Love is Always Write Anthology Volume 6

to let go.
    "Chasey, Chasey, why don't you like me?"
    "Adam, of course I like you, now come on, let go of me and lie back."
    "No you don't, you're always afterrr other guys. I like you so much but you don't want me, Chasey... you... don't... hmmh mpph... wann me."
    ****
    My eyes felt crusty and my mouth felt like I had swallowed a whole bag of cotton balls when I woke up the next morning. Through the slits of my barely open eyes I saw a bottle of Tylenol and a glass of water on the nightstand next to my head. And I could smell bacon, or sausage maybe, which made my stomach do an uncomfortable little flip-flop. I raised my head and a herd of elephants started pounding through it. "Ow." My voice was hoarse and raspy.
    "Good morning sleepyhead. How are you feeling this morning?" I blinked at the voice across the room. Chase. "Oka— actually I feel like shit."
    "Well take the Tylenol and get some food into you. Then get a shower and get dressed, because we're supposed to be at Bobby's room in an hour."
    I looked down and saw that I was still wearing my clothes from the night before. What the hell had happened? Oh God. Oh God, Oh God. Slowly the night's events came back to me and I was ready to die. I remembered everything, especially what I had said to Chase right before I passed out. I sat up straighter in bed. "Chase, listen, about what happened last night—"
    "Adam, just forget about it right now, okay? It's Bobby's day and there's too much to be done this morning. Later, okay?"
    I skipped breakfast for the time being but took the Tylenol and hit the shower. I was feeling a little bit better by then, thank God, but I couldn't stop thinking about last night. Damn, I couldn't believe I had told Chase I liked him. My only saving grace was the condition I was in last night. I'd just have to blame it on being drunk, or better yet, I could pretend I didn't even remember what I said. Yep, that was going to have to be the story.
    When I walked out of the bathroom I saw Chase had left a note on the breakfast table that he had already gone down to Bobby's room and to come down when I was ready. My appetite felt like it was returning so I ate some breakfast, drank a gallon of coffee and finished dressing.
    Bobby's hotel room door was slightly open so I knocked and then walked on in. "Yo, big bro, you decent—" The words died on my tongue. Chase was standing there, straight and tall in his full tux. My God, he looked amazing. The tailored jacket fit his big frame perfectly, and the crisp white shirt buttoned up to the black bow tie made him look so... debonair. And sexy as hell. I literally lost track of how long I stood there staring at him. It wasn't until I finally looked at his face that I saw the way he was staring right back at me. He was struggling to keep his face impassive but I saw his jaw muscle twitching and I saw that darkness in his eyes again. There was no doubt about the hunger that was radiating from them.
    And then he met my eyes. "You clean up pretty good, Marine." His voice was so soft I barely heard it.
    "You too."
    Bobby burst into the room then, breaking the moment. He pounded me on the back, as he passed by me. "Good to see you little bro, I wasn't sure you were going to make it after last night." He was smirking at me and I threw a punch at him, which he deftly ducked away from.
    "You shit. I'm fine, thank you very much."
    "Well good, I was afraid you were gonna be puking on my shoes when I try to say 'I do.'"
    Chase was staring out the window and hadn't said anything. Bobby eyes slid back and forth between Chase and me, suspiciously. "Hey, Chase, man, Kate said the boutonnieres are downstairs, can you run down and pick them up for us?"
    "Sure, no problem."
    Bobby started putting his bow tie on, but as soon as the door shut behind Chase he turned on me.
    "Adam, what is going on with you two?"
    "What do you mean?"
    "Oh come on! You guys have been acting a little odd since you got here. You got fucking wasted last night, and I've never seen you do that before. And just now, Chase couldn't even look at you. Are you two fighting over something?"
    I groaned and flopped down into a chair and put my head in my hands.
    "Adam…?"
    "I like Chase."
    "Well, yeah, you always have, you guys have always been great friends, that's why I'm trying to figure out—"
    "No Bobby, I like Chase." My emphasis on the word was unmistakable this time and I could see the realization hit Bobby.
    He sunk down onto the bed in front