He pushed an annoyed breath out, trying not to take it out on her. “I’m already out. I might as well bring it over.”
“I’m sorry. I’m always doing this to you. It’s not right. Why don’t you just bring it home for you and Josiah? Or you can bring it here if you want. I was just trying to save you the time...” Her voice got softer as she spoke, Tristan’s protective urges going into overdrive.
“It’s okay. I was actually supposed to grab something for Josiah, so this will save me another stop. He loves their soup.”
“Good. I’m glad. When do I get to meet him, Tristan?”
He closed his eyes. “Soon. He asked the same thing tonight. We’ll plan it, okay?”
“Okay. I need to go. I took my sleeping pill and I’m so tired. Goodnight, sweet boy.”
His muscles seized up, hating that she had to take pills to sleep at night. Knowing he probably should, too. “Good night.”
Tristan weaved his way through the people on the sidewalk as he shoved the phone into his pocket. As he rounded a corner, his feet rooted to the ground when he saw Mateo standing partway down the street. He watched as the man spoke with a woman and a little girl in torn clothes. She looked like so many people he passed on the San Francisco streets every day—homeless.
That had been him and his mom at different points in his life.
And if Mateo hadn’t done some of the things he did to take care of Josiah all those years go, that could have been them, too.
For a good five minutes, he watched as Mateo talked to them. Watched as the man pulled something from his pocket, money he’d guess, and stuffed it into her hand. Saw his body stiffen as the woman hugged him...but then he hugged her back.
This from the man who spent time in prison. Who could get caught for things that could put him there again. Who lived in a run-down hotel and didn’t have much. It reminded him of something Josiah would do. The kind of thing he’d never done.
When Mateo turned to walk away from the woman, his eyes locked on Tristan. He didn’t let himself think. Didn’t let himself worry. If Mateo could open up, and Josiah could, he had to find a way to be able to do it, too.
Tristan’s steps were quick. When he reached Mateo, the other man didn’t turn away. His stare was hard, defensive. Tristan handed the soup to the woman, who scurried away with her child.
Mateo didn’t move when Tristan tried to back him against the building. He looked down, reached out, pulled his hand back, but then just went for it and grabbed ahold of Mateo’s belt loop. “Don’t ask me what it means. Don’t ask me what will happen, or how long it will work. Just come home with me. Josiah wants you there... We want you there.”
For an eternity, as people weaved around them on the sidewalk, Mateo didn’t answer. Finally he grabbed Tristan’s hand, untwisting his finger from his belt loop. “Fuck. Fuck if I don’t want to be there, too.”
Chapter Fifteen
Josiah
Josiah lay on his side already in bed, even though it was just after dinnertime. Tristan had only been gone about forty-five minutes when he heard him come home.
Josiah didn’t move, just continued to lie there, waiting for Tristan to come up to him. Tristan would. He knew that. The man might struggle with words, but he was there for Josiah.
Heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, and he didn’t know why but his heart thudded harder with each one. His eyes didn’t leave the door, a deep breath escaping his lungs as Tristan slowly pushed it open. He’d been nervous. Nervous and hadn’t even realized it until Tristan’s figure filled the doorway. What he didn’t understand was why.
And then Tristan stepped aside, another person lingered behind him. This time his breath caught in his throat as he saw Teo standing there.
“What?” Josiah sat up. “How?”
Tristan’s eyes didn’t leave Josiah as he spoke. “I saw him outside of Durango’s.”
“If you don’t want me here, I’ll go,” Mateo said.
Josiah let his gaze drift from Tristan to Mateo when he spoke, but then let them go back to Tristan again. Yes, he wanted Teo there. They all knew that, but they couldn’t keep going the way they were, either. Couldn’t sleep together and then hardly talk. Or have Teo come for dinner but refuse to stay.
“This is the second time you’ve brought him home, Tristan. You kissed him in your office while I was sleeping.”
At that, Tristan’s brows pulled together and he came toward Josiah. “You know—”
“This isn’t about jealousy.” Josiah stood, his legs feeling weak. “It can’t be like last time. It needs to be equal between the three of us, or we don’t need to be doing it. I know you want me, both of you, and...and I know you want each other, too. That has to be a part of it or we can’t do it.”