Total pages in book: 124
Estimated words: 115525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115525 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 578(@200wpm)___ 462(@250wpm)___ 385(@300wpm)
“I liked it better when the Amazon was a rainforest that needed saving,” Mike chided. “The real Amazon is dying because of all the goddamn shipping boxes the fake Amazon sends out every day.”
“Dad, stop acting so fuckin’ old. Rayne, I like the way you added stuff to the entertainment stand, and that rug is fly too.”
“Yeah. He’s making this place into a home.” Mike gazed into Rayne’s eyes, and it wasn’t the first time he could see the vast feelings he had for him. Mike wasn’t a man who wore his heart on his sleeve or expressed his emotions in a healthy way, but he showed Rayne every day with his actions just how he felt about him.
“All right, Pops, I’ll talk to you later. Wood and Manny already took the trash out. The grill isn’t cool enough to put the cover on it yet, but I pushed it under the awning just in case it rains in the morning.”
“Thanks, T,” Mike said. He got up to give his son a one-armed hug when both of their phones chimed at the same time with a notification.
Mike was the first to check his phone. “It’s my li’l homie. Finally.”
Trent pulled out his phone as well and tapped the screen a couple of times, then read his message. Rayne felt a sliver of relief that Bishop had reached out, but when he saw the expression on Mike’s face, his heart skipped a beat. Something was wrong. Very wrong. God, what now?
“Please tell me you didn’t do that, brother,” Trent said more to himself, his eyes wider than Rayne thought capable as he cast a concerned gaze up at his father.
Mike was staring at his phone as if someone had just sent him a random dick pic. “Babe.” Rayne touched his hand to the center of Mike’s back, gasping at how tight his muscles had bound together. “What’s wrong? Is Bishop okay?”
Mike just continued staring at his screen until his hand started to shake.
“Dad,” Trent said cautiously.
Wood and Manny burst through the back door with their phones in their hands. Shit. Did they all get the same message? Rayne was the only one left in the dark. Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?
“Mike.” Manny took careful steps toward his best friend. “Don’t overreact… I’m sorry Bishop decided to—”
“To cut me out! Goddamnit!” Mike hollered before he turned and threw his beer bottle against the wall, sending shards of glass and beer all over the eat-in kitchen wall. “He fuckin’ eloped!”
Chapter Fifty-three
Rayne
“No, no, no, please say he didn’t do that,” Rayne begged anyone standing near him. He wanted it to be a prank or a blatant lie, but when Wood held out his smartphone to Rayne, his heart sank at the picture of Bishop and Edison in front of the Norfolk City courthouse with wedding bands on their fingers. The second picture was of a hotel room balcony at the oceanfront and Edison sitting on Bishop’s lap, each with a glass of champagne in their hands. The message read:
We wanted a drama-free ceremony, so that’s what we did.
Rayne’s chest deflated. All of Mike’s plans, all of the many favors he’d called in, were all for nothing now.
Manny had to duck out of the way when Mike took his stool and slung it on the other side of the room. “Mike. Calm down! We can still—”
“Still do what?” Mike raged. “It’s already done! The one time I could do something parental for my son, and he robs me of it!”
Rayne could see Mike losing control, but he couldn’t do anything about it with everyone standing around and gaping at his partner while he lost his shit. No one needed to see his man break down but him.
“Everyone out. Now,” Rayne demanded when Mike stormed up the stairs. It was only a second before they heard more crashing and objects breaking against the walls.
Manny stared at Rayne a few seconds before he asked, “Are you sure? We can wait outside.”
“No. Leave. I’ll handle this.” Rayne was positive.
Wood looked concerned, but thankfully, he didn’t try to offer up another suggestion. Instead, he put his arm around a still-hurt-looking Trent. “Come on. Let’s give your dad some space.”
“You really think kissing it can make it better?” Manny asked.
“No. That won’t work,” Rayne admitted. “But I know what he needs.”
He walked the three of them to the front of the house, and Wood and Trent gave him one last apprehensive glance at the sound of a door slamming shut upstairs hard enough to rattle the downstairs windows.
“I’ll be home the rest of the night.” Wood touched Rayne on his shoulder. “Call me if you need me.”
“Me too.” Manny frowned, appearing skeptical about leaving his friend. This was most likely his duty when Mike got out of control, but it was Rayne’s responsibility now.