Which Way the Wind Blows

Chapter 25

Jake’s mouth hung open at their usual outdoor table where they met for brunch, as Warren relayed to him what had transpired after the bachelor party ended. His eyes widened at the part where Warren gave in to his lust and screwed Chris and then he scowled when Warren, with a red face, told him he’d made Chris admit he loved him while they fucked. When the dark haired man ended his narrative Jake let out a deep breath and shook his head.

“Are you serious?” he asked after a full five minutes of silence had passed.

“Yeah.” Warren never felt like such an ass in his life.

“You left him in your apartment with your sister?” Jake demanded as he signaled the waitress for the check. “Are your out of your fucking mind?”

Warren’s face reddened further. “He’s an ass, but he’s not dangerous!”

“Oh, okay,” the blonde said nonchalantly before he reached across the table and grabbed his friend by the collar pulling him close. “You spent the last how many months telling me what a fuck head this guy is then you go and leave his hungover ass at your house with Mindy, all alone!”

The waitress came over and Jake handed her a twenty for their drinks, apologizing for taking up the table when they wouldn’t be staying for brunch.

“But I can’t deal with him right now!”

Jake pulled him up by the arm and dragged him down the street. “You’d better get ready,” he hissed. “Because that’s exactly what you’re going to do!”

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Chris opened the door to his apartment quietly. He wasn’t sure how late Victoria was out with Lauren the prior night and he didn’t want to wake her. He also didn’t want to run into her right now, preferring to go straight to his room to have that cry that was itching to get out of him. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t smiling on him that morning any more than it had the night before. Dressed in a long terrycloth robe, Victoria was up and brewing a pot of coffee in the kitchen … and Lauren was lying on the sofa in one of Chris’ sweatshirts, just waking up. Evidently she’d spent the night after her last single girls’ night out.

“Hey, Chris!” Victoria said when he walked in.

“H-hi.”

“If I’d known you’d be out last night I would have given Lauren your bed.”

“Ah, the couch was fine!” the petite brunette giggled, bouncing up off the couch. “How was the bachelor party?”

“It was … fine.”

Victoria frowned suddenly and looked closely at him. He looked away but not before he saw her skeptical expression.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

“Nothing.” He swallowed hard and looked away.

“Don’t try to snow me!”

Chris glanced at Lauren then gave Victoria a pleading look. She followed his gaze the sighed but nodded her head.

“Uh, guys?” Lauren said. “I can read that kind of wordless communication, you know.”

Chris finally couldn’t take it anymore. He tried to make it to his room but ended up collapsing on Lauren’s vacated sleeping spot and the dam of tears he was holding back erupted with a force. He couldn’t breathe, he was sobbing so hard. Victoria had rushed over to him to try to calm him when the phone rang. She looked down at Chris then back up at Lauren, who nodded and grabbed the phone.

“Hello?” she said. “Oh, hey, Kee!”

Chris gulped air through his mouth as his body trembled with the force of his sobbing. Victoria was now sitting on the couch next to him, hugging the blonde for all he was worth. He knew his cheek was rough with stubble but she didn’t complain, like she used to when they were dating. She just held him and whispered comforting words in his ear.

“He just got home now,” Lauren said into the phone. She listened for a few seconds then said, “Well, I guess he stayed with whoever you sent him home with.”

Hearing that only intensified Chris’ tears. Lauren studied him for a minute then looked at Victoria searchingly.

“Uh, Kee?” she said. “Who did you let take him home?” She listened then mouthed to Victoria, “Warren?”

Victoria’s face went pale and her mouth dropped open. A few seconds later, however, she regained her composure and gently let Chris go. “Give. Me. That. Phone!” she hissed.

Not offended at all, Lauren handed her the cordless phone and traded places with her on the couch. “Don’t worry,” she assured the tall, black haired woman. “I’ve got experience in this area too.”

Victoria paused for a second before nodding gratefully and grabbing the phone. “Kee?”

“Yeah?” he asked carefully. “I just called to make sure Chris got home okay last night. He was a little … um … drunk.”

“And from what I hear you let him go home with Warren, of all people?” she replied.

“He said they went to college together!” Kee said quickly. “And Chris said his name, so I figured he was telling the truth.”

“Oh, they went to college together! They also dated for six years and it ended less than amicably!”

“Oh my God!” Kee whispered. “THAT was the guy Chris is trying to get over?”

“That was him!”

“Did he get home?”

“Just before you called, he did,” she sighed audibly into the receiver. “Kee, I don’t know what happened to him last night, but he’s having a breakdown right now.”

“Son of a bitch!” Kee yelled. “I’ll be right over!”

“I don’t know if …”

“I’m coming over!” he growled with finality.

Before she could say anything else, Kee severed the connection.

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Mindy was ready to let loose on Warren as soon as he walked through the door. And the fact that he’d brought Jake with him only made her job easier as far as she was concerned. He was just as much to blame for the bastard her brother had become. She thought he was good for Warren at first but now she questioned her own previous opinion.

“Um, is Chris … ?’ Warren asked.

“He left,” she said through gritted teeth. “Right after you did.”

“Oh, well, as long as he didn’t cause any trouble,” Jake sighed.

“No, he did!” Mindy said jabbing Warren in the chest. “And you,” she turned to Jake, “are a horrible influence on him!”

“What?”

“Both you, sit the fuck down!” she yelled.

In shock they both sat down on the couch and folded their hands in front of them while Mindy paced in front of them like an agitated parent. Finally she stopped and pulled up a chair from the kitchen area and placed it before the couch, in front of them. She sat down and looked them each in the eye then started speaking in a very measured tone.

“What in the hell makes you two believe that what transpired last night is all right?”

Jake blinked and crossed his arms. “I don’t see the problem.”

Mindy gave him a scathing glance. “My brother,” she said angrily. “My very decent and normally shy brother took his ex-boyfriend home last night.” She pointed to the carpet. “Here, in his apartment, he took his very drunk ex … and then screwed him silly.”

“Yeah?” Jake nodded.

Mindy leaned forward to enunciate every word she was about to say. “He took someone who was blitzed out of his mind on God only knows what and brought him here to fuck him when the man was in no condition to consent to it.” She speared Jake with a glare that could have frozen Hades. “If that’s not illegal, it sure as hell breaks all the rules of ethics!”

Jake rolled his eyes. “The guy was an asshole to him for six years, Mindy! Cut him some slack!”

“The Warren I remember,” she hissed, “would have avoided him, left, done anything BUT what happened last night!”

“So, you prefer he let the ass walk all over him again?!”

“I’m right here,” Warren muttered.

“Nice of you to join us,” Mindy said drolly. “And which Warren am I speaking with now? My brother? Or the cold-hearted bastard who I spoke to this morning?”

Warren stared at her in silence. He knew he was only getting what he deserved right now. What puzzled him was why it was coming from his sister, his biggest cheerleader when he shunned Chris while he and Victoria still lived in the building. But he could see that asking that question right now would only irritate her more. So he sat back and stared at her while she stewed. And Jake wasn’t helping matters.

“He left,” the blonde said. “The drama’s over.”

“He left barely holding himself together,” she shot back before turning back to her brother. “And I have a feeling he heard your parting remarks. I know he doesn’t deserve to be forgiven for what he did.” She shook her head in disgust and gave him another glare. “But neither do you after last night.”

“Mind!”

“Warren, I love you. But I don’t like what you’ve turned into.” She looked at Jake then. “And if you were the guy I thought you were, this whole thing would bother you too.” Then she got up and grabbed her purse. “I’m going out.”

As she left Warren knew she was going because she couldn’t stand to be near him right now. And he didn’t blame her.

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“Well, she’s pissed,” Jake murmured as he followed Warren into his bedroom. “Phew! Open a window, man! It smells like sex in here.”

Warren rolled his eyes and looked at the bed where he’d last seen Chris. Where he’d left him alone. Just like he used to do to him when they were dating. He ran a hand through his hair and looked away from the messy sheets. Something glinted in the light on the nightstand and he walked closer to pick it up. When he recognized the ring he’d given Chris three years before. He squeezed his eyes shut and his heart tightened as he clutched the ring.

“Warren?” Jake asked in concern. “You okay?”

“No,” he croaked. “I don’t think I am.”