“I hear you. But Temple, the job is yours if you change your mind. You know how to reach me.”
The call disconnected and he stared down at the phone. The guilt never left him, the betrayal either, but his fingers trembled as he pulled up the number Vik had called him from the other night.
Then he hit dial, spinning away from his reflection in the window. He couldn’t meet his own eyes, didn’t want to see himself as he was then betraying the one man he shouldn’t.
But it didn’t stop him from holding the phone to his ear, breath whistling out of his nostrils as it rang and rang.
“Temple?”
His voice was a pin to the balloon of anxiety in Temple’s chest, deflating it immediately. “Vik.” He swallowed around the bitter taste of guilt that settled at the back of his tongue. “You sound tired.”
“Yeah.” Vik chuckled. “It’s been a hectic day dealing with last-minute details for opening up the second Java Bean location.” He sounded winded as he said, “I’m just leaving a meeting and I’m headed home.”
“Why don’t you—” Temple cleared his throat. “You want to come to my place? Share a pizza and a beer?” He slammed the heel of his free hand onto his forehead. Shit. He hadn’t planned to issue that invitation and he held his breath until Vik spoke.
“I would like that, actually. Wasn’t looking forward to making dinner for one. How about I bring the beer? You still like the same thing?”
“Yeah, sounds good. I’ll see you soon.” He hung up then heaved a sigh. It was like all the heaviness eased when he spoke to the other man. It wasn’t until that moment that he realized just how much weight he’d been carrying around since Henry’s death. When he’d made the decision to return to Hadley Cove, he’d feared seeing Vik again would be too much. That it would bring everything that happened with Henry to the forefront, especially when he thought Vik blamed him for what happened.
Their first meeting at Java Bean had felt like that, but since they’d talked, since Vik apologized and Temple expressed his own guilt, it’d been different.
There was something wrong with him finding comfort and ease in Henry’s partner’s presence. There had to be. But Henry would understand, wouldn’t he? He would understand that for two years, Temple couldn’t even think about his best friend without losing his shit. Without wanting to disappear into the bottom of a bottle or throw a punch. He’d come back thinking he deserved whatever happened when Vik saw him again. He’d expected anger and rage, blame and vitriol.
He hadn’t expected forgiveness.
Not acceptance and an apology.
He hadn’t expected for this thing he’d denied for so long, his attraction to Vik, to make itself known in such an undeniable way. Now he didn’t have the strength required to fight the compulsion inside him that demanded he be wherever Vik was. That he took care of him. That he stayed close to him.
A few minutes after Temple picked up the pizza from downstairs, the knock came on his door and he rushed to answer it. The sight of Vik standing there with a small smile heated his body. He greeted the other man with a nod and stepped aside to allow him entry.
Maybe it was all his own stupid projections. Vik couldn’t possibly feel the same, right? He missed Henry and Temple was as close as he could get. The thought stung but he clung to it in order to keep himself grounded. Especially when Vik faced him as he yanked off his gloves then his black scarf and coat. Temple took his stuff from him and hung them up then got the beer out of the fridge and gestured for Vik to sit.
His presence was a double-edged sword. Temple couldn’t help but be aware of him. The way he chewed, the way his gaze swept the room before landing on Temple’s face. Other than the few additional pounds that fit him just right, Vik was essentially the same man Temple had run from two years prior.
“Are you okay?” Vik asked him. “You look lost in thought.”
Temple stalled by taking a sip of his beer. “Yeah, I was just—I was thinking maybe I shouldn’t have left town, you know? Maybe I should have stayed. You were alone.” Henry would not have wanted that. But would he have wanted what Temple was feeling now? The shit that was settled in his gut? The way he felt as Vik studied him?
Vik shrugged at his words. “You did what you had to do. And I did the same.” His gaze dropped. “My only regret is the things I said.”
“Hey. Look at me.” He waited until Vik lifted his gaze to his before telling him, “That’s done now. It’s in the past. You apologized and I accepted it. Let’s put it behind us.”
Vik exhaled then nodded. “Okay, but you have to do the same. You left because that’s what you needed to do at that moment. You’re back now.” He worried his bottom lip with his teeth. “I’m glad you’re back.”
Temple nodded. “Me too.” He’d doubted it at first, but maybe coming back had been what he needed. What Vik needed too.
They finished eating then cleaned up and made their way to the living room. When Henry had been alive, Temple had kept his interactions with Vik superficial. Now, he found himself talking about his life—his and Henry’s—in the group home where they grew up attached at the hip. They sat side by side on the couch as he recounted all the shenanigans he and Henry got up to, sneaking out in the middle of the night, toilet-papering the grounds.
It did weird but wonderful things to his heart watching Vik smile.
Like it did the other night, time fell away when they talked. He took so much pleasure in the excitement that brightened Vik’s features when he shared details about the new Java Bean location. It was in his eyes, in his voice, the way he gestured, just how much he loved this new path he’d taken.
And he’d only gathered the courage to do it after Henry’s death.
Outside got darker and darker, but inside, he capitulated when Vik insisted they watch some movies. Temple stopped him when Vik scrolled past one movie in particular.
Meet Me in St. Louis.
“Isn’t that your favorite?” He could’ve sworn he’d heard Henry mention it.
Vik didn’t look at him when he nodded. “It was.”
“Then we should watch it.” He took the remote from Vik and started the movie. From the corner of his eye, he watched Vik. It took him a while to get into the movie, but finally, he relaxed back, settling under the blanket Temple got from the bedroom.
In the dark of the living room, with only the light from the movie illuminating the space, Temple spent more time watching Vik than he did the movie. There’d been a tenseness to Vik when the movie started that appeared to melt away the more he watched. By the time Judy Garland sang Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, his expression was open, eyes glittering when he turned to Temple at the end credits.
His eyes were wet.
Temple sat upright. “What’s wrong?’
“That was the first time I watched it since Henry…”
Shit. “I’m sorry.” Temple touched his shoulder, leaning toward him. “I didn’t know. I just—I know from Henry that it’s one of your faves and I wanted you to have that.”
Vik nodded, cupping Temple’s face. He fought against the urge to close his eyes and sink into the touch. “Thank you. I mean, it’s not technically a Christmas movie, I don’t think. But I always used to make Henry watch it with me around this time.”