Chapter 149: Two HotHeads.

"If you’re going to see him anyway, why not just go now? He wants you to." Vincent remarked, not even bothering with a good morning. "Oh, and by the way, I didn’t know he was staying at your house."

His voice remained flat as he walked farther into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of water.

"He didn’t have anywhere to go last night, so I let him stay," Dave explained, turning to face him.

"Oh?"

That was all Vincent said before turning to leave the kitchen.

Dave couldn’t tell whether the remark was sarcastic or simply rude, but whatever Vincent had intended, it certainly wasn’t indifference.

Something about his response unsettled Dave, leaving him with the uncomfortable feeling that there was more to Vincent’s words than he was willing to say.

Before he could think better of it, Dave stepped into his path.

"Vincent, why are you so bitter about him?" he asked.

"Bitter? No, I’m not." Vincent’s denial came immediately. "Just because I told you to go see him when you were planning to anyway, that makes me bitter about him?"

"Forget it," Dave muttered, stepping aside.

He had barely moved when Vincent caught his hand, stopping him from walking away.

"Who are you really trying to fool, Dave?" Vincent demanded, his composure beginning to crack. "Less than a month ago, you were in your room crying over him, even after all those years! And now you expect us to believe that seeing him again hasn’t changed anything? That you don’t want to go back to him, that it doesn’t bother you at all, and that you have absolutely no doubts about where you want to be?"

Dave stared at him, taken aback by the accusation. "I cried about him a month ago, yes, because I was overwhelmed that night. Everything was falling apart around me at once, and my father had just died. That brought back the thought of Eli’s apparent death, too. Besides, was he the only person I cried about that night? You heard everything I said, all the things that were tearing me apart, yet the one time I mentioned him is what you’ve chosen to focus on?"

His voice grew more strained as he continued.

"And what do you mean I should have doubts about where I want to be? What is that supposed to mean? I’ve already told you where I want to be and who I want to be with. Why do you keep insisting otherwise? Now that he’s back, do you want me to return to him so you can have Bryce all to yourself?"

Vincent stared at him in disbelief, as though he could hardly believe what he had just heard.

"Why would you accuse me of something like that?" he asked, his voice heavy with indignation. "I’ve already built my life around the two of you. My emotions revolve around the two of you, and that’s what you think of me?"

He released a disbelieving breath.

"Just because I feel a little insecure about your decisions now that your ex is back, and I’m trying to understand whether you genuinely want to stay, whether you’re certain about what you’re choosing, that’s enough for you to accuse me of wanting you to leave so I can have Bryce to myself? I’m trying to make sure you don’t wake up one morning, change your mind, and abandon us in something we started together. But after everything, you really think that’s what I’m trying to do?"

His expression hardened as he turned toward the door, his frustration evident in the abruptness of his movements.

The weight of Dave’s own words caught up with him immediately. He reached out and caught Vincent before he could leave.

"I’m sorry," Dave said, the words coming out almost desperately. "I didn’t think before I spoke. I just blurted out a load of nonsense, and I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean it."

Vincent hesitated at the apology before resuming his departure.

"Vincent."

Dave called, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

Vincent stopped.

"Can we please just sit down and talk? Clear the air between us? Even if it’s not for our sake, then for Bryce’s. Things have become so complicated between the three of us, and the last thing he needs is any more stress. His safety, and the baby’s, should be our priority."

Vincent turned to face him. "Okay," he said.

"I’m sorry about what I just said, I didn’t mean it." Dave repeated.

"Okay." Vincent offered the same brief response, giving Dave little indication of what he was thinking.

Dave drew a breath.

"I know that, apart from Eli, whom I’ve assured you more than a hundred times I’m not going to leave and go back to my old relationship, you’re also upset with me because I kissed you and told you I have feelings for you." He paused, before adding. "I thought we could finally talk about that, once and for all."

"Why are you putting words in my mouth? I never said I was upset with you about that."

"Then what’s wrong?" Dave asked, "I really don’t want to make you uncomfortable in this relationship. So, if you don’t feel anything for me, you can just tell me. We can try to put things back the way they were before I told you how I felt."

Vincent stared at him as though Dave had said something utterly ridiculous.

"So you don’t care whether I accept your feelings or not? You’re just waiting for me to say no so you can pretend none of this ever happened? How exactly do you expect things to go back to the way they were? And if you really don’t care whether I accept you, then why did you bother telling me in the first place?"

"That’s not what I meant. We’re really not understanding each oth..." Dave began, but before he could finish, Vincent caught hold of him, backed him against the wall, and kissed him.

Dave froze for a moment, caught completely off guard by the sudden kiss. By the time Vincent drew back, he was still trying to process what had just happened.

"Is that what you wanted?" Vincent demanded, "For me to show you physically because apparently, using actual words isn’t enough for you to understand that I don’t want you going back to whatever you had before? Because I want you here, with us!

I’m making a fool of myself, questioning you about your feelings and admitting that I’m insecure, and you still tell me that if I don’t want you, I should just say so? You’re pretending not to understand, aren’t you?"

"Say it in plain words," Dave urged, a flicker of hope suddenly breaking through his exhaustion.

"You already know," Vincent refused, averting his gaze.

Dave gently turned Vincent to face him again. "If you don’t actually say it, I’m going to have a hard time convincing myself this has really happened."

"What do you want me to say?" Vincent asked.

The uncertainty in his voice was unlike him, and Dave couldn’t help noticing how unfamiliar this side of Vincent seemed.

"Tell me how you feel about me," Dave pressed.

Vincent hesitated before finally giving in.

"I like you romantically. I already knew how I felt, but I couldn’t bring myself to admit it."

His expression softened, though his apprehension had not entirely disappeared.

"I let my frustration over my own feelings make things difficult for you, and I’m sorry for that. But you shouldn’t be luring me into giving you my heart just to disappear afterward and leave us stranded."

Dave chuckled, seemingly satisfied with that answer for the moment.

"I’m really not going anywhere. How many times do I have to tell you that?" he asked before leaning in to kiss Vincent.

Vincent pulled back slightly, interrupting the kiss with a question. "Does Bryce know about this?"

"Yes. He already knew I had feelings for you, and he urged me to tell you. I was the one who was afraid to do it," Dave explained.

"He’s okay with it?"

"Yes."

With that confirmation, Vincent allowed Dave to kiss him again, this time without resistance, and when their lips met, he kissed Dave back.

They might have continued for a while longer if not for the sudden click of a camera.

Both of them turned toward the doorway, where Bryce stood with his phone raised, taking pictures of them.

"Took you long enough, you two hotheads," Bryce teased, amusement evident in his voice. "I’m glad you finally roasted yourselves all the way through it. You were seriously testing my patience. I was about to lock you both in a room and refuse to let you out until you’d sorted yourselves out and finally acknowledged what had been staring you right in the face all along."

Dave laughed and immediately pulled him into his arms. Bryce returned the embrace, and the long hug that followed ended with the three of them sharing a kiss.