IN OR OUT CHAPTER 2

MICHAEL

I can’t believe fucking Brian stood me up! He knew we had plans to spend the night helping him to forget all about that ignorant ass twink. He’d better have a good reason for leaving me there without my best friend since Ted and Emmett were so pathetic. All they could do was compare notes on their problems with Drew and the Druggie. Because of their complaints, I had no choice but to think about my own non-situation with Ben.

Ever since I gave him his space and took the guys with me on vacation, he’s changed. He’s always on me about what he expects of me; how I should act; how I should pay attention to him and leave my friends to their own relationships. Doesn’t he understand? They are my business, especially Brian. Other than Emmett, their partners are not what I want for them and Drew is only acceptable because he’s famous. I want us to be able to go out as couples, without it always ending with me being ignored. But perhaps it's even time to rethink that situation, too since it's obvious he doesn't like me, either.

That was the beauty of having partner-free week. My friends were focused on me for the first time in ages. It also helped that I held their phones hostage for a few days. I checked the messages and weeded out which ones were important like for business, but any that weren’t were erased and the guys were none the wiser. I would make sure to do it when the guys went to bed, even had a good laugh at some of the ones Justin and Blake left for Brian and Ted. But it worked out for the best since Brian, Ted and Emmett have no idea that the reason they didn’t hear from their supposed mates, was because I was making sure they wouldn’t. Oh, I’m sure it will come out during this mandatory therapy shit but by the time it does, I’m sure it won’t matter. The bottom line is I saved them from having to deal with the Twinks and the Tyrant, which Drew seems to become sometimes. Or at least he was today if his exit from the therapy session was any indication.

Another reason I want a set of new partners for my friends is that since it’s obvious that Brian isn’t going to give me what I still want and I’m stuck with Ben, I want to be included in their lives so I can show them what a real relationship is supposed to look like. Right now, I have nothing in common with my friends anymore since they are all able to travel whenever they feel like it. I feel like I barely see them anymore and they are excluding me more and more because of Ben’s teaching schedule and our finances. If they had partners with regular jobs like Ben has, then we can  plan to take vacations together. But more than that, it’s so obvious that when we do meet as ‘couples,’ Justin, Blake, and Drew barely tolerate me. I was here first, and it’s time for that shit to stop! But back to Ben and his latest little temper tantrum…

Justin’s influence on him is so telling! I always knew the little fucker was jealous of my relationship with Brian, but I refuse to let him ruin my relationship with my husband too. I keep waiting for Brian to get tired of him, or for him to leave and never come back. Why aren’t my prayers being answered? Every time it gets close to my demand for Justin to disappear being followed, the little asshole finds a way to resurface. First the prom, then the fiddler, L.A. and finally New York. I thought for sure he would stay gone! I’m so tired of him! He is fucking with everything I hold dear, especially my closeness with Brian.

Lately, Brian seems to rely on me less and less, and only because he is having some sort of problem with that destructive little twink. I keep telling Brian to move on before Justin gets the best of him by leaving, but will he listen to me? NO! I have to get Brian to open his eyes to what he could really have if he would kick the trick-that-won’t-stay-gone, out. I’ll find a way. But first, he owes me his time since I waited for him just about the entire night!

I finally hear the answering buzz for me to enter the building. I decide to use the stairs since I don’t feel like waiting for the elevator. I’m much too anxious to hear Brian’s reason for not showing up. When I arrive at the top landing, I don’t hesitate to move towards the open loft door. As I enter, the first thing that hits me is the aroma. It smells like sex, sweat, and coconut, something that is familiar to me but I’m not quite sure why.

I spot Brian sitting on the window seat in front of the huge bay window. God he looks amazing with his hair tousled like that. He looks freshly fucked, but there’s still a slight tension invading his shoulders. My hands itch to relieve it but there’s a more pressing matter. Like the matter of who the fuck just left!

“So you stood me up for a trick? That’s why you couldn’t show up to Woody’s? I don’t understand why not, since the whole fucking building is full of them. No, you had to leave me with Ted and Emmett complaining about their invisible partners. You owe me an explantation Brian and I’m not leaving until I get it.” I cross my arms and flounce down on his sofa. I glare at him but he doesn’t return it, his attention focused on the street below. Good, he should feel ashamed!

“Michael, get out. Go home to your husband. I don’t owe you shit!” Well that wasn’t the response I was expecting, but I’m determined not to give up.

“Brian…”

“No Michael, I mean it. Get out! GET THE FUCK OUT NOW!” He yells at me, but I’m determined to get what I’ve come here for.

“Brian, you can yell all you want. I’m not leaving,” I say as if talking to a child, which is what he is acting like right now.

Finally he looks at me. And I suddenly wish he hadn’t. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Brian so angry, but to have it directed at me… wait! What the fuck is he mad at me for? He continues to stare at me, his eyes seeming to bore into me as if trying to probe my brain. I don’t like this sudden feeling. It’s like I’m being looked at under a microscope and found lacking. This isn’t how this is supposed to go. Brian is in the wrong here. He should be feeling like this way, not me!

“I’m going to tell you once more Michael, and I want you to listen carefully. Are you listening?”

I automatically roll my eyes, a reflex I’ve developed over the years to this specific question. I already know he’s going to say something I don’t want to hear. I’ll just disregard it as I often do, but let him have his say anyway. I know he feels he must say whatever it is so I don my attentive expression while preparing to filter the words. “Yeah, what is it?”

I watch as he takes a deep breath before he speaks. “LEAVE NOW!”

He yells again and when he doesn’t say anything else, just simply points to the door, I wonder if that was it. I know there is usually a whole litany that follows the ‘Are you listening’ question. Where is it? As he continues to stand there as if he’s fighting himself from moving from that spot to where I remain seated, I realize that he is actually serious. I can’t even pretend that I didn’t hear the short-sentenced command he spewed. Why the fuck is Brian kicking me out? What the hell happened tonight?

“Brian,” I try again only to be silenced...AGAIN!

“Michael, I’m not going to tell you again. If I have to remove you, you won’t like how I do it. It’s a long way down the stairs, head first. Would you like to find that out personally? I’ll be all too happy to show you.”

Brian has never threatened me like this before. He can’t actually be serious, can he? He’s beginning to move towards me, as if to give action to his words. I jump up and run for the door. “We’ll talk tomorrow Brian, after you’re feeling better. I don’t know what happened tonight but I will be expecting to find out!”

I slam the loft door behind me, not giving him a chance to answer. I really don’t know what’s going on with him, but I’m sure it has to do with the no good fucking blond boy ass he can’t seem to let go of. But that’s no matter, because tomorrow Brian and I are going to have a serious talk about what Justin is doing to his sanity. Anytime a man threatens his best friend with bodily harm over a piece of ass, it’s time to remove it. And it will be my pleasure to FINALLY have Justin Taylor removed from all of our lives.