Brad's Bachelor Party by River Jaymes Read Free Book Online Page B

more and more like a definite possibility. Probability. Whatthefuckever.
    Frottage.
    Brad let out an amused huff. “You’re a hopeless geek, you know that, right?”
    “Better than being a terminal asshole.”
    And the return to their familiar interactions was such a relief Brad slumped back against the hammock, his shoulder touching Cole’s, so grateful he was afraid to speak or he might start babbling like the idiot he was. For a moment he simply enjoyed the quiet and the absence of hostility and the reassuring heat of Cole’s hips and thighs so close to his. The very fact that his friend was present . That Cole hadn’t given up and ditched him like he should have a long time ago.
    The breeze rustled the fronds of the palm trees overhead, the gentle sway of the hammock and the sunlight dappling his face lulling Brad out of his douchebaggy state.
    “Dude,” Brad finally said, his voice rough. “I really am sorry.” He knew he was overcompensating so he wouldn’t sound so much like the big teenage girl he was slowly turning into. “I can’t do this without you.”
    “Do what?” Cole asked.
    “Anything. Everything,” Brad said, frowning at his friend. “Damn it, my life .”
    The Cole-shaped cavity that Brad had endured those five miserable years still haunted him. Dealing with an addicted Danny alone had been exhausting. Terrifying. Worrying about his brother while he was clean had been lonely as hell. Always braced for the next relapse. Brad didn’t deserve Cole’s friendship; the past few days had proven that. The thought of a life without Cole scared the ever-loving shit out of Brad.
    Cole was the smartest guy Brad knew, and one day the man would wise up and leave Brad’s sorry ass behind.
    “Why are you marrying her, Brad?” Cole asked, the words barely audible.
    Brad closed his eyes, the truth lodged low in his throat.
    “Hey, I hope the party didn’t start without me,” a familiar voice called.
    Brad twisted in the hammock and spied his brother crossing the sand.
    Danny made his way across the beach, a big, goofy grin spreading across his big, goofy face. His long blond hair caught in a ponytail, his surfer shorts and surfer attitude giving him the look of a stoner. But not a stoner anymore. His skin color was good, the gaunt look of his addict years gone. Still gone, thankyouverymuch. And the twist of love in Brad’s heart nearly broke him in two. Danny had been the darling of their three-person family, the apple of his mother’s eye. The baby brother Brad adored. Nothing was more important than keeping Danny safe. Keeping him alive.
    And no sacrifice was too great to ensure that happened.
    From beside him, Cole’s voice was low. “He looks good, Brad.”
    His friend could tell at a glance when his brother was clean and when he’d started to slip.
    “Yeah,” Brad said, the smile spreading across his face as Danny drew closer. He had his brother, healthy , and the best friend in the world. They’d figure out their shit later. But for right now, Brad was going to enjoy the moment. “Yeah, Danny looks real good.”

Chapter Eight
    At some point in the last twenty-four hours, Cole had decided with absolute certainty that the VIP room of the Honolulu Lei, a nearly naked wannabe counselor, and Brad’s cum on Cole’s stomach had been as awkward as the four-day weekend could possibly get.
    He’d been wrong.
    “I’m sorry I missed your private lap dance last night, Brad,” Martinez whispered.
    Cole sucked in a silent breath beneath the gazebo overlooking the Pacific. Brad stood to his right, and to his left was Danny, with Ryan and Martinez lined up just beyond. Cole kept his eyes on the discussion happening up the aisle. The power-pantsuit-wearing event planner gestured frantically about some detail while the wedding officiant listened patiently. The rows of white chairs on the grass were empty save for a few family members of Jenny’s, and the bridesmaids were at the other end of the