Serpentine Walls (24 page)

Of course you did, my little romantic. You believe in love
.

Pete patted her shoulder. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I—I was embarrassed, I guess. It was weird, even though it was exciting. And he said we should keep it secret. ‘Let’s have it be our little secret, Angela.’ That’s what he said. Brian found out by accident, but he was the only one who knew.”

“Wow.”

She gave a bitter laugh. “It’s pathetic how he fooled me. In December he all of a sudden disappeared and wouldn’t return my calls.” She dabbed at her eyes with the Kleenex. “He never told me it was over, so I kept trying to get in touch with him.”

“What a fuckhead.”

“I thought—I never would have slept with him if he—if I knew it didn’t mean anything. But after he….” Her face crumpled. “I can’t talk about it anymore,” she whispered.

“It’s okay.” He pulled her against him and held her. “He’s one of those world-class assholes, Ang. Making you feel special so he can get into your pants. You don’t deserve that. You deserve someone who’ll love and cherish you.”

Wow, he was sounding like a Lifetime movie.
Oh well, it’s Angie
, he told himself.
And fuck it, it’s all true. She
does
deserve that, even if I don’t believe in it.

“Never gonna happen.” Her voice was small and muffled against his shirt.

“I think it will. We’re meeting our soul mates this year, remember?”

“I thought so.”

They sat in silence for some time, Pete stroking her hair. Eventually he said, “I’m going to drop out of his stupid film fest. He can go fuck himself.”

Angie sat up straight and clutched his arm, eyes blazing. “Don’t you dare! If you let that bastard stop you from making your film, I’ll kill you.”

“Whoa. Okay, okay. I’ll finish the film.”

“And do the film fest. Promise me.”

“I promise.” Pete had to smile at her vehemence. Angie was way tougher than she appeared at times. He became aware of his belt buckle digging into his stomach from the position they were sitting in, and he still felt cold, despite the tea. “Hey, I’m going to go change. You okay?”

She nodded. “I will be.” Gently disengaging from her, he stood up. “You’re the best, Pete. Why do you have to be gay?”

“I don’t know. Just born that way, I guess. Try to get some rest.” He kissed the top of her head and went to take a shower.

He let the hot water cascade down on him, wanting to kick himself for not coming home sooner. She had said she was okay, but she wasn’t. It probably wouldn’t have made a difference, but he hated to think about her lying alone in the dark, crying over that bastard.

Professor R was the worst kind of predator: he lied to get people to sleep with him, used them, and then discarded them like dirty tissues. And if he and Aidan were really involved in some way…. Pete’s stomach clenched, remembering Aidan saying he’d been in love and how sometimes it isn’t the right time. He thought about Aidan’s small smile today when he talked about London. Why did Aidan put up with Professor R’s bullshit? And was that why Aidan was such a player?
Stop thinking about it.

He rinsed the shampoo out of his hair, suddenly remembering Aidan’s assertion that Pete wanted someone to love. He laughed a bitter laugh. No way. Loving people ended up in bullshit and pain and crying on the couch. He wanted no part of that mess.

But then he saw Matthew’s face and the way he’d looked at Pete tonight, his eyes kind and caring.
Oh fuck
.

When Pete poked his head back into the living room, Angie was stretched out on the couch, asleep. He covered her with an afghan and turned out the light.

“A
ND
…
cut!”

Pete turned to Matthew and asked, “Do I get to say ‘That’s a wrap,’ now?” At Matthew’s laughing assent, Pete barked out, “That’s a wrap! Thank you, one and all.”

Everyone clapped and hooted while Parker rolled out of the bed and stretched. “Feels like I’ve been in that bed for months.”

“Good work,” Matthew told him.

“Yeah, awesome, man,” Pete added.

“Anything for the cause, my dears.” Parker pulled his phone out of his pocket and wandered off the set to join Elle, who was packing up her makeup kit.

“Okay, everyone,” Pete called, “those that are staying around to tear down see Brian for your assignments.”

Brian held up a clipboard.

“And remember the cast party at our place,” Matthew said. “We’re doing it two weeks from now to combine with our yearly Crushed Hearts party for Valentine’s Day. Costumes optional.”

“Crushed Hearts?” Halie asked. “Sounds grim.”

“Blame Parker. He’s the one who comes up with the themes. I keep the booze flowing and the karaoke running.”

“Okay. Bye, guys. See you at the party, if not before.” Halie waved, and Pete waved back as she, Brooke, and Lee walked away. Parker and Elle had already split, but Aidan and Kyle were still there, talking to each other.

Pete grinned as he watched the crew start breaking down the set.
I made a movie!
he exulted to himself.
Well
, he amended,
shot the footage, anyway.
Matthew came up behind him and clapped a hand on his shoulder.

“Congratulations. How does it feel?”

“Awesome!” They gave each other a high five. “I can’t thank you enough, man.”

“Well, you still have all the editing to do, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves.”

Aidan strolled over. “Congrats, Pete. And thanks for letting me be in your first film.”

“Letting you? I’m the one who should be thanking you. You were amazing.”

Aidan smiled down at him, green eyes so riveting that Pete barely noticed Matthew leaving them to join Brian and the stage crew.

“It was fun,” Aidan said. “Can’t wait to see the final product. Do you need any help with the set?”

“No, I think Brian’s got it all organized.”

They watched as Brian directed four muscular guys in moving the bed into a U-Haul parked at the curb. Next to him, Angie and John packed props into crates.

“Hey,” Pete added, “we’re all going to The Cellar after this. Want to come?”

“I’d like to, but—” Aidan’s sentence was interrupted by Kyle coming up and sliding his arm around his waist. “I kind of have plans.”

“Right.” Pete gave himself a mental kick for still caring about what the hell Aidan did. “Thanks again for being in the movie, guys.” He included Kyle in his thanks, because it wasn’t his fault that he was Aidan’s “twink du jour.” Someone else would be filling that slot tomorrow.

“Anytime,” Kyle said. “Thanks for including me.”

Pete watched them walk away, eyes lingering on Aidan’s broad shoulders and long legs and the graceful way he moved.

“Yo, when you’re done staring at your animus figure, lemme know.” John’s voice recalled Pete to his surroundings.

“Yeah, okay. Done.” Pete stuck out his tongue at John, who handed him a tripod.

“Brian told me to give you this. It goes with the equipment for Matthew’s van.”

“Sweet.” Pete added it to a pile on the floor next to him. “You guys rock for helping.”

“Anything for you, kid. Oh, and the beer’s on you tonight, right?”

“Absolutely.”

The sound of Angie’s laughter made them glance in her direction. Brian was whispering something in her ear.

“She seems happier,” John said.

“Well, hanging out with Brian all the time is helping. I’ve been telling her forever that Brian would be great for her.”

“Yeah. He stuck by her through all that Professor R bullshit. He’s a keeper.”

John went back to help Brian while Pete began to pack Matthew’s equipment. Matthew joined him, crouching beside him on the soundstage floor. His sleeves were rolled up, and Pete surreptitiously admired the definition in his forearms as they filled the crate in companionable silence.

“I can’t thank you enough, man,” Pete said again when they were done and Matthew picked up the crate. “I know I said that already, but if it wasn’t for you, I’d never have been able to do this. Really.”

Matthew smiled, eyes warm, as he held the crate in front of him. “It’s been my pleasure, Padawan. Really.”

Carrying the lighting case, Pete followed Matthew to his van and helped him load everything into the back. Brian and Angie approached.

“Looks like everything’s done here,” Brian said. “We’re going to drive the U-Haul back. John said he’s picking up Cleo and they’ll meet us at The Cellar.”

“What time are we meeting?” Angie asked.

“Seven thirty,” Pete said. “Beer’s on me.”

“Okay.” Angie and Brian walked away, talking and laughing.

Matthew lounged against the side of the van, watching them go. “They’re cute together.”

“Yeah. It’s past time for Brian to make a move, but I think he’s working up to it.”

“I hope so. Sometimes the good guys win,” Matthew said.

“Yeah, sometimes.”

They smiled at each other, and Pete felt warm and alive and curiously safe. He moved over so that his shoulder bumped Matthew’s.

Matthew straightened up. “Time to take the equipment back.” He walked around to the driver’s side.

Celibate
, Pete reminded himself and opened the passenger-side door.

T
HE
first person Pete saw when he and Matthew walked into The Cellar an hour later was Jed, sitting at a table with the rugby team. Pete’s instinct to turn away and hide was foiled by Bud calling out his name. Jed turned around and waved at him, and Pete waved back with a sense of impending doom.

He’d been trying to let the Jed thing die a natural death by ignoring his texts since they’d been back at school. He felt like a jerk now as Jed got up from his table and approached him with a smile on his face. He’d almost forgotten what a good guy Jed was.

“Hey,” Pete said when Jed got to where he and Matthew were standing.

“Hey. How’re you doing?”

“Good. It’s been a while, huh?”

“Yeah. I texted you, but I guess you’ve been busy.”

“Oh. Yeah, um, my phone’s been acting weird lately and—” Pete stopped, noticing Matthew’s puzzled expression out of the corner of his eye. “Um, we’re here celebrating because we finished filming my movie.”

“Oh wow, dude. Congrats.”

“You want to join us?” Matthew asked.

“Sure.”

Crap
. Forcing a smile, Pete followed them to the table where Angie and Brian sat.

“Jed!” Angie cried. “It’s good to see you.”

“Thanks.” Jed sat down. “You too.”

“I’ll get the beer.” Pete escaped to the bar. As he waited for the beer, John and Cleo came in, waving to him on their way to the table.

He walked back, a pitcher in each hand.

“Okay, here’s the first two.” He placed them on the table and took his seat between Jed and Matthew.

“Yay!” Angie grabbed a pitcher and started filling the mugs.

“The first two of many,” John said.

“However many you want. You guys deserve it,” Pete said.

Matthew shook his head. “Oh, great, now I’m going to have to confiscate all y’all’s phones.”

“Huh?” Jed asked.

“Ha, ha.” Pete knocked his elbow into Matthew’s. “He’s talking about my tendency to send drunk texts.”

The karaoke up front got going with someone’s quavering rendition of “Call Me Maybe,” which elicited a near-unanimous groan from the people at Pete’s table.

“I shudder at the state of popular music these days,” Cleo said, accepting a mug of beer from Angie.

“I don’t even know this song.” Brian took his own mug from Angie with a special smile for her.

“Feel lucky,” John said.

“I think I need to start a band,” said Matthew in a musing tone. “We’ll sing nothing but sixteenth-century madrigals and twentieth-century show tunes. What d’you think?”

Pete lifted his mug to Matthew. “Can I join?”

“I insist on it.” Matthew gave him a small but intimate smile.

When Pete tore his gaze from Matthew’s, he noticed Cleo smirking at them from across the table, but before he could react, Bud showed up.

“Hey, guys! Beer?” Bud cast an avid glance at the pitchers, which Pete immediately shielded with his arms.

“Get your own. This is for my movie crew.”

“Oh, sorry, you special snowflakes—I won’t touch your precious beer. I’m here to get Jed for our rugby team karaoke.”

Jed sank a little lower in his chair and covered his face with one hand.

“Oh?” Matthew asked, eyes bright.

“Oh, yeah,” Bud said. “Get into it. We’re doing ‘Bad Romance.’ C’mon, Jed.”

“No, thanks,” Jed mumbled.

“This should be good.” Pete nudged Jed. “Go ahead, I gotta see this.”

Somewhat to his surprise, Jed got up from his chair. Angie grabbed two napkins and waved them like pom-poms. “Go, Jed, go!”

“Yeah!” Pete socked Jed lightly in encouragement.

“Don’t expect much,” Jed muttered as he walked off with Bud.

“You’re such a cheerleader,” Brian said to Angie, and she giggled.

She and Brian looked so happy that Pete was seized with a pang of envy. And that was ridiculous because they weren’t even dating yet, and he didn’t even want a relationship.

Cleo touched his hand. “I’m trying to remember the exact date of the film fest. Do you remember, Pete?”

“The Saturday after we get back from spring break. March thirtieth? Something like that.”

“Which means we’ve only got two months for you to whip your footage into a movie-like shape.” Matthew put on a stern expression.

“Movie-like shape? I like that.” John raised his mug in a salute.

“Does Professor R have many other entries?” Cleo asked.

“You’re still doing yours, right?” Matthew asked.

Cleo nodded. “Right. I need the exposure, even though it means having to deal with Professor R.”

Pete couldn’t help looking across the table at Angie at the mention of Professor R. “I don’t know. We’re done with his class.”

Angie squared her shoulders. “Yeah. I turned in my independent study project and haven’t looked back.”