A Lover's Decision

Chapter 8

Rhyn stared at Rhys's phone, indecisiveness clouding his face.

Since fall break started, the basketball team had been practicing everyday from 2 p.m. until well after night had fallen. Rhys was barely home so they had to save him dinner and whatever dessert there was.

Rhys had somehow passed his chemistry exam even though Rhyn hadn't helped him study. Rhyn had gone to sleep as soon as Myles had left that night so Rhys hadn't come to bother him. He was grateful, but Rhyn wondered if his brother had cheated.

With a week off of school, Rhyn had nothing to do. All of his assignments were caught up, and all of his research for his paper was fairly done. All he had to do was sift through his information and tailor his approach. He would knock it out as soon as he was ready.

Rhyn found himself alone most of the time now. He woke up, piddledaround the house, then went to bed. His friends were gone, Rhys was practicing, and Rhyd had gone to the mountains. His parents were always busy so Rhyn was alone.

Rhys walked in as Rhyn was staring into la-la-land. He grabbed a glass and poured some juice. He turned back to his brother. Rhyn was picking at his fingers, a clear sign he was distressed.

Since the night Rhyn had confirmed many rumors, Rhys had noticed how withdrawn Rhyn was. He didn't smile as much, and he was never at dinner anymore. They didn't talk anymore, and that bothered Rhys more than anything.

Rhyn was quiet by nature, but now they had to ask if he was home or if he'd gone out. Sometimes his car was in the drive, but he had gone on a walk. He rarely did anything he loved anymore, and it was noticeable to those who loved him.

"Do you want to go to the store with me?" he asked.

Rhyn looked up. "For what? You hate shopping."

"Ryan and Myles are coming over tonight to play Halo. we don't have practice tonight so we're going to eat subs and play games."

"No, I don't want to go. I will make you some fresh brownies."

Rhys felt disappointed, but the look on Rhyn's face told him he was not open to leaving the house. He hadn't said no about being home with Ryan and Myles here as well.

He knew he wasn't going to get any further with this so he grabbed his phone and keys. Rhyn gave him a couple of items for him to pick up then retreated back to his room. Rhys could only stare up the steps, disappointment and sadness written on his face.

~~~~~~~

The doorbell rang. Rhyn wiped his hands then went to answer it. The brownies were in the overn and he was about to start assembling the subs. Rhys was taking a shower because he'd worked out after going to the store.

Rhyn pulled open the door. Myles smiled and held up a twelve pack of soda. He'd thought there would be alcohol. They must have gone into the alcohol ban. Before the season started, the coach made it mandatorythat his team abstain from alcohol consumption. For many this was their last chance to secure a conference title. He wanted them to have the best possible chance.

Myles noticed Rhyn barely smiled as he let him into the house. He followed him to the kitchen and put the sodas in the fridge. He put the cardboard in the trash then turned to the counter.

Bread, deli slices, cheese, lettuce, and pickles were arranged on the quartz. Rhyn was assembling the sandwiches, doing them a specific way. Myles stood beside him and began to help. He followed the pattern Rhyn used to assemble the sandwiches.

They didn't talk, but Myles watched Rhyn's steady hands as he worked. He didn't put condiments on the sandwiches. He was going to let everyone doctor their own. So Myles made a couple of sandwiches without pickles. Rhyn glanced at him.

"I don't like pickles so these are mine," he said. Rhyn hummed but didn't speak. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." It was short and sweet, but it didn't answer anything.

Rhyn started cleaning up the mess after the sandwiches were stacked neatly in one place. He threw away the trash and grabbed the plastic wrap. He wrapped the plate to put it in the drudge so the bread wouldn't dry out.

Myles grabbed his wrist in a loose grip and pulled Rhyn towards him. The younger man stumbled forward into his chest. Myles stared down at him even as he straightened. He saw the panic cross Rhyn's face as he tried to take his hand back.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Rhyn replied. He tugged on his hand but Myles didn't let go. "Let go."

"Not until you tell me what's wrong. Rhys says you haven't been yourself."

"Let go." He twisted his wrist until Myles let go. He rubbed it gently before he leaned against the counter. "Nothing's wrong. I just haven't been motivated to do anything."

"Is it because of what we discussed?"

Rhyn looked away. He wasn't sure how he should tell what he'd been feeling. Hell, he didn't even understand how he felt.

But he couldn't say he stared at Rhys's phone hoping he would call to just talk to Rhys. he wanted to have a reason to talk to him. He couldn't ask for his number because he didn't want to put himself out there. He wasn't sure what it all meant, but he was nervous to ask.

Myles stared at him before he pulled out his phone. He unlocked and handed it over. Rhyn looked at him. He had to shake it a couple of times before Rhyn took it to put in his number. When he handed it back, Myles gripped his hand.

Rhyn started to shake. Myles dropped his hand and watched him step back a couple of steps. He had noticed he did that when he was overwhelmed emotionally. He wasn't embarrassed, but he didn't know how to deal with the newness of what was going on with his emotions.

They heard the doorbell followed by Rhys's yell from upstairs. His footsteps echoed through the quiet house. Myles followed Rhyn to the doorway and watched as Ryan and Rhys talked in the entryway.

"Do all of your guests bring things over?" Myles asked.

"It's usually a potluck scenario. We provide the main food and everyone brings sides and drinks," Rhyn replied.

Myles frowned at the response. He could talk about food but not his emotions. He watched him brush past him to pull the brownies out of the oven. He turned on his heel and followed him. When Rhyn turned around, he was right there. He was almost burned by the pan.

"We're going to talk when this is over," he whispered.

Rhyn put the pan down and tossed the rag to the counter. "What do we have to talk about?"

Myles raised his eyebrows in question. "Trust me. There's a lot to talk about."

They stared at each other. Even when Rhys and Ryan returned, all they could do was look between the two. They didn't know what was going on, but the atmosphere was tense.

Rhyn gave up first. He told Rhys where his snacks were then he was gone. Rhys looked after his brother before turning to Myles. His friend shrugged but made no comment about what had been said.

As the friends settled down to play and spend time together, Rhyn raided his parents' liquor cabinet on the landing. Though alcohol was banned in the house for parties the boys' wanted to have, their parents liked to partake in one at night before bed. They had a decent selection on the landing right outside of their media room. So it was no big deal for Rhyn to snag one on his way to his room. He locked the door, too many emotions running around his head.

He didn't know how to deal with everything that he was feeling. He knew turning to alcohol was probably not the best idea considering what had happened last time, but he didn't want to think. Plus he was in his own home. If something were about to happen, Rhys would be home to stop it.

He sat on the bed and took a sip of bourbon. He liked the burn as it slid down his throat. Even if it was burning his insides, at least he didn't show it. Did he?