Dirty Laundry: A Tucker Springs Novel #3

fourth shots, but on the fifth Denver actually steadied him, and Adam successfully grabbed the rim of the glass with his teeth, tipped his head back and downed the shot. The room erupted in cheers, and Denver helped Adam off the bar.
    “Water time,” he said, patting Adam’s butt as he slid to the floor.
    “Yes, sir,” Adam replied half in a daze. He cast a longing look at Denver, wishing like hell the man weren’t working so he could ravish him in some dark corner. Or a lit corner. Adam really didn’t care.
    Instead he was hauled back to the patio with El, Paul, and a tall glass of water. Paul beamed at him and chatted about how fun that looked, but El studied Adam so intensely that Adam eventually gave in and asked him what was wrong.
    “Nothing,” El said at last. “Just thinking it all finally makes sense.” He touched a nicotine patch on his shoulder absently. “Be good to him, would you?”
    Adam thought that comment made no sense, but he didn’t argue, only nodded and took a big drink of his water, because he could see Denver watching him out of the corner of his eye.

Adam never did get to make out with Denver Friday night, which was disappointing, but Denver did feel his ass up before nudging him into El and Paul’s car to be taken home. He’d also reminded him to be ready for Sunday and handed Adam a department store sack full of clean, folded laundry. Adam had leaned out the window, watching him disappear, feeling like a lost puppy.
    He’d gotten to bed without trouble, though, and wasn’t terribly hungover in the morning, and as an extra bonus, he had clean underwear. In a better mood than he’d thought he’d be, he dressed and hauled himself off to work.
    Brad didn’t have to work the insectary that Saturday, but Adam had no illusions he wouldn’t see his ex at some point during the day. He did, too, just after his shift ended and he headed over to the quad cafeteria for a late lunch. Brad was in the quad lounge, talking intently with several of the Bug Boys, but when he saw Adam, he broke away to stalk over, full of righteous indignation.
    “What the hell, Adam. What. The. Hell .”
    “I’m hungry, and I’m going to lunch,” Adam replied, stepping around Brad and heading for the stairs into the cafeteria. “If you want to have public hysterics, you’ll have to follow me.”
    “It’s not just me, you know.” Brad clomped up the steps after him. “The whole house is talking about it. We’re worried about you.”
    Adam snorted. “What, that I’m getting laid?”
    “By a fucking Neanderthal!”
    Adam stopped and turned around, already out of patience three exchanges into the conversation. “He’s not a Neanderthal just because he’s cut. Stop being a snob.”
    Brad’s nostrils flared. “He’s not your type.”
    “Why, because he’s not you? Jesus, when did you turn into such a self-centered ass? You were my first for a lot of reasons, but it wasn’t because you’re the one I’ll pine over for the rest of my life.”
    Brad folded his arms over his chest. “You’ve been weird ever since you moved out. Are you having some kind of breakdown? Not that I’d be able to tell, because you won’t return my calls or let me come over. You’re probably staying up late lining up your silverware and double-checking your shoelaces are still tucked in.”
    “I don’t let you come over because I don’t let anyone come over. And I’m not having a breakdown. I’m doing well, in fact, except for the fact that you keep stalking me, insisting I’m not.”
    “I’m not stalking you. I care about you.” A hitch caught Brad’s voice and a sheen of tears cut through his anger. “I didn’t break up with you because I didn’t love you or because I don’t want you anymore. I broke up with you because you won’t address your mental illness.”
    People were starting to stare at them, and it made Adam want to crawl into a corner and draw his shirt over his head. His panic started rising, and he could feel the threat of an attack becoming acute. “Will you kindly keep your voice down?”
    “I won’t.” But Brad took Adam’s arm and pulled him off to the side and began speaking in harsh whispers. “I’m not going to stand by and watch you self-destruct.”
    Adam ran his hand through his hair and drew a deep breath, then another. “If you make me have a panic attack in the middle of the quad because you won’t leave me alone, I’ll never forgive you.”
    “You