for a few years. We’re friends and we get along. We both wanted the same things so it worked. Months before I did, Isaac found out I’m adopted. I don’t know how and don’t give a shit. All I know was he didn’t tell me. There’s no chance we’re getting back together.”

Gavin’s playing quieted.

“Don’t stop,” Mason said again. Gavin’s forehead wrinkled but he picked up the music again.