Secrets are my Sanity

Chapter 14

In every loss in every lie
in every truth that you deny
and each regret and each goodbye
was a mistake too great to hide. –New divide.

Chapter 14

That Tuesday as Shane sat with his brother in his room their mother announced she was in the mood to cook and was inviting some people over. Shane and Michael looked at each other and both had the same thought; had she gone nuts? Sure she hosted many dinners in the past but she never, ever, willingly cooked.

“Oh and Shane?” his mother turned around and peeked back in the room. “Your father is bringing Brent along.” She left.

Michael started laughing. “Mom is trying to set you up, no wonder she’s trying to be chipper.” He kept laughing and fell back on his side.

“If that isn’t a sign I don’t know what is. You know she’s going to invite Julienne and her mom too.” The wheels in his head started to spin again.

“Yeah so she’ll have someone to complain to.”

Shane needed Julienne to invite Nick along so this plan could get started. “Is she coming over before that?”

Michael’s eyebrows rose. “Why the sudden need to see my girlfriend?” he asked innocently, he knew even if Shane was straight he’d never go after his own brother’s girl.

“She’s been helping me with my problem too.” That was the truth.

“You told her about your crush before me? And here I thought we were bonding.”

“I came to you for advice first, relax and call her, make something up about how you need to see her.”

Michael smirked and Shane knew that smirk meant something very dirty. “I always need to see her.”

“Spare my sanity and call her but don’t tell her it’s about me.”

“Watch the master work.” He grabbed his phone and pressed speed dial. “Can you come over? No I’m not trying to get in your pants…yet. It’s important; yes I find things besides sex important. I need to see you now, I have this big project my mom gave me and I’m clueless. She’s having one of those dinners and since Shane isn’t around she’s making me her new gay son.”

Shane put his hand over his mouth and tried not to laugh, with every word his brother said he was so dead serious and heartbroken, he should get into acting.

“Julienne please don’t make me dress the table alone and please don’t subject me into helping her pick out an outfit tonight.” A few seconds later he shut the phone and smiled. “She’s on her way.”

“That was some impressive lying.”

“I have a degree in bullshit.”

“And when she finds out it’s all a lie?”

“No, no, no. the first rule of any lie is you never admit the truth, that lie becomes your truth and you believe it with everything you have.”

Shane suddenly thought back to Nick, he had been living a lie so long and forced to believe his feelings were wrong and let that lie becomes his truth.

Michael continued. “When she gets here you happen to be here too and ask her whatever the hell you want. When that’s going on I’ll offer to help mom and bam Julienne and me are doing girly crap.”  

Shane shook his head. “It’d be really messed up if it wasn’t so perfect.” He never agreed with his brother’s lies and manipulation but today it was coming in handy and he had to shut up about the wrongs of it.

Julienne arrived, joining them in the bedroom, Michael kissed her hello then made some excuse about having to use the bathroom.

Shane didn’t waste time. “My mom is doing one of her dinners, I need you to invite Nick and make sure he comes.”

“Why?”

He didn’t have a degree in bullshit and decided if he needed her help, again he had to be honest. “I want to make him jealous. I tried seducing him and it didn’t pan out too well.” he admitted, his shoulders shrugging awkwardly from embarrassment.

Her grey eyes opened wide with shock. “You seduced him?”

“Not as well as I could’ve, it was in the school bathroom.” He knew if he had cornered Nick at home where there was no running he would’ve went a lot farther to push Nick’s buttons. “I think Nick and I could be really good together.”

“Me too.” She agreed weakly, not fully ok going behind her friends back.

“Then help me make him realize he’s screwing this up because he’s too scared to admit the truth. I’m not asking him to come out to the whole world, I just want him to be honest with me.” Shane explained, putting his heart on the line for a plan he knew was stupid but he was at the end of his rope.

“Ok I’ll call him but I don’t know if this will work.”

“Me either but I’m out of ideas short of locking him in my room and doing dirty things to him.” he said honestly, it had been a serious contender until he thought of jealously.

She laughed. “You sound like Michael, let’s hold off on that for now.”

Nick didn’t know how exactly Julienne roped him into going to the Gregorys. One minute they were talking at the park, she asked him for a ride and now he was inside the house. Shit, he mentally cursed as there was nowhere for him to turn and runaway.

He hoped maybe Shane was at the apartment but that hope was quickly put out when he saw him and Michael coming downstairs.

Mr. Gregory came out of the kitchen with a young man who looked around his late twenties with shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes. He was nice looking but something was missing. There was no wow. When Shane walked into the room there was lots of wow and that wasn’t lost on this stranger. He smiled brightly and nearly goofy.

Mr. Gregory introduced the man as Brent Collins who apparently worked for him as his personal assistant. “Michael and Shane you remember Brent.”

Brent jumped at the chance to shake their hands, he held on longer to Shane’s and it was obvious to everyone he liked him. Nick noticed Mrs. Gregory smiling and felt his stomach drop, she was trying to set Brent and Shane up and worst of all Shane didn’t seem to mind.

Nick quietly laughed as he stood off to the sides, this was going to be an interesting night.

“Are you upset?” Julienne whispered at his side.

“No, was that the point? He can like whoever he wants to like.” He said and realized the edge to his voice. Was he jealous of Shane showing someone attention, yes of course, but was he furious and betrayed? No, Shane had his rights and if he wanted Brent then he could have him.