by Bates, Aiden
"Luke must have been humiliated." Jay wrapped his arms around his waist, trying to ward off the chill that rattled up his spine .
"Not especially." Teddy shrugged, pushing his glasses back up his nose. "If you've ever met Mr. Carter Sr, you'll understand that for Luke screaming fights are an expected part of the relationship cycle. They made up easy enough, and Liam was back in his studio before we left." He leaned forward, his voice dropping a little. "I'm just pointing out that there were plenty of reasons for what happened on both sides ."
"What happened?" he asked, scooting closer. He felt bad for snooping, but at the same time, he couldn't imagine the boy he'd known then or the man he knew now going through all of that and not realizing what a bad situation it was. It was like the Luke he was learning about was a completely different person .
"Liam got an offer from a gallery in Taos and left. On their anniversary ."
Jay flinched, hissing under his breath. "Oh my God ."
Teddy sighed. "Yeah. Luke moved out of the house that night, and he hasn't really dated anyone since." He pursed his lips. "That's not entirely fair. He goes out, sure, a few times a year, just to show Marcus that he's getting over everything. He hasn't let himself be involved with anyone since Liam. And he has this crazy idea that it was the fact that Liam was an artist and not the fact that they were about as compatible as nails and concrete ."
A lot of things were starting to make sense. Jay flopped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. He'd been trying to figure out what was going on with the mixed signals he'd been getting, and now he knew. What he wasn't sure about was what to do with that knowledge. "I see ."
"Do you?" Teddy asked, propping one ankle on his knee and lacing his fingers on top. "I'm glad someone does because I don't ."
"Don't strain yourself, Specs. It's not your wheelhouse ."
Jay startled and slid off the bed, landing in a tangle of limbs at the bottom. "Holy shit. I thought you said the door jams ."
Teddy hadn't so much as twitched. "Cody uses his special forces training on it," he said mildly .
"Sorry," the omega said, leaning in the doorway. The dark circles under his eyes were almost black in the shadow cast by the hall light, and there was a purple bruise spanning his arm from elbow to shoulder that it was impossible to miss now that he'd peeled off his jacket. "I just wanted to see if you guys wanted anything for dinner. I'm going to Jade King ."
"You look like you're about to pass out," the alpha said, frowning. "I'll go with you ."
Cody opened his mouth, the lines between his brows deepening to a mulish set, but he sighed, slumping harder against the door. "Okay, fine. You win this one. Just don't get used to it ."
"Wouldn't dream of it. Where's Nikolai?" Dusting off his trousers, Teddy climbed to his feet, and Jay felt very small between them. "Nevermind, I'll find him. Since you're so much better at relationships than I am, you should give Jay advice," he said, practically dripping sarcasm .
Rolling his eyes, Cody lowered himself to the floor and shook his head. "He's a bit touchy about that," he said, groaning a little as he stretched his legs out. "I'll apologize later. What were we talking about, exactly ?"
"I don't need advice," Jay said, heat flushing his cheeks. "I was just wondering why Luke is still single. He obviously likes kids ."
Cody tipped his head back against the door frame and hummed. "Once, when we were all completely shit-faced," he said, his eyes sliding closed, "Luke told me that he was never going to have kids. I think he's full of it, personally. What he really doesn't want is to be like his dad, awful relationship after awful relationship, and some poor kid stuck in the middle ."
"I can't really blame him." Jay remembered all the awful boyfriends his mom had brought home before she sent him to live with his aunt .
"If you want my advice, which you've already said you don't," he said, cracking one eye open to pin Jay with a stern look, "it's to listen to what Luke doesn't say ."
He couldn't help but laugh, the sound more bitter than he expected. "I'll just get out my crystal ball, shall I ?"
"Oh, shut up," the other omega muttered. "I've been on the go for thirty-two hours. Cut me a little slack." He propped himself up a little straighter, prying his eyes open with obvious difficulty. "Luke never says the first thing that comes into his head. It makes him a great lawyer, but a terrible communicator. I don't think he even realizes that he's doing it anymore, but what he really thinks? You can see it, right behind his eyes, even if it never makes it out his mouth. Whatever hits the air is what he thinks he should be saying, even if it's totally the opposite of what he wants ."
"That sounds..." Jay trailed off, trying to think of a nicer way to say that it sounded fucking annoying .
"It's a giant pain in the ass," Cody said, his lips twitching, "but you get used to it after a while. Maybe if you stick around, you can help us train him up right ."
Jay groaned. "I'm not sticking around. I'm not around to begin with. There is nothing to be around ."
Cody laughed, whiskey smooth and deep. "You sound like you need sleep as much as I do ."
"Get out of my room," Jay said, putting his hands on his hips. "All of you. Out. I hate you ."
"Pretty omega boys are done with girl talk, yes?" Nikolai leaned around the door frame, stepping lightly back from the kick that Cody aimed at his knee. "Chinese food is waiting unless you are going to be sensible and come to bed." He batted his eyes at the omega, who paid him no attention as he hauled himself off the floor. Nikolai sighed disconsolately as Cody walked away, blatantly staring. "I shut door for you," he said without looking away. "We are being back in a little while. Luke is not hungry and staying in his room if you are needing anything ."
"Thanks," Jay said, the sarcasm totally lost on the big Russian .
Alone in the room, finally, he crawled up on the bed, only remembering the envelope Teddy had brought him when it crinkled under his palm. It seemed like a hundred years ago that he'd gone to the courthouse, not just that morning .
He debated leaving the envelope till later, but if he didn't open it, he'd just have to think about everything he'd learned today. The feeling of hot lips brushing against his was seared into his brain along with the silky slide of hair through his fingers .
Tearing into the envelope, he thought about going out to see a movie or something. He didn't even know what was playing, but there had to be something that would take his mind off things. Impatient, he dumped the contents of the envelope into his lap, papers flying everywhere .
"Wonderful," he grumbled, trying to gather it back into a stack .
Most of the papers were covered in legal jargon. That just brought to mind the dinner at Milano’s, and he groaned and set them aside. He wasn't even going to try to understand them tonight .
About halfway through the pile, he found a letter from Piper that must have originally been on top .
"Jay—
"Here's all the information on the lake house and other properties bequeathed to you in your father's and aunt's wills. The first four pages are a summary of items and their original and current values. I've also included a year-over-year accounting for the investment funds .
"If you or your money manager need any further information, just let me know .
"Piper Kowalski-Reyes "
Jay stared at the sheet for what felt like an hour. "Four pages?" He reread the letter as if the information would have changed. Aunt Carol had always joked about leaving him her collection of commemorative shot glasses. At
least, he hoped it was a joke. "I swear, Aunt Carol," he told the empty room, "there had better not be three and a half pages of descriptions of those stupid glasses. That's something you would insist on." He flipped through the pages in his lap, looking for anything that seemed like a summary. He missed it the first time, mistaking it for one of the year-over-year reports that she'd mentioned. It wasn't until he found them at the bottom of the stack that he went back to the right page .
It wasn't shot glasses .
He couldn't breathe. Black spots danced in his vision, and his hand shook as it gripped the paper tightly enough to crumple the corner. There was no way that this was correct. He couldn't even process the numbers that marched down the side of the page. That was more money than he could have imagined making if he lived a hundred lifetimes .
If someone had asked him a month ago how it would have felt to suddenly realize he'd never have to worry about money again, he would have said he'd cry with joy. Instead, he felt like he was dying. Clutching at his chest as he panted for air, he pushed the whole stack of papers off the bed and stumbled to his feet. He misjudged the door, the black encroaching on his vision and wobbly knees conspiring to bounce him off it twice before he could get it open .
The lights in the hallway blinded him for a moment, his room dimming now that the sun was setting, and he stumbled. His head knocked into a corner, and he slid to the ground, his pulse pounding in his ears until he couldn't hear himself think .
"Jay? Fuck, are you okay ?"
He wanted to laugh. "I'm a... a millionaire," he stuttered, his teeth chattering so badly that he bit his tongue. The taste of blood made him want to throw up, and he tried to curl up in a ball on the floor as his stomach cramped .
"You what? Jesus, you're freezing." Warm arms dragged him onto his feet, and he whined in protest when it made his head spin. Luke smelled like cookies and musk, and he was able to drag in a full breath with that scent filling his nose. He tucked his face against the alpha's neck and just breathed. "I'm calling Cody," Luke said distantly .
Shifting closer, Jay felt briefly ashamed that the other omega was going to know he was having a... whatever this was. Heart attack? Mental breakdown ?
"Cody, I think he's in shock. Yes. He's freezing. Okay, I'll get some in him. No, I couldn't understand what he was saying ."
"I'm a millionaire," Jay said, trying to get his lips to form the words a bit more clearly. It didn't seem to help, his tongue getting tangled; it came out more like "I'm a milliner," and the idea of him drowning in a million hats made him giggle .
Luke would look good in a top hat. He vowed to buy the man a purple one. Or one of those old white-haired wigs that the lawyers used to wear. He squinted up at him, trying to picture it and snorted so hard that he bit his tongue .
"Ow," he said, laughing so hard that he could barely stay on his feet. He stuck his fingers in his mouth, trying to feel if he was bleeding. He couldn't hold still long enough to get a good grip, and it just made him laugh harder, muffling the howls in his palm and Luke's neck .
"Drink this." Luke didn't make him hold the glass, and Jay dutifully opened his mouth, choking as whiskey burned its way into his sinuses .
"What the fuck?" he gasped, coughing and spitting. The heat of the alcohol steadied him a little, and he looked around in a daze. Luke had changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants, a distracting strip of skin visible where the well-worn fabric didn't quite meet. His room was larger than the one Jay was in, with personal touches here and there, including a painting over the bed. "Is that my picture ?"
Barely glancing at the black and white canvas, Luke nodded. "How do you feel ?"
"You put one of my paintings in your bedroom?" Jay turned around in a circle, noting the knick-knacks scattered on the table and dresser, a bookshelf stuffed with well-worn volumes in one corner. He'd never really thought about what people did with his paintings when they bought them, but knowing that something he had made was so close to where this particular man slept was too intimate .
Luke reached out and carefully checked Jay's pulse, his hands soft and warm on Jay's wrist. "Yes. You're still breathing too fast. Finish the rest of the whiskey ."
"It burns my tongue," he said, pouting. Reminded of his injury, he stuck his fingers back in his mouth to check for bleeding. It tickled, and he tried to stifle the giggle .
Firmly removing Jay's hand from his mouth, Luke held up the glass. The rim was cold against his lip until the alcohol sank in and started to sting. "Cody and the guys are on their way back. I really think you should drink this ."
"I don't want to." He winced at the squeaky whine in his voice. "Do you know who you're talking to?" he asked suddenly, hysterical laughter welling up as he thought of the best joke ever .
"Yes," Luke said, his voice dry. "I'm pretty sure I know who you are ."
"No, you don't." Jay giggled, swaying on his feet, and Luke steadied him again, his jaw jumping. "I'm a millionaire," he said, the words coming out clearly. He burst out laughing again, practically hanging from Luke's arm around his waist .
"That's it. You're going to bed," Luke said, his voice muffled .
Something soft wrapped around his face, smelling like sugar cookies and warm skin, and Jay whined when it was pulled away. He rolled onto his side, burying his face into the covers and hiccuping .
"I refuse to be held responsible if you smother yourself with my pillow ."
He tried to lift his hand to flip the alpha off, but sleep suddenly sounded like the best idea ever, and he was never sure if he'd actually managed it .
15
"H ow is he?"
Luke dug through the bags of food, grabbing a container of fried rice for himself. "Out cold. At least he's not laughing anymore," he said, throwing himself heavily into an armchair .
"I saw the papers in the guest bedroom. I take it Piper sent over the inheritance information?" Marcus nudged Kurt over until he could settle onto the couch, a container of beef with broccoli on his lap .
Balancing a large chunk of fried rice on his chopsticks with all of his attention, Luke hummed noncommittally. He ignored the way Marcus' head came up, and how Teddy fixed his glasses. "I always forget how much I miss Jade King ."
"You know something," Kurt said, grunting when Cody elbowed him in the ribs .
"It's none of our business," Cody muttered, his mouth full of noodles. "It's especially none of your business ."
"Since when has that stopped anyone here?" Kurt frowned, picking up a piece of sweet and sour shrimp that had fallen onto his napkin from the jostling .
"Jay is not Sigma Alpha Omega," Nikolai said seriously from where Cody had banished him to the floor. "He is never signing paperwork and giving up all rights to privacy in perpetuity ."
Marcus rolled his eyes. "We're not that bad," he said, taking a sip of his wine. "We only gossip because we care ."
"Speak for yourself," Kurt muttered, and Marcus threw a napkin at him .
"I don't know anything," Luke said, keeping his eyes on his plate. "Kurt's the one that grew up with the Danvilles ."
"Don't try to pin this on me." Kurt glared. "I grew up in the same neighborhood as the Danvilles, sure, but I really only know them because of Jay. My mom went through a phase where she wanted to arrange a marriage for Lucia because she's got that birthmark, so she had me inviting over everyone in the neighborhood that was our age ."
Marcus leaned forward, a piece of broccoli caught between his teeth. "Was Victor," he asked, taking a moment to chew and swallow, "always such a bastard ?"
"Yes," Luke sai
d, at the same time that Kurt nodded .
"That's very... definitive," Teddy muttered, picking at his pork stir-fry .
"It was sad," Kurt said thoughtfully. "Jay's mom is a nice lady, but she's always following him around like a shadow. Whenever they would go out, he'd treat her like an ornament, and she wouldn't say a word. Mom hated her ."
"He used to insult Jay right in front of her, and she'd just stare at her plate," Luke growled, remembering more than one awkward dinner. "I hated her more than I hated him, most of the time ."
Everyone shifted uncomfortably, turning their attention to eating for a few minutes .
"This is how it is being in Russia," Nikolai said a moment later. "Not my mama, of course, but most women are too shy like bunnies to speak out against their husbands. Especially in rich circles. And a man who is cowed by his wife is risking investigation. Omegas are still banned ."
"She didn't come from money," Kurt muttered. "That's one reason Mama decided Jay wasn't a good match. He wasn't a Danville by blood, and his mother worked as a waitress in a diner before she met Jack Collins ."
"That must have been quite the story," Marcus said. "What did the Collins family think of her ?"
Luke sighed. "I did some research," he said, glaring at Kurt when he coughed to hide a laugh. "When Victor threw me out, he said something about not letting me land an easy meal ticket. He'd asked me what my dad did, but I just told him he sold electronics, so I don't think he realized that I was one of those Carters." He stabbed a piece of egg with his chopstick, tearing it into tiny chunks. "I was curious, so I checked him out ."
"He thought you were a gold-digger?" Kurt was practically rolling with laughter, even Teddy chuckling a little. "That's fantastic ."
"Shut up," Luke muttered, kicking him on the ankle. "I couldn't get too much information, but what I found was interesting. Victor Danville filed for bankruptcy the same year Jack Collins died. He lost everything on a bad stock purchase, and ended up selling off all his property to cover his debts ."