Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103637 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Mike had been worried his brother had made a grave mistake getting hitched to a girl who seemed to treat marriage as a way out of an uncomfortable situation, but Axel had been more excited than Mike had ever seen him be since the unexpected engagement during the standoff over Arden, so maybe there was method to this madness. Tinder had not worked for Axel. Two months later, the two of them acted like complete lovebirds, and despite Axel always claiming he hated dancing, they’d even done the whole first dance thing at the start of the party. Harlyn got what she wanted, but Axel seemed happy to serve.
Maybe life would finally work out for him?
“Embracing being gay?” Leo asked, approaching Mike out of the blue, and when Mike stalled, not sure what this was about, Leo pointed to the painted nails of Mike’s left hand. Despite the casual nature of the wedding, Leo still wore a jacket and shirt, even if without a tie.
Mommy was surely proud.
“Embracing being sexist?” Mike shot back but was already grinning. Those jokes had seemed funny as hell when he’d directed them at Leo, but they’d lost their dubious charm.
He’d hit the jackpot, because Leo stilled with his mouth open, desperately searching for a snappy answer that wasn’t coming. Leo never was good at those.
“I… didn’t mean it that way,” he grumbled.
“Everyone has nails. No reason not to decorate,” Mike said, even though he’d have considered it a waste of time if he were to do the manicure himself.
“So… Arden’s staying, huh?” Leo sipped from his beer bottle and stood closer, watching the dancing crowd from the outskirts.
Mike’s boy was dressed to the nines, and was dancing with Rain, who’d just tilted him back. They made the most curious couple with her wearing a shirt and tie under the leather jacket, and him in a lavender bridesmaid dress. Because yes, despite Arden leaving a mark on Harlyn’s neck with a knife, she’d offered Arden a spot as a bridesmaid. That girl was crazy, but maybe her energy would balance out Axel, who so rarely smiled.
The lavender dress had been adjusted for Arden’s size, but the whole outfit consisted of white stockings, a fitted bodice laced at the back, and a puffy tulle bottom barely longer than a tutu. It was hard to take eyes off Arden’s long legs as he twirled on the dancefloor. He’d worn small heels for the event, but had swapped them for good old sneakers now.
He was the cutest girl out there, despite not actually being a girl.
“This is it for me, Leo. My wild days are over,” he joked, but there was truth in what he was saying. He still enjoyed the lifestyle he’d led so far and wasn’t intent on giving up on parties, but he would settle on the tail he already got instead of chasing a new one each night.
Arden kept him satisfied.
Leo snorted. “For real? You’re saying he’s not wild?”
Mike snorted. “Oh, he definitely is. And territorial too. What do you think the nails are really about? He’s claiming me with those,” he said, glancing at his thumb, which matched the color of Arden’s dress. “It’s his version of the property vest.”
Leo shook his head. “That’s actually kinda cute. How are you… um… coping with this whole identity change?” It seemed that after two years with Zolt, Leo still had far more hang-ups than Mike.
Mike shrugged and took a sip of his beer. “Not much changed, to be honest. It’s weird how I never discovered this part of myself before, but it feels good. Dunno, Arden felt right from the moment we met. I was never the overthinking type. There’s no need to label me or Arden. But I know it bothers you. I kinda see how I’d been a shit to you over Zolt. Sorry.”
Leo did a double take at Mike with a smile. “Whoa. Mike apologizing? You really have changed. But yeah, I guess it does bother me a bit. At least now I have you to take half the burden.” He glanced at Zolt who was talking to a group of men on the other side of the room. With his thick beard and arms covered in hair revealed by rolled up sleeves, he couldn’t have been more different than Arden.
Mike considered that for a second and smirked when Arden finished his dance and strutted to where Zolt was standing, squeezing past him to get a drink. “That’s how you think about it? That it’s a burden?”
Leo shrugged. “Isn’t it? Dealing with people’s shitty attitudes. I used to want to stand out more, but now that I do, I’m ‘the gay one’. It’s fucking annoying, but what can I do? I married Zolt for a reason, so that’s not changing. You’re really not bothered, are you?”