Two-Man Advantage

by Toni Aleo

  Wren: I texted you like seven hours ago.

  Wells rolled his eyes.

  Wells: Try an hour. He’s still keeping you up?

  Wren: Yes, and it sucks ass.

  Wells: I’m sure it’s gonna get worse when the kid comes.

  Wren: Wow, thanks, asshole.

  Wells: Anytime.

  Wells: I’m surprised Jensen is sleeping. Usually, you breathe, and he wakes up.

  Wren: I made him go house shopping all day, and it was an ordeal. I’m pretty sure he wanted to divorce me.

  Wells’s grin grew as he nodded. He had gotten a lot of texts from his best friend, bitching about Wren and how indecisive she was, but all Jensen kept saying was that he loved her. That she was worth it, but that he was going to kill her too.

  They were adorable.

  Wells: He isn’t going anywhere. He hasn’t yet.

  Wren: I know, but still. He was annoyed, and he’s tired.

  Wells: Leave him be, then.

  Wren: Well, no shit, which is why I’m harassing you.

  Wells: Lucky for me.

  Wren: Always. So how is everything? Still dreamy for Matty? Is Matty his real name? Is it really Matthew? Or Matt?

  Wells: lol. It’s Matthew.

  Wren: I’m gonna call him that. He isn’t ten.

  Wells chuckled as he lay back in the bed, holding his phone as he rested his elbows on the bed.

  Wells: He prefers Matty, but I’m sure he won’t care.

  Wren: Good. So things are good?

  He smiled.

  Wells: We’re great. I’m really happy.

  Wren: Fantastic. Has he come out to his family yet?

  Wells: Not yet. His sister is first.

  Wren: Should do it all at once. Like a family meeting, and boom, Matthew’s gay, and he’s in a relationship with a grandpa.

  Wells laughed, shaking the bed, at which Matty groaned. “Stop watching YouTube and go to sleep. I wanna get up early to go cave dwelling. You promised.”

  “Yeah, yeah,” Wells said, shaking his head as he went back to his phone.

  Wells: I’m only eleven years older than him, hardly a grandpa.

  Wren: Eh. He’s a baby.

  Wells: He is. But I love him.

  Wren: I know.

  Swallowing hard, he stared at Wren’s two words. I. Know. It was obvious that he loved Matty. Hell, everyone knew, but no one on Matty’s side of the family knew. How would they react not only to the news, but also to Wells? Insecurities burned deep inside of him as he traced his phone with his thumb.

  Wren: They’ll love you.

  Wren: Once they get past the part where he’s gay.

  Man, he needed that to happen.

  Wells: I hope so.

  Wren: They will, how could they not? You’re awesome.

  Wells: I’m so glad you’ve finally realized that. Took forever.

  Wren: And that’s the last time I try to be nice.

  Wells: lol. Sorry. Thank you.

  Wren: Anyway, so the real reason I was texting you was because I wanted to run something by you.

  Wells: Yes, you can name the baby after me.

  Wren: Lol. Jensen already said no.

  Wells: He’s such a buzzkill.

  Wren: Haha. But, Jensen surprised me with a trip to Cancun, and I wanted us all to go.

  Wells: Us who? And shouldn’t this be just you two?

  Wren: No, it’s a private beach with three huts, so me and Jensen, Matty and you, and then Brie could have the last one.

  Wells’s brows pulled together. She was forgetting someone.

  Wells: Vaughn?

  Wren: Just Brie.

  Wells: Jesus, what did he do?

  Wren: That asshole told Brie she wouldn’t get big like me because she wasn’t fat before that.

  Wells grimaced.

  Wells: He said it just like that? Jensen didn’t deck him?

  Wren: Basically! Vaughn said she didn’t have the build like me.

  Rolling his eyes, Wells chuckled. Brie was itty bitty. Wren wasn’t. It was the truth—not to be mean he was sure—but Wren was emotional.

  Wells: I’m sure he didn’t mean it hurtfully.

  Wren: I hate him.

  Wells: So can he come but not talk to you?

  Wren: Yes.

  Wells: Cool, so Cancun, huh?

  Wren: Yup!

  Wells smiled, looking over at the back of Matty’s head. “Wanna go to Cancun?”

  Matty groaned. “Yes, but since you can’t leave me alone, you owe me head on the beach.”

  Wells nodded before looking back at his phone.

  Wells: We’re in.

  Wren: Good. It’ll be fun for all of us, minus Vaughn.

  Wells: I’m sure, though you know you’ll start talking to him before we go.

  Wren: Maybe.

  When she didn’t text back, he laid his phone down, letting out a long sigh as he stared up at the ceiling. For the last couple nights, he hadn’t been sleeping well. He wasn’t sure if it was because Matty was basically a furnace or if it was his mind not shutting the hell up so he could sleep. It was probably both, but more so his brain. With each day that passed leading up to the trip to Florida to see Avery, he couldn’t shake the anxiety of everything going to shit. He wanted so much for it to go well. For Avery to forgive Matty. But he knew it was a long shot. It wouldn’t be that easy, especially if she was even half as stubborn as Matty. Wells just yearned for things to be good between them. For both of them, not just Matty. They were twins, for fuck’s sake. But Wells had also wanted Matty to love him freely and openly, and it took damn near nine months for that to happen, and it still wasn’t exactly how he pictured it.

  It was new, he understood that, but he sort of wished Matty would have told his family before he came back to Wells. The anxiety over their reactions alone was going to drive Wells insane. Because he wanted them to accept Matty, to love him like he did, but also because he wasn’t sure if Matty would stay with him if they didn’t.

  That wasn’t a good feeling.

  Closing his eyes, Wells tried to push those feelings away, but it wasn’t that easy. Begging himself to just go to sleep already since they were getting up early, he went to put his phone down when it vibrated with a text. Opening it, he saw Wren had sent a video. He smiled as he watched his nephew kick the crap out of Wren’s belly. When the shot changed to her face, her brows furrowed, annoyance was plain in her expression as she shook her head. Laughing, he typed back quickly.

  Wells: He’s just like us, likes to annoy you.

  Wren: Funny, I said that to Jensen.

  Wells: lol.

  He went to put his phone down or maybe text her goodnight, but then his fingers were moving instead.

  Wells: What if his family freaks, and he dumps me?

  When his phone started ringing immediately, Wren’s face staring back at him, he kicked off the blankets and answered, “Hold on.”

  Walking toward the patio, he pushed open the door and then went out, shutting it behind him softly. “Hey. You didn’t have to call.”

  “I’m hoping I’m loud enough to wake Jensen.”

  Wells smiled as his hips leaned to the railing, the warm air kissing his bare chest. Thankfully, no one could see him because he was naked as the day was long, and he had none of the cares. “You’re an ass.”

  “I am.” She giggled a bit before clearing her throat. “Do you think that will happen? With Matthew—I’m not calling him Matty.”

  He wanted to laugh, he did, but emotion was clogging his throat. “I don’t know. I don’t want to think so, but I have this feeling in my gut. It’s messing with me.”

  “When did this come up? ’Cause every time I talk to you, you two are so in love and so happy and life is great.”

  “I don’t know… I mean, it is,” he answered, shaking his head. “But I’m worried.”

  “Well, you know what? If he does that, fuck him. That’s it. You know?”

  It
wasn’t that easy, though.

  “I do know, but I don’t know if it will be that easy. I don’t want to end up with another Alex.”

  “Oh my God, I don’t either. So can we tell Matty to get his life together and do this?” The tone of her voice made him smile; it was desperate but playful. “But, Wells, he did stop a wedding and declare his love in front of at least two hundred people, so I feel in my soul you might be good.”

  He sighed heavily. “I know, but I’m scared, and I want to ask him.”

  “So ask him.”

  He rolled his eyes. “I don’t want to give him any ideas! What if he didn’t think of that?”

  “I’m sure he has,” she added, and that was what Wells was worried about. “He’s treading in water he’s never been swimming in. All you can do is be there for him.”

  “I will be, but I’ll be scared in the process.”

  “Seems legit.”

  “I thought so,” he agreed with a grin. “Should I ask him?”

  “Do you think his answer will help?” He hadn’t thought about that. “If he says no, he won’t leave you, will you believe him? And if he is honest and says he doesn’t know, will that help your worries? ’Cause I don’t think it will.” His heart was jackhammering in his chest as he thought that over. “Either way, you need to decide what you want.”

  He didn’t hesitate. He couldn’t. “I want him.”

  “Okay, then make room for all his baggage ’cause this isn’t going to be a walk in the park.”

  Wells smiled. “Don’t sugarcoat anything, please.”

  “Oh, I won’t, believe me,” she assured him with a small laugh. “But I was there when he stopped your wedding. I saw the look in his eyes, and, Wells, I think he’s good. I think it’s gonna be fine.”

  Swallowing hard past the lump in his throat, he whispered, “I think so too.”

  “That sounded confident!”

  “It was.”

  She laughed. “Well then, we’re good.”

  He nodded slowly. “We’re good.”

  “There you go.”

  He smiled, his heart slowing a bit in his chest, and he felt a little better. He really did love Wren. She was a good sister, and the thought that Matty wanted what they had with his own sister really warmed his soul. “You know what?”

  “What?”

  “Matty wants what we have with his sister.”

  She laughed. “Why? We’re insane.”

  Wells laughed too. “But we love each other.”

  “This is true,” she answered, her laughter subsiding. “And I wouldn’t change a thing about us.”

  He smiled at that, his head nodding in agreement. “I love you, Wren.”

  “I love you,” she answered, and then he heard a groan, which he suspected came from Jensen.

  “I love you both, now can you two go to sleep?” Jensen grumbled.

  “The baby is kicking me!”

  “You’re fine, go to sleep. Goodnight.”

  When the line went dead, Wells laughed as he looked out over the city, a sense of calm coursing through him. Wren was right. Even if he did know the answer, it wouldn’t help. All he could do was just wait it out and trust that he’d made the right decision.

  It would work out. They would be fine.

  No, they’d be great.

  Damn it, he wasn’t going to accept anything less.

  Ten

  Laurence: This is good. Really.

  Matty: She’ll probably slam the door in my face.

  Laurence: Probably, but knock again. And again and again. Don’t stop.

  Matty: Don’t tell anyone.

  Laurence: I won’t. Good luck.

  Clearing his throat, Matty looked up from his phone, the sun beating down on him since the top of the convertible Wells had rented was down. He hadn’t been sure if Laurence would give him Avery’s address, but to his surprise, he had and didn’t even ask questions. It was almost as if he knew what Matty was planning, and for that, Matty was thankful, since saying it out loud might be a tad bit hard.

  Even though it was a beautiful afternoon and Florida usually never failed to put a grin on Matty’s face, it wasn’t the case that afternoon. Instead, Matty found himself clearing his throat a lot, feeling like he was coming out of his skin and almost as if he was going to puke. Wells followed the GPS, singing along to the radio, always so damn calm. It drove Matty mad, but he wouldn’t say anything.

  He wasn’t sure if he could.

  He was nervous. So fucking nervous, but he knew he had to do this. This was step one of coming out to his family. He wanted to make things right with Avery; she deserved that. He deserved that. But he had this feeling it was going to go badly, and he wasn’t sure what that would mean for him. Or more importantly, what it would mean for him and Wells. When Wells was out on the balcony a couple nights before, Matty had heard him on the phone with his sister. Wells was scared, worried Matty would leave him if things didn’t go well with his family, and he couldn’t blame him.

  He was scared too.

  Usually, that wasn’t a position Matty put himself in. He was very in charge of his life. Every aspect. He knew what he was doing and what would happen. Yeah, there were a few surprises that popped up here and there, but for the most part, Matty was in control. But this—coming out—was in no way under his control. He leaned back as Wells sang along to his favorite Ed Sheeran song, his hand smacking against the wheel as he belted out to one of the best songwriters of his time. Well, that was, if you didn’t count Avery.

  “You know, Avery sold a song to him.”

  Wells beamed over at him, turning the music down a bit. “Really? Which one?”

  “Heart,” Matty said, a grin pulling at his lips. “It’s my favorite of his.”

  “Mine too!” Reaching over, he took Matty’s hand, lacing their fingers together. “That’s really cool. We’ll have to see if there is a story to go along with it.”

  Matty found himself clearing his throat once more as he nodded, looking back out at the road, his thumb stroking Wells’s hand. He wanted to say Wells’s easy calmness was helping, but it wasn’t. Matty was on high alert, his heart beating so hard it hurt. It scared him. Because if he was like this on the ride to Avery’s house, how would he be when he was face-to-face with her? Looking into a face that resembled his and a matching pair of eyes that he had betrayed.

  Fuck.

  Using his other hand, he ran it down his face, taking a deep breath. When Wells’s lips pressed to the back of his hand, Matty looked over at him, finding his lover smiling at him. “I’ll be right there with you. Don’t worry.”

  He tried a grim smile. “Easier said than done.”

  “We got this.”

  We. Such a simple word that meant so much. We was a team. We was two or more people who stuck beside each other through thick and thin. At least, that’s how he saw that word. And his we included a man he knew would stand beside him. A man he sure as hell didn’t deserve, even though he loved him with every ounce of his being. But when he went to tell Wells that, the GPS announced that their destination was on the left.

  Wells drove up alongside the curb in front of a house Matty had never seen, nor had he been invited to. It was adorable, and he knew immediately that Avery had picked it out. It was on the beach, a beautiful light blue color with bright yellow shutters. There were three rocking chairs on the front porch and big, blooming flowers lining the sidewalk. But what made him certain she had picked it out was the white picket fence that enclosed the front yard. When they were growing up, she’d always said she wanted a white picket fence someday. She’d always wanted the husband and the kids too. When she got that very early, Matty had resented her for it. He hated that she got to live freely, while he hid like the coward he was.

  But that was all about to change.

  “Oh, this is nice,” Wells said then, and Matty nodded.

  “It is.”

  Checking the driveway, Matty saw Avery’s ca
r, and his heart jumped into his throat.

  She was home.

  Swallowing hard, he let his breath out in a whoosh and then nodded. “Okay, let’s do this.”

  “There’s the spirit!”

  He shared a grin with Wells, and they both got out and headed up the driveway to the front door. It was a bright blue color that didn’t match the house, but he liked it. It was unique. Swallowing hard, he just stared at the door, his hands shaking as Wells rocked back and forth on his heels. “You gonna knock? Or should I?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Then let me,” Wells said, moving past him and hitting the doorbell.

  But no one answered.

  Which had Matty on the verge of a panic attack.

  “Maybe she’s not home?”

  Matty shrugged. “Or she saw it was me and is ignoring the door.”

  Wells waved him off as he looked in the window of the door. “Nah, she isn’t home. Nothing is on.”

  He looked too, seeing that the TV was off and he couldn’t make out any movement. “Okay.”

  “So we’ll come back.”

  But Matty shook his head. “If I leave, I don’t think I’ll come back.”

  “Oh, okay,” Wells said, looking around. “Wanna sit here? Or do you want to check out the beach?”

  He wanted to get in the car and leave, but since he had already put out that he’d never come back if they left, he knew Wells wouldn’t let him flee. Clearing his throat, Matty looked toward the gate he assumed led to the beach and nodded. “Let’s go to the beach.”

  “Lead the way.”

  Together, they walked toward the gate and then through it to the beautiful sandy beach. Avery didn’t have a backyard, just a beach and the ocean, but Matty was pretty sure she didn’t care. The view was spectacular. “Wow.”

  “Yeah, this is awesome,” Wells agreed, kicking off his flip-flops before grinning over at Matty. “Come on,” he reached out, going to take Matty’s hand, but he pulled away.

  When Wells’s brows drew together, Matty held his hands up to keep from him freaking out. “I don’t want anyone to see us. I want to tell Avery. I want her to hear it from me. Not see it or hear it from someone else.” When Wells looked away, Matty was able to see the annoyance on his face. He reached out, gripping Wells’s bicep. “Wells, I love you. I do, but you have to understand—”