Simple Things(26)

He stepped back, leaning against the counter and crossing one ankle over  the other. Ella's eyes flicked between Carter and Jeremy, noticing the  obvious wet hair and fresh clothes. She seemed to smirk in the faintest  way.

"Okay, Ella, let us show you to your room," Jeremy's mother said. Then  she paused. "Unless you want the guest room in Carter's cabin."

"Oh, that's fine. A guest room here is cool." She went to lift a bag but  Daphne swatted her off. Carter grabbed the larger suitcase and everyone  walked off to take Ells to her bedroom.

What is wrong with you?

He sighed and went to the fridge for a water. When he turned, he  realized Sarah was still sitting at the counter. When he froze, she gave  a very exaggerated eye roll of exasperation, then stood. "The  girlfriend?" she asked.                       
       
           



       

He shrugged. "Isn't that what the media thinks?"

Sarah snorted. "That was smooth, by the way."

"What?"

She patted his shoulder as she walked by. "Wet hair and he was wearing  your shirt. Why didn't you just make out with him on the counter?"

Jeremy glared at Sarah. Okay. So she knew.

She looked a little sad. He didn't want to ask, didn't want to know, so  he just said, "I'm going to work on some music. Call me for dinner." He  should not be that tense that soon after an orgasm.



* * *

Carter barely had a minute to breathe from the time Ella pulled up. He  hadn't missed that little display by Jeremy-who up until that moment,  had played pretty nice with everyone. He hated it was directed at Ella,  but the fact Jeremy seemed almost jealous gave him an extra thrill on  top of his orgasm and the stupid adrenaline from almost getting busted.

He really didn't think they were fooling anyone anymore, but the peace being kept seemed to be so important to everyone.

Ella had barely had time to shower, change, and go with Carter to help  Daphne carry things to the grill when old friends started arriving. He  wished he'd had a moment alone with her, and a moment alone with Jeremy.  But it wasn't to be.

Old school friends poured in. He hadn't realized Sarah had invited most  everyone they used to hang out with, but who he hadn't taken much time  to get to know in his shyer younger years, save for a few.

Ella came down and brought Carter a beer. "Girlfriend reporting for duty."

Carter huffed out a laugh and took the proffered solo cup. They were  going all out. They had pulled out the folding tables and chairs. Music  played from the garden speakers. Red checked table cloths covered every  table, and they were all full of ice chests and platters of wings and  chips and dips.

"This is a legit shindig, huh?" she asked.

"Yeah. I didn't realize it was going to be … " He waved his hand toward everyone milling around the Becks' backyard.

"They missed you." She leaned into his shoulder. "I missed you too."

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and squeezed. They stood for a  minute like that. God, he had missed her. She had been his one ally for  so long. It was nice having her here.

"I can't wait for you to meet Jeremy. You'll love him when he's not being …  himself." He snorted.

"Please tell me you've been hitting that, like every day."

His cheeks flamed and he just sipped the beer in his cup.

"You have. About damn time." She shoved his shoulder, making him sway.

"Anyway … " He tried to divert the conversation away from his sex life.  Thankfully, Sarah and Chris and another old friend of theirs came over  to say hello.

Ella regaled everyone with stories of the snow in New York this year and  gallery openings she had been to. It was fun watching everyone seem so  in awe of her. It wasn't like they weren't all wealthy as well and  didn't do cultural things. They were on an equestrian farm for fuck's  sake. But he could see where New York City felt a little foreign,  especially the magical way Ella made it sound.

Some of the guys who drifted over seemed to make the assumption that she  was his girlfriend. He tried to disabuse them, but eventually gave up  because it didn't really matter in the end. She wouldn't hook up at the  Becks' home, and she was only here for a couple days.

Carter felt a sinking feeling standing there drinking his beer,  realizing the next time she boarded a plane, he would be with her. After  almost three months here, he would be leaving. He would be leaving  Tennessee again. He would be leaving Jeremy.

That thought made him look around for the man. Jeremy was standing over  with his father by the grill. They were laughing, which Carter noticed  had a serene smile playing out on Sarah's lips as she held Chris's hand  and watched the scene.

Ella leaned in and whispered, "Isn't that your shirt?"

Carter's eyes bugged out a bit, looking down to see that he was wearing  Jeremy's. They had accidentally switched. He looked up at Sarah, who  sipped her drink looking like one of those not my business memes on the  internet.

Chris looked and said, "Oh, did we not know you two were a thing? Sarah, I thought you said they were a thing."

Sarah laughed. "I said they were trying to be stealthy." She cut her  eyes Carter's way. "For months. With Jeremy acting all nice to everyone.  Nope. Totally didn't know."

Carter felt even his ears go hot now. He glanced over at Jeremy, willing  him to come over, but he just looked their way and walked off inside.                       
       
           



       

"Oh good. Now he's gonna be an ass."

"I don't get it," Chris said.

"He's playing pouty baby Jeremy because he has to share Carter," Sarah explained.

Carter balked. "Can we not talk about Carter like Carter isn't right here?"

Ella took Carter's empty cup and handed him hers that she had barely  touched. "Drink your juice, Shelby." She looked at Sarah. "He gets so  touchy."

"You're all assholes," Carter pouted. But he drank his beer because he  didn't know if his pride could take walking over to Jeremy right then.  He saw that annoying, shuttered expression on Jeremy's face. Maybe they  had spent too much time around each other. Maybe it was good he was  leaving soon. Especially if Jeremy was going to start being a dick  again. He couldn't handle, after all they had done, for Jeremy to revert  to being a jerk to him or to Jeremy pretending like they hadn't been  anything.

After another hour or so, the party was even livelier. People Carter  didn't even know, but who he assumed were family friends of the Becks,  had shown up. People were well and truly drunk, and there was dancing  and plenty of laughter. It was an amazing night. Carter tried not to  obsess over Jeremy seeming like he was avoiding Carter.

Carter stopped Sarah twice from saying anything to Jeremy. But  eventually, he was annoyed enough on his own. And he had been so excited  about Jeremy meeting Ella. He had been looking forward to this, and now  he was feeling like a fool because he had almost talked himself into  saying something, anything, to Jeremy to see if this had to be over when  he left. Even if they only saw each other on the odd weekend.

God, you must be drunk to be thinking like this. He stared down into his  empty cup and looked over to see Ella chatting with Jeremy's mother and  Daphne. He shored up his nerves, and had a decent enough mad-on, that  when he spotted Jeremy slipping in the sun room doors into the house, he  followed. This was ridiculous. He had his dick in your ass two hours  ago, you can talk to him.

He followed Jeremy in and was glad to see Jeremy was the only one in the  kitchen once a couple of stragglers went back outside. Jeremy was  texting furiously on his phone, frowning at the screen. When he put it  away, he looked up and saw Carter standing there scowling.

At least he had the courtesy to look abashed.

"Jeremy, what the hell?"

"Hey, Red. Having fun?"

"Well, it'd be more fun if you weren't being a jerk to my friend."

Jeremy put his hands up. "I think you're drunk, Red." He laughed. Laughed.

Carter didn't want to be psycho or clingy, but damn. "Jeremy, I-" But  Jeremy wasn't looking at Carter, his gaze was transfixed over Carter's  shoulder. Carter turned to see a familiar guy. Well, he thought he was  familiar. The guy had a long beard and unkempt clothes. He looked like  he had slept in them.

Jeremy put a hand on Carter's shoulder. "Apologize to your friend for  me." Carter looked at Jeremy, trying to figure out what he was doing. "I  have something to do … "

He walked over to the guy and the guy hugged Jeremy. Carter's stomach  felt woozy all of the sudden. He wanted to yell what the hell, but …  he  wasn't sure what he was seeing. The way the guy held on to Jeremy wasn't  exactly platonic, either, when they pulled back from their embrace. He  wished he could see Jeremy's face, but he was glad he couldn't, because  he'd feel ten types of foolish if he saw that same mooning expression on  Jeremy.