Two-Man Advantage Read online

  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